<Begin Segment 12>

AI: I wanted to ask about school in Japan, because school in Japan is divided up differently than in the United States. After your grammar school, or what do you call that, grammar school in Japan?

RM: Shogakko.

AI: Shogakko?

RM: Shogakko.

AI: And then after shogakko, then you have...

RM: Chugakko.

AI: Chugakko.

RM: Uh-huh.

AI: And so, then when you moved into chugakko, that would be kind of a combination of a middle school and then continuing into some high school.

RM: High school, yes, well, they had a different system than we have here. So actually they call middle school is high school right now. They change the name. Now they call -- I went to, the book says Shudo Middle School. Now, I went to see -- last time I visit Hiroshima -- went to see the school there but the sign says high school, so they change it to middle school to high school. But they, even though they call middle school, but it was actually a combination of junior high school and high school.

AI: That's right. So, so when you were attending chugakko, then what kinds of subjects did you study?

RM: Well, the compulsory, then everything else from language to mathematic, history, and they teach everything, little bit each, so doesn't specify in, I mean, specialize in a certain... United States you could choose your subject other than required subject. And you mentioned about United States history but they call U.S.G, United States Government and History, that's a required subject, then since I went to Japanese school I didn't learn American history. So when I got in there, I didn't go to... so, because I was in junior high school, went to junior instead of -- I mean, not junior, it was a sophomore and skipped this freshman. So I have to learn two, and then I didn't realize there was a require so you have to, in order to graduate you have to study, take U.S.G.

AI: Oh, well, that was later when you --

RM: Later, yes.

AI: -- returned to the United States, but before that, while you're still in Japan, as I understand it, in chugakko all the boys are required to take a military training, also?

RM: Yes, a military training, junior ROTC, the equivalent. So, you have to learn everything. And they have a field manual so study, then if you're behind you could miss it, you could study that and learn that so after graduate you could become, well, like a reserve officer, you could become a Japanese after... high school graduate, you know. Then if you go to college also they have ROTC, too, and every college Japan. See, right here some college don't have ROTC, but in Japan, at the time. Now they don't have it, but at the time they had it there so that's required subject you have to take it. That's why I learned, later on the things came in handy, but...

AI: So, I, so in Japan, every boy who attended chugakko would learn all these military phrases --

RM: Yes.

AI: -- and practices...

RM: Yes, then military terms, learn this...

AI: And all the boys knew that?

RM: All the boys do it.

AI: Well, so as you were getting this military training with all the other boys, did, did the other boys still consider you different and call you "immigrant" and...

RM: No, not after high school they understand so they, they didn't say it. But what I'm talkin' about is elementary school things, see.

AI: So in chugakko, in chugakko they treated you just like any other --

RM: Yeah, it's all -- since the one able to get in there is, well, don't see any difference because ordinary Japanese they figure because capable and understanding everything, 'cause learn at the grammar school, elementary school there so there's a few foreign-born, American or Canada. Only time this shows up is English class.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.