<Begin Segment 47>

CO: Now, when you left Japan, you were on good terms with your father? I mean, he fully...

TA: Yeah, I was in good terms with him, he gave, he gave me his blessing, and he says, like I said before, says, "No, don't bring shame to the family, and get your education." Because he, he valued the education very strongly. He says, "A good education will open doors for you," so, he says, "Get a good education."

CO: Yeah. Did you ever talk about what happened at Tule Lake with your dad while you were still there? Did he ever, you know, reflect on it and talk about it philosophically?

TA: Not, not really, because he... you know, we were so darn busy trying to, trying to live, and working and there wasn't a moment where we sat down -- well, it's crowded anyhow, and just going to the bath and all that, and getting things running, and eating, there was a, I mean, I think most of our attention was focused, and earning and living -- I mean, surviving, and getting that farm going. Or that plot of land, so we could get that vegetable grown. I think that was the primary objective, so there was very little talk about Tule Lake. It's sort of like, I don't know whether he didn't want to talk about it, we knew about it, so I guess he just thought that it wasn't necessary to talk about it.

CO: Uh-huh. Yeah, and even after you came to the U.S., were you able to ever have this kind of talk with your dad?

TA: To tell you the -- I could go into that if you want me to.

TI: Yeah, let's talk about that.

TA: Because I'm going to go, fast-forward.

TI: Okay.

TA: So, well, anyhow, I, there was a time when I enlisted in the army, I got my warrant. As a warrant officer, the security requirements are a little bit more rigid, especially when you get involved into the sensitive as well, and that requires special access and things like that. So as a result, my, my boss, my OIC, wanted me to see what, whether I had dual citizenship, because one of the things was dual citizenship and relatives foreign, relatives living in foreign, with close relationship. So I did, and checked with the, with the Saga military government -- I mean, the Saga prefecture government, they checked the (family) records, and they found out that I had dual citizenship, and as a result, my OICs recommended strongly that I, you know, renounce my Japanese citizenship. So I took the formal step of going to the foreign ministry and applying for renunciation. And so I was a renunciant in reverse. I renounced my Japanese citizenship. And, and I told, I told my father the reason why, and he, he understood, he gave me his tacit approval, because I said that this was for the advance of my career. Says, "I have to do it," and he understood.

TI: Do you think that hurt, hurt him, though? For you to...

TA: No, I don't think so. I don't think so, because he --

TI: And I should back up, there were two things that they said you had to do. One was if you had Japanese citizenship, renounce that, and the second thing was you had to sort of break ties with any close relatives in Japan --

TA: That's right. Yes.

TI: -- because of the nature of the work you had to do.

TA: Yes.

TI: And so you had to tell your father that, that in order for you to accept this position and get the promotion, you would have to --

TA: Well, I already was promoted.

TI: Okay, but you would have to --

TA: It's the new position that we were going to be moved into.

TI: Okay, then you'd have to kind of, sort of break ties with him, and it could be close.

TA: Yes, yes.

TI: And so you're saying that he gave you his approval.

TA: He gave me his tacit approval, and he says, "I understand."

TI: Because this would include your, your mother also? Well, your mother was back in the United States.

TA: No, she wasn't. My mother was there, too. My mother also agreed.

TI: She agreed.

TA: They agreed, and they said they knew it was necessary. And he always preached, he says, "You're a U.S. citizen. And if you, you just have to fight for your country. Do what is necessary for your country," so he understood that, and when I told him, maybe it may have broken his heart, but then he, he understood. And as a result, going back to your question, after that, I never had contact with him.

CO: You mean you never, that was it. You, he died, or...?

TA: That was it, except for one time, and that one time, when Junko was getting married, she wanted my father to attend the wedding, and lo and behold, there was no record, and they approved it, and gave him a visa to come, and he came. And I was stationed at Hawaii at that time, so he made a stop in Hawaii, and made an effort to see me, saw me for about two or three hours, got back on the plane, and left, and that was the last time I see him.

TI: In those two or three hours, what did the two of you talk about?

TA: Just, "How are you doing?" Nothing, nothing in particular, just, just know how I was, what I was doing, whether the family was well. Just a regular family talk.

CO: Uh-huh. Did he seem well, did he seem in good spirits and all that?

TA: He was in good spirits. And, in fact, I said, says, "Pop," I said, "Why don't you come to the United States?" And his remark was, "No." Says, "I'm not going to go back to the United States." He says, "I'm going back to my students." And he was known to be a very dedicated teacher, and he says, "No, I want to go back to my students." In fact, later on, when my mother and everybody came, he promised that he would go back, but he made a comment, Satsuki was telling me that no, he wanted to stay with his students. So he, we let him have his way.

TI: So he went back, just briefly, then, for the for the wedding --

TA: Yes.

TI: -- ceremony. And so Junko was, this is in California?

TA: Yes, in California.

<End Segment 47> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.