<Begin Segment 9>

TI: Okay, let's go back to Japan. So you're young, you're four or five years old. What memories do you have of Japan? Can you remember anything that, any incidences or just memories of Japan?

HH: Well, there are several, but one is that we were just, didn't know anything about Japan. Many of their homes are thatched roof, and buildings were not concrete buildings or brick buildings. And so we would be playing with some neighborhood kids, and one of the big dangers that they have is fire, because the fire department was not, more of a volunteer-type fire engine. They didn't have any fire engine, so more or less like a bucket-type thing. They didn't have any hose or anything like that. Anyway, we were playing around with little torches, playing around, and that could catch fire on the roof deal, but we didn't know, so we were just running around in the streets. And we were really punished for doing that, because of the danger.

TI: Because you didn't realize that it was such a danger, because of the construction of the houses. If it caught one of those on fire, it would just go up really fast.

HH: Yes, yes.

TI: So what kind of punishment did they give you?

HH: Well, they didn't, but our parents really punished us. [Laughs]

TI: So your mom?

HH: Yeah, my mom or my grandparents.

TI: Now, when you were in Japan, did you attend Japanese school?

HH: No, no, we weren't because we were still young yet. And the reason for coming back was we had to come to school. So that's the reason why we came back. My birthday's in September, so I came back at just about seven years old.

TI: Now, do you recall your mother, when she had to come back to the United States, was that hard for her? Did she want to stay in Japan, or do you remember how difficult it was for her?

HH: No, she, what the problem was, that whenever she gets on a ship, she gets seasick. And coming back, she did have my sister to take care of, and I know she was always in a very bad way, because she gets seasick.

TI: So did you and your brother have to help her on the trip back?

HH: No, we didn't help her. [Laughs] Because we didn't know what to do, but she was lucky to have somebody help her out.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.