<Begin Segment 6>

TI: So you mentioned giving the money to your mother, let's talk about your mother a little bit. So what was your mother's name?

RY: Matsuko, Matsuko.

TI: And do you know where in Japan, where she came from?

RY: No, I really don't know, Nagano or someplace close by, I guess.

TI: Do you, do you have any idea of how your mother and father met?

RY: No, I haven't. I guess it's, where that, picture bride? In those days, it was mostly picture bride plus if they had relatives over there, they probably told them who, who to try to get. So other than that...

TI: So it sounds like your father was here first in Spokane...

RY: Oh, yes.

TI: ...and then your mother came later and joined him. Okay. And then while your, your dad spent a lot of time being a redcap, what would your mother be doing?

RY: Oh, she was taking care of the hotel that they, they acquired.

TI: And so this is at that --

RY: Renting, renting the hotel.

TI: So this is the 417 Trent Alley?

RY: Yeah, 417 1/2 Trent. [Laughs] That was something that's, well, the regular address is Trent Alley, but that was because... well, the hotel was built from the old Union Station that burnt down, and the bricks were, they used to build a, build that hotel. And I don't know how my folks got into that, but they got into it when it was new, new hotel. And that, in that area, it was mostly Chinese or Japanese living. And I guess they called it Japanese town or Chinese town, I don't know, but there was quite a few Chinese that lived right across the street in the alleyways, too. I guess it was Japanese, Chinese town, I guess.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.