<Begin Segment 9>

MA: What are some of the differences that you remember, that stand out between going to school in Japan and going to school in the U.S.?

SO: It's a lot, quite a bit different. Over there, you'd learn. Over here, I didn't learn very much. I mean, if I got a "C," well, that (didn't) bother me. I don't think I ever got an "A." But over there, you don't do that. I mean, you do your best or else.

MA: Why do you think you did so well in Japan?

SO: Well, you had to, pretty much. My aunt and my uncle, they were pretty strict, too, so you learned. I mean, the teachers are, too. They don't give you any leeway over there like they do here. You learn or else, that's all. So you don't use the word "I can't." There's no such word. (Yes), I learned the hard way.

MA: Yeah, it sounds like there was just more, more discipline in the school system.

SO: Yeah, a lot more discipline. Even schools over here, you just walk in. Over there, they have assembly, our school anyway, the school I went to, from first grade on up, they have an assembly every morning, the (entire) six hundred students in the morning, you have an assembly, and then you go to your classes. You don't just walk in there whenever you feel like it. If you aren't there, you better have a good excuse.

MA: What subjects did you take?

SO: Well, like I said, I liked that abacus. That's what I, not majored, but I studied the most. I was getting pretty good at it.

MA: I see, so they actually, they offered courses on how to use the abacus?

SO: Well, you had to take (it), that was part of your math. I had about, oh, gosh, over here I don't know how many subjects you have in high school, but I had about, in junior high, my gosh, fifteen, sixteen subjects, maybe more than that. Because math, you (had) abacus, you had to take that. You don't take it all in one day, I mean, but they alternate. You might take it once or twice a week, and then you (had) geometry in the fifth grade -- no, fourth grade. Latter part of the fourth grade I had geometry, and had little bit of algebra, and then you had general, your general math, so there (were) four math classes. The math alone, got that many. You had to, you had to take it; it's required. But that isn't every day. You might have algebra (today), tomorrow you might have abacus, and then the following day you might geometry, and then the fourth day you might have your general math.

MA: And was there also like a Japanese language, like, reading and writing class?

SO: Oh, yeah, oh my gosh, I had four or five, I think, let's see. Yeah, four or five subjects in math alone, and then I even had, we had reading, writing, of course all your math, four or five math, and you had, oh, gosh, I had botany and agriculture. I can't remember 'em all, but I think there (were) around twelve or fifteen subjects we had to take.

MA: What did you do for fun, or on the weekends?

SO: You don't have much fun. You go to school six days a week, including Saturdays. Only day you had off (was) Sunday, and Sunday was my hardest day 'cause I had to help at home (because) my uncle had a farm, they were farmers. And you know how farmers are, you don't have off days.

MA: What are some things that you would do to help?

SO: Well, I had to, it was my chore go take care of the chicken coop, clean it out, and do whatever necessary. And then I had to walk the cow every morning before I went to school, those were my two main chores. Then studying was all done after dinner, so sometimes I was up 'til one, two o'clock in the morning for tests, you know, especially when you have tests.

MA: And what, did you get up really early then, in the morning?

SO: I had to, yeah, I had to get up by, be at school by eight o'clock, so we (didn't) get very much sleep sometimes.

MA: I see. Did your siblings also help out on the farm as well?

SO: Well, no, they didn't do too much. I think my brother helped some, but I don't think my sisters done very much at all as far as farming.

MA: But you were all living with your uncle?

SO: All in the same house, uh-huh.

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