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TI: So today is June 8, 2006, and we're in Spokane, Washington. And we're, we're in the basement of the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture. And my name is Tom Ikeda and I'm the interviewer, and on camera we have Dana Hoshide. But this morning we have the pleasure of interviewing Ed Tsutakawa. And Ed, I'm going to start actually from the very beginning.

ET: Okay.

TI: And when you were born, can you tell me the name that was given to you and, and when you were born?

ET: Edward -- it was, let's see... May 15, 1921, and I was born in Columbus Hospital. In those days, it was called Columbus Sanitarium, but Columbus Hospital in Seattle, Washington. And, well, I guess that's it.

TI: And then your, and your name?

ET: Yeah, name was actually given to me, Edward Masao Tsutakawa.

TI: Okay. And did you have any brothers and sisters?

ET: Yes. I have one brother, that's all I have now, but I did have a sister and a younger brother, youngest brother. I think you probably interviewed Joe Yada?

TI: Uh-huh.

ET: Joe Yada's wife was my sister, Hideko, and she was a schoolteacher. And then Thomas Tsutakawa, and he was a Boeing employee, we were artists. In fact, he was an artist for Boeing for quite a number of years, he retired and passed away a few years later.

TI: So you were the oldest and then Thomas was the --

ET: No, then we have one, Henry Tsuyoshi. And he is, he lives in Japan, he's an attorney, and he served on the bar association, he was the president of Osaka Bar Association, so he was quite well-known as an attorney in Japan.

TI: And then after Henry was your sister?

ET: Then sister.

TI: That was Hideko.

ET: Uh-huh.

TI: And then...

ET: Then Thomas.

TI: Thomas. And just, I'm curious, so you were the oldest, how much later did, or younger was Henry than you?

ET: Henry's two years younger.

TI: Okay, and then Hideko was how much younger than Henry?

ET: Hideko must be about a year younger, maybe.

TI: Okay, and then Thomas was...

ET: Then Thomas was, he and I were about seven years' different, so...

TI: Okay. So he was born, like, about 1928 or around there?

ET: Something, somewhere around there.

TI: Okay. So now I want to talk a little bit about your father.

ET: Okay.

TI: And can you tell me his name and where in Japan he grew up?

ET: Okay, his name is Jin, it's J-I-N, Jin, that's all the name he had. And he was born in western part of Okayama prefecture. And you want the mother now?

TI: Oh, no, let's keep talking to your father. Because do you know when and why he came to the United States?

ET: Okay, his oldest brother, Shozo Tsutakawa, I may just add that Shozo was father of George Tsutakawa, and Sadako Moriguchi. And so that's the connection we have.

TI: Okay, and that's how you were cousins with George, because it's through your...

ET: Right, and mother is my cousin.

TI: Okay.

ET: So I'm almost like a great-uncle to Tomio and brother and sisters.

TI: Okay.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.