<Begin Segment 28>

TI: So Tad, you're going to help me. This is a map that we got from a book called Issei by Kazuo Ito. And he had someone draw a map, we think it's from the 1930s, of the Nihonmachi, kind of from Washington Street over to King and Seventh Avenue down to Second Avenue. And during the interview you mentioned some places, and I thought that this would be a good way to kind of give me an orientation. So I'm going to ask you about some of the places you mentioned and see if you can help me. So one thing we talked about was some of the jobs you had. One was cleaning bathtubs at a barbershop/bathhouse. And I think you said it was around Second Avenue. Can you point out where, about where that is? Like Second and Washington I think you said?

TK: Yeah, that was right, it would be, well, at that time, this was Second Avenue I think. It would be right in here.

TI: So right in there, so this is that bathhouse where for a dollar...

TK: Mr. Ito, Ito was the owner of the place. And Second Avenue wasn't cut through then. It was a solid here. It was solid, this part was solid. No Second Avenue there.

TI: And so during this time, the Japanese community extended all the way down here. I mean, I think now, I think of this now in the Pioneer Square area where this is.

TK: I think so, yeah.

TI: See, another thing that you mentioned, I notice right here, is the Furuya Company. This was where you'd pick up the groceries and then bring to Hoover, Hooverville, which would be way down in this area over here that you would bring that. You had another good story, when we were talking about jobs. You mentioned putting the cushions down on the chairs at the Nippon Kan. Now Nippon Kan would be where, Tad?

TK: Washington.

TI: So Washington, and, like, Sixth or Maynard. I guess Maynard, right around here?

TK: Yeah, it said Nippon Kan right here.

TI: Nippon Kan right here. So this is where the community, kind of a community theater center where you mentioned shibai and the other things were right there. That's where you had those colorful stories about Kinpachi, with the two pistols right there. You also mentioned the baseball field, which I think you said was on Fifth and Weller. So it's kind of off this, so Weller would be the next street over. So it would be right around here.

TK: Right up here.

TI: Weller. And that's where you would... and during this time, when you played baseball, is that when you were living on Weller also? 621?

TK: No, I was living on Yesler Way.

TI: Okay. So Yesler would be one more block.

TK: Next one, yeah.

TI: And then, you also mentioned, you know, when I was asking about Yamamoto, or Kinpachi, the gambling clubs. And you mentioned that they were on where, on like Maynard and King Street?

TK: Maynard, no. It was down, yeah, way down here.

TI: Okay, Maynard and more Weller, that area?

TK: Weller, it was just south of Weller Street, I think. As far as I know.

TI: So here would be the gambling and the drinking clubs.

TK: Well, I heard there was gambling there, I've never been in there, so I don't know for sure. [Laughs]

TI: We need to make sure. [Laughs] And then we also mentioned the brothels, or houses of prostitution. I've heard they were on Weller Street also.

TK: Weller Street.

TI: So there was probably a concentration of gambling, prostitution, and drinking more in this area here. And so this is a wonderful kind of schematic of how thriving this community was. I mean, it stretches from all the way First and Second up, really past Seventh in some ways, because the Buddhist church would be way up here on Fourteenth, up there.

TK: There was the original Buddhist church on Tenth Avenue. Tenth and Washington.

TI: Okay, so that'd been up several blocks. So this just really shows the heart of Nihonmachi. And there was the whole surrounding area that included. Well, good. Well, thank you, this was kind of interesting for me to be able to visualize a little bit more some of the places that you've talked about in your interview. And so we'll add this to your interview, so people can see some of this. Good, thank you.

<End Segment 28> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.