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TI: As an American, it just amazes me, this history that people have, their families, to think back sixteen, seventeen generations, it's... and so for you and your family, it's kind of nice, because you can go back and really trace your lineage.

SI: Yes. Especially since the temples were the repositories of all your family histories, your village people will have the temples keep all their records for them. And so, yes, they do have history that goes way back. And I think at one time, my mother's family came from some samurai leader, but unfortunately was on the losing side. And so usually what happens is when you're on the losing side, you cut off your hair and you could become a monk. So that's probably what happened. [Laughs]

TI: Yeah, I was thinking, so in your case, both sides, your father and mother, you can trace generations and generations. It's almost like it's, it sounds almost like royalty. You know, how the royalty can trace back that long. Or is that common, do you think, in Japan, that other families can do the same thing?

SI: I couldn't really say on that particular note. But I think it is very unusual that there are, they've been ministers for the seventeenth generations.

TI: Like if you talked with other Niseis in Seattle, do you think they would be able to trace their lineage back so many generations?

SI: I've checked out with a few of my friends, and they say they have to go back to the government agencies, some office, to find out, but it's not that easy. There's a lot of problems associated with trying to check out your background. For some, it's fairly easy, if your family was fairly prominent. But for others, it was very difficult.

TI: For me, this is pretty rare for someone to be able to know what their father and mother's side, going back so many generations.

SI: Yeah. I think the fact that both families come from the temple, and since the temple was a repository of personal histories, they had an advantage over others.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.