<Begin Segment 25>

TI: So when you look back, and I think about, Tom, you're ninety-two years old.

TK: Now?

TI: Yeah, now. And you lived through all these changes in Seattle, in your life. When you look back, what are the important things in your life?

TK: Well, it's the friends I made. But then I look through the classified ads now, I don't think I could, I could meet the standards. [Laughs] You got to know computers and all the technical things.

TI: And so your friends you made, anything else?

TK: Well, I value my Catholic religion because of all the friends that, (they are) your friends, no matter where I go.

TI: And when you think about the Japanese community, what do you think's going to happen in the future to the Japanese community?

TK: Well, when we were at Maryknoll, we were all one. But Archbishop Connolly says, "Disperse." So each family went to their respective churches where they were nearby. So we lost our group togetherness. Who was it, Augie Aratani and one of the Kinoshitas, Takisakis, we all dispersed. We used to get together, but now we don't. So we were kind of dispersed.

TI: So how do you feel about that? Because...

TK: I think take it for granted. We liked to get together once in a while, but we're so dispersed now. It's Sanseis and Yonseis now, and how do you get them together?

TI: Because that's different than when I think about the Methodists or the Baptists or St. Peter's Episcopalian, they've sort of kept together as a group.

TK: They come together more, yes.

TI: And so in some ways, do you wish that you were able to do a little bit more of that?

TK: At the Catholic church, we can go anyplace we want. So we're sort of dispersed. Remember Phyllis Campbell? Her dad, Takisaki, grandpa. No, it'd be grandpa-grandpa-grandpa, wasn't it? I don't know how far back.

TI: Well, Jiro Takisaki?

TK: Jiro, yeah. That would be his dad. Phyllis Campbell remembers talking about -- no, I saw it in the paper that she talked about her grandpa. He was an old samurai type of guy. Strict Japanese, I guess. I'm glad she's got, she is where she is.

TI: Yeah, so Phyllis was most recently the president of the Seattle Foundation, and is now the, I think the regional chairman of the JP Morgan Chase.

TK: Chase, yeah. She's head of it now. You know her story?

TI: Of the Takisaki family?

TK: She used to live in Spokane. She would fly every day to Seattle University. Every day, to get a degree here, I guess, in business. But that's dedication.

TI: That's amazing. She's a very hard worker.

TK: She's a hard worker. [Laughs] I don't think any of us can keep up with her.

TI: So I'm at the end of my questions. Is there anything that perhaps I didn't ask or you'd like to share?

TK: Well, like I mentioned in the car that I sure admire what you're doing. Because somehow, our legacy's got to keep on going. In fact, a teacher in one of the high schools here asked me for my autobiography for her class, so that she could teach that at her high school. Someplace in the valley here. People don't know that, Tom. People don't know.

TI: Well, so I'm so glad we got a chance to do this. Because now it's recorded, we'll have a transcript, so other people can learn so much from your story.

TK: Yeah. In fact, even my friends, "What did you do? Were you in the camp?" They still ask me. People don't know.

TI: Well, so Tom, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I know it's a long ways for you to come to do this. I so appreciate it.

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.