<Begin Segment 31>

MN: So my other, other question is, you've been able, I think about your life and listening to your interview, you've seen a lot happening to the United States and Japan from an early age, I mean, you saw the war. And then you saw the occupation, you helped participate in some ways, the economic resurgence of Japan. You saw that, you worked with the Japanese banks. Even today, the United States is the number one economic power, and Japan is still number two. What do you think in terms of the future of U.S.-Japan relations? They're military partners in some ways, there's an alliance between the two countries. But going forward, what do you think will happen between the United States and Japan?

FH: I think it'll be more or less according to Obama's thinking. It'll be more U.S. and China instead of U.S. and Japan. Although he visited Japan first and, you know, as a matter of courtesy and so forth. But wasn't that interesting when he was meeting with the emperor of Japan? [Laughs]

TI: So what did that mean? He both bowed and shook his hand.

MN: I know. I think somebody has, you know, who has instructed him and told him what to do, in general, what the Japanese do when they meet the emperor and so forth, they bow very deeply and so forth. He mixed that up with the American culture. He should stick with only one thing, just bowing or just shaking hands, shaking hands. When he tried to do both at once, that's why it was a weird picture wasn't it, on the TV screen?

TI: But you're, what you're thinking, though, is that the United States is going to start paying more attention to China than Japan in the future.

FH: Yes.

TI: And so -- go ahead.

FH: But it is so important that the U.S. think of Japan and Japan think of U.S. I think Japan is always thinking of the U.S., but the U.S. side, knowing that China is going to surpass Japan and so forth, the national product and so forth, things like that. But still, Japan is very, very important. And what is important is looking into the technical field and so forth. Lot of those technology and so forth that Japan, I mean, China as well as India is using, more or less are adopted through the Japanese technology and so forth. And so that, you'll have to always keep a keen eye on. And so although China's exceeding the scientists and so forth, U.S.-trained scientists going back to China and so forth and working very hard. But still, Japan, I think, is going to play a big role in that field, yes. But one thing Japan has to do is Japan has to wake up. I would say, "Wake up, Japan." Especially the younger generations. They became Westernized, yes. That's good, but it went too far. Just looking at the pleasure side of Westernization instead of sticking to what they had been blessed with. So that's, that would be my call to the Japanese people, especially younger people, "Wake up," yes.

[Interruption]

But in fact of that, in this country, it's completely different. Like the pastor at our church, Western United Methodist Church, her name is Becky Hirata because she was married to the Japanese in the Kyoto area with the surname Hirata. But she was born and raised in Osaka area, and but she doesn't even speak the Korean language, but she teaches Japanese language at the community colleges here and there and so forth.

MN: And she's Chinese?

FH: No, Japanese. Pure Japanese now, but she's of Korean background, yes.

MN: And they adopted a Japanese name?

FH: Well, of course, the husband is Hirata and so forth, but Becky is her first name. And the mother, she herself went to the seminary. Her mother, too, went to seminary and so forth, born and raised in Osaka. And so I think in this country, it's completely changed how people think about those of Korean ancestry and so forth. It's one example, but I think it's happening not only particularly in our church, but happening all over. This is why, in a way, it's a diluting of the Japanese character and so forth in the Japanese churches, but things are changing. It's a change in a good way.

TI: And so I just want to make sure I understand. So you're saying, in the United States, things are changing. I guess people are, Japanese, Japanese Americans are more accepting of, like, Koreans, Korean Americans. But in Japan, how would you say...

FH: I think in Japan, too.

TI: Japan also?

FH: Japan, too, I think is changing. Because we had, my wife's nephew's son going to the Japanese language school, Kaplan Japanese language school in the Westwood area. And there was a Chinese, I mean, Korean student. And so on the bicycle, he sent them all the way walking with her to the house and so forth. I didn't think they had any romantic relationship, but anyway, things like that. And you know, it's so open. No difference between the Korean and the Japanese and so forth, and these are not the Korean Americans, but they're Koreans learning the English language there and so forth. So I think things are changing. More acceptable nowadays, no change.

MN: There were some Japanese Americans who renounced their citizenship and returned to Japan. Were you aware of that?

FH: I did not know about that. Later on, I learned about those things, but not in those days that I was living in Japan. I heard about that.

MN: Okay, I'm... asked all my questions.

TI: So, Frank, thank you so much. This was, for me, this was a joy, because your life is very different than the life of Niseis.

FH: That others that you've interviewed? Uh-huh.

TI: Yeah. This is very good. So thank you so much.

FH: And maybe it has to do with my character, too. More outspoken in a way.

TI: No, you are very, very outspoken, very articulate, so thank you.

FH: Well, but I'm very grateful. First I thought that, why am I ever going to Japan? I should have stayed in this country, went to the university here, and then excelled in one specialty field and so forth. But if so, I do not have the kind of a background, understanding of the Japanese culture, the difference between the Japanese American and the pure Japanese and so forth. But now I do, and so I'm very grateful for the path that I have taken throughout my life.

MN: Yeah, thank you very much.

<End Segment 31> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.