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MN: Now, from Montebello, your family moved to Venice. Do you remember what year that was? Or how old were you?

HY: I was six, I think six or seven years old. Six, six years old. Five or six years old.

MN: And then your family also farmed in Venice. What did they grow?

HY: Celery was the main. Just celery, just a celery farm.

MN: Now, what grammar school did you attend in Venice?

HY: Grammar school was Machado, I believe. Machado.

MN: Did you attend Japanese language school?

HY: Yes, I did.

MN: Which language school?

HY: Venice, Venice gakuen.

MN: Was this every day, or just Saturday?

HY: That was every day.

MN: For how long? About an hour, two hours?

HY: I believe it was about an hour.

MN: Were you also taking judo lessons?

HY: Yes.

MN: And when did you take judo lessons? On Saturday, or was this every day?

HY: It was twice a week, I believe it was.

MN: And where did you, where did you take the lessons?

HY: Venice.

MN: Venice dojo?

HY: Yeah.

MN: Was that, like, next to the Nihongo gakuen?

HY: I believe it was. I can't recall what, the location, but pretty big one, close by.

MN: Do you, do you remember your judo sensei's name?

HY: At Venice, no.

MN: From what age did you start helping on the farm?

HY: I was seven years old.

MN: And how old were you when you started to drive the truck on the farm?

HY: I was seven years old. [Laughs]

MN: How did you learn how to drive the truck?

HY: This was on a field, so they drive the truck on the farmland and as you drive it, they loaded the vegetable on the truck. That's how I learned how to drive.

MN: But you're so small. How can you reach the brake and the gas?

HY: I was standing. I couldn't reach the, you know, pedals, so I was standing and driving.

MN: So what happened to your ofuroba when you were in Venice?

HY: Oh, that burned down one night.

MN: Why'd it burn down?

HY: I guess some ember, you know, caught on one of those... bathtub.

MN: Was anybody in the bathtub?

HY: Nobody was in, no.

MN: Someone just left the bathtub going, and it was empty and it just caught on fire?

HY: Probably so. You know, it was late at night. Didn't, we didn't take care of the fire, so I guess the ember, ember or whatever. It was just a wooden, wooden shack.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.