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MN: Why did you decide to return to the United States?

TN: Come back? Because I'm a second son. The oldest son's supposed to take over the family. It's not my, responsible. And I have to decide my own future. And my brother was here, but eventually I thought he's gonna come back, and I could be free. That's why I have a good opportunity to come, and I stayed.

MN: Now, before you could come back to the United States? You had to get permission from the Japanese military office to be excused from the military exam. Can you share with us what happened when you went to the military office?

TN: Yes. When I really decided to come to the United States, my age was coming to military age. Then I asked, went to office, asked for permission. They say, "No." And he really insult me. He say I'm a traitor. I still remember his face. I still remember his lip. [Laughs] But I explained to him, it's not the only staying in country is not the, improve anything. Maybe we need to expand it out. And it's half Japan itself. No, you don't. He need it right now, all the young man, he said. "So you stay."

MN: So what did you do?

TN: Then I went to higher office in Fukuoka. That was just the county office. So I went to higher office, but he told me, too, "Your age coming," he can't do much.

MN: So you had to stay and take the military exam.

TN: Then the military exam, yes. I did.

MN: Did you pass?

TN: I passed. But they pulled the number, and I was off. So I decided to come.

MN: Your mother asked you to stay until the New Year.

TN: Yes. [Laughs]

MN: Was that the last time you saw her?

TN: No, I wanted to come over here soon as possible, so I was gonna decide to go, that was 1946, end of the year. But the mother, whole family, "Oh, come on, stay for New Year, then you go."

MN: So what year did you come to the United States?

TN: '37.

MN: Did you come back by yourself?

TN: Yes.

MN: And where did you go in the United States?

TN: I was staying Angel Island for maybe over a month, long time. Because I thought maybe I had a military exam in Japan, so people know here. So maybe they're gonna reject me, send home. But I'm the only one in the island long time. But finally, they released me.

MN: What kind of questions did they ask you at Angel Island?

TN: It isn't much. They don't ask too much. It's in our paper. So they don't ask, just to keep you there.

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