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TI: You know, when you were in the upper class family, you mentioned he was in the navy. Was there ever any discussions or hear anything about their thoughts about the United States?

KT: No, they never said anything. But I have one experience that I would like to let you know. In 1937, that was about the second, about year before I graduated from the Tsurumi high school. It was a history class. And I opened the book, and it was about Pearl Harbor, the book. And to me, I didn't know Pearl Harbor. I was fifteen when I left Hawaii, we never did to go Honolulu, that was the first time out there, I never knew was Pearl Harbor. What was the reason Pearl Harbor was there, too. We don't know anything about it. And here in the history book, right there was about Pearl Harbor. I was reading that. And then, I don't know why, this teacher, his name was Tanaka, I think, he was the history teacher, was giving the lesson. He looked straight at me -- I was the only Hawaii girl in that class -- he looked straight at me and he said, "Murakami, Hawaii totte yaru." That means he's gonna take Hawaii. So they had intention on doing, going to war with Hawaii already, but I didn't know that. But Pearl Harbor, he said he's gonna take Pearl Harbor. When I heard that, I stood up and said, "See if you can take it," in Japanese, and I sat down. I don't know why I did that, but I said, my feeling was nobody gonna take my country. Must have been that. But I did that. He never said a word. He was shocked. Good thing the bell rang, he had to leave. But the whole class was quiet, and I didn't know why I did that. But lately, it's been bothering me. I wonder why I did that.

TI: What an amazing story.

KT: So it was because of my country. So at that time, 1937, China and Japan was at war already. So he was ready to go to war. And he tell that. That's not right. But I said my piece.

TI: Okay, good.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.