<Begin Segment 5>

MN: Now in the late 1920s your father and uncle made a profit with dry onions. Can you share with us that story?

AI: Yes, the one year they planted dry onions and when they harvest there was, price was way down in the market and they couldn't make anything from that price. So there was one barn nearby our farm so they leased the barn and they hung all the onions in there to dry it. And they wait until the price came up and fortunately price really jumped up the way I understand so they really made money on that onion. And that's when my uncle decide to go back to Japan, retire, and that's when he took me and my brother to Japan with him. What I heard from mother later is that he... my father really didn't want to send us to Japan but in a Japanese custom the chonan has say and what he says goes. So he took us, not my father sent us, and that was 1929.

MN: And you were eight years old?

AI: I was eight years old.

MN: So when learned that you had to go to Japan with your uncle how did you feel?

AI: No idea at the time. I don't know where Japan is, I have no idea where we're going and uncle is more like father to me anyway. We all lived together in one house and after I was born what I understand was that he took me into his bed rather than Mother took into the bed. In Compton I remember I was sleeping with him and my brother was in my parents' bedroom. So he was more like a father so what he says we didn't argue we just went along.

MN: So other than your uncle and yourself, who else made the trip with you?

AI: Just three of us, my brother and uncle.

MN: So this brother is the next youngest?

AI: He's right below me.

MN: And then your sister and the youngest brother wasn't born yet? But the sister stayed.

AI: No, two sisters.

MN: Two sisters.

AI: One brother, two sisters.

MN: And then where did you leave from?

AI: I think we left from San Pedro.

MN: Were you in first class, second class?

AI: No, third class.

MN: What was it like being a passenger in third class?

AI: Being kids really did not bother us but I remember we called that, in Japan they call that kaikodana, means silkworm stacked bed. And I think it was about three stacks in a bed.

MN: So did the ship stop in Hawaii?

AI: Yes, we did stop in Hawaii and my uncle went out and bought some banana, green banana. And I says, "Why green?" He says, "Well, this will ripe right away so we'll finish the whole banana before we reach Japan." But he bought so green and I guess we were going to Japan, that was in 1929, either January or February, so weather is kind of cool so banana never ripe so we never got to eat one banana.

MN: And how many days were you on the ship?

AI: Well, those days was still two weeks. Seven days to Hawaii, seven days from Hawaii to Japan.

MN: So for two weeks the bananas were still green?

AI: No, one week, Hawaii we already spent seven days.

MN: So did you get seasick?

AI: I assume I did but I don't know. I usually get seasick first two days after you leave the harbor then I get seasick. Then after that it's okay.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.