<Begin Segment 36>

MN: Any other parting thoughts you want to share with us?

TY: Pardon?

MN: Any other parting thoughts you want to share with us?

TY: Parting thoughts? Well, I could think up a lot of things, but I forget.

MN: You're quite an accomplished painter also. You have a lot of your paintings in your house.

TY: Yes, well, I, after I retired, no, prior to retiring, I thought I had to do something because I didn't know too much of anything. And then I knew a friend for the longest time, and then he says, "Hey, Tak, have you ever been golfing?" I said, "No, what is golfing?" So he said, "Come on, come with me. I'll show you how to golf." So then I started golfing for my retirement when I was fifty-three or four, and then I started golfing, and at that one time I got pretty good. I came down to a sixteen handicap and that was my best, and then I achieved a lot of trophies, and then I enjoyed my golfing. I'm still enjoying it. And then I decided, well, what am I gonna do nighttime, not just look at the dumb TV all night long, so I decided, well, for my retirement, my spare time, I'm gonna take art. So then I thought, well, I want to learn the sumi-e, charcoal painting, Japanese type, and so I entered the class to take sumi-e twice a week, class, so I went to learn sumi-e art for twenty years. And then I decided that, well, I think I'm good enough because I got a certificate of accomplishment, and so I started painting on my own, which I learned all about brush painting, color, texture, paper and all that, so I decided to go on my own, so that's what, I'm enjoying my artwork. And I am happy that I can win a prize once in a while. I'm happy and all my kids are doing well and the grandkids are doing well and great-grandkids are doing well, so anyway, I think I fulfilled my life and I'm happy that I'm not disabled at this age. I had three brothers, let's see, one, two, three passed away already, and I'm the niisan and I'm still, fortunately, upright and alive. And I have a nice wife that takes good care of me, cooks me good food. And I'm so happy and enjoying my life. Thanks for interviewing me. I certainly appreciate meeting you and I'm sure you covered everything that needs to be covered, although I might have forgotten certain things, but it's okay. But if you have any more questions just give me a buzz and I'll do the best I can.

MN: Well, we'll have that included in your memoirs when you finish your book.

TY: Finish my book, huh? Okay, thank you. And... no, that's okay, I will write it down.

MN: What are you thinking?

TY: I'm thinking, did I skip anything? That's what I'm --

MN: Did you skip anything?

TY: I might have. Let's see, I don't want to tell you my bad experience in life.

MN: Why? Those are the interesting stuff.

TY: Would you like to listen to it?

MN: Yeah.

TY: Well, I hate to say this, but I filed bankrupt one time.

MN: Oh, okay.

TY: And I had to do that, because of the situation.

MN: This is after the war?

TY: After the war. Yeah, after the war. Then I bought, fortunately I was lucky enough to buy properties and rentals and half a section and also file bankruptcy, and got back on my feet and able to keep going and do some investment, and my wife and I are still here and we're happy.

MN: Yeah, you retired early.

TY: Pardon?

MN: You retired early.

TY: Yeah, I retired too early. I retired when I was sixty-five, due to my back problem after I got in a broadside accident. I couldn't get out of bed anymore, so I decided something, something's telling me something, so then I thought I better retire and get my back fixed. And I got my back fixed, and then I didn't know what to do with myself but to play golf and take care of my yard.

MN: And do some painting.

TY: Yeah. And my painting, yeah. And so now we got little Chibi so I got to take care of little Chibi. I don't think we'll outlive Chibi, but...

MN: Your dog, Chibi.

TY: Yeah. [Laughs] So anyway, my grandsons are all doin' good, my granddaughters are doin' good, and so there's nothing more I can ask for.

<End Segment 36> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.