<Begin Segment 4>

SY: So then there were fewer of you in the car, in the Cadillac and then you came... that was the next stop from Seattle or from Washington?

FK: Seattle to --

SY: To Los Angeles.

FK: We located in... he found a commercial piece of property and he leased it, it's a small piece of property on 7th Street between San Pedro and Crocker. And we lived in a hotel on the... there used to be a hotel on the corner of 7th and San Pedro.

SY: And do you remember how old you were when you moved?

FK: Well, you're good in math. I was born in 1933 and we came to Los Angeles in 1938. So I was five years old.

SY: But you remember that trip?

FK: Yes, I do. I still remember that.

SY: And so the only reason that your father decided on Los Angeles was because of the number of Japanese?

FK: Yes.

SY: And was there a kamaboko shop in Seattle yet? I mean, were there kamaboko places all --

FK: I'm sure there were several kamaboko factories in Seattle but I think, again this is just thinking, he didn't want to open there and become a competitor of George Hosaki. I mean one's in Vancouver and one's in Seattle but I don't know, but I think he was pulled by the fact that there's more Japanese in southern California. But unbeknownst to him when he came here, there were eight other kamaboko factories in Los Angeles so he was number nine with the least amount of experience. And I can't imagine how difficult and trying it was for my dad and mom to try and make a living in a new city being the number nine kamaboko factory in Los Angeles and it was miserable I'm sure.

SY: So there was no way of his knowing that there were that many?

FK: Well, I don't know whether he knew and came or I would like to believe he didn't know because if he knew and he came well I would think, my god.

SY: And kamaboko must have been fairly popular though if there were eight?

FK: Well, yes.

SY: It was a staple.

FK: It was almost like a commodity, yes I believe it was something that was a must. You don't eat it every day maybe but you would eat it more often than not. Hamburger and hot dogs were not that popular with the Japanese people at that time.

SY: So he came fairly early on and managed to make a living though still.

FK: I don't know how he managed, it was very difficult. There again it was just a matter of years, a couple of years and then the war broke out. So again, it's terrible to say but it was sort of blessing for our family that it was interrupted to a point where he had a breather. All Japanese Isseis and the older Niseis, they had a breather, four years of... of course they're wondering what's going to happen tomorrow but they didn't have to worry about shelter or food for that number of years.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.