<Begin Segment 16>

MN: So is that how the Japanese section made their newspaper, too?

TN: They had to pick all the little type by hand for a long time. I think later on, when we got computerized, things were much better for them. Except they didn't need as many people, so maybe some people lost jobs or things, we didn't tell 'em to retire. But they'd be picking type like this.

MN: Kanji?

TN: Yeah.

MN: Kanji, hiragana?

TN: Whatever, yeah.

MN: Can you share with us, like, how the ladies in that section did it every day?

TN: What do you mean? Somebody brought them the stuff they're supposed to type, and then they would just pick the type. They had a type case, and then they would just put it in there line by line, and keep working like that until somebody rang the bell for the break, then they would just turn around and stop and go have their tea or their lunch. Then at the end of the break they ring another one, back to work. Just doing that. You should talk to somebody like Mr. Ryono, or even Ruth Fuji.

MN: So when each section, they would, they're ready to print, now what does the page look like? I mean, did you put it into another mold, all the letters?

TN: We would put it on a... we'd put a mat on it, over it, and then send it through the matting machine which would press down hard on the mat so there'd be an imprint, and then they'd take it downstairs where they would pour lead on it. See, the mat is a mold, so they'd just pour lead on it. And then put on, turned it into a round whatever, after it's cool, and it's ready for the press.

MN: So this round cylinder thing is also lead.

TN: Yeah.

MN: And it's have the picture on it.

TN: Right, yeah.

MN: And then that's what's put on the printing press?

TN: Yep. I'm not that familiar with that part of the process, though.

MN: I remember the big, huge printing presses in the back. I don't know how they put it on either.

TN: It's kind of heavy.

MN: Yeah, it was pretty physical work they were doing back there.

TN: Yeah. You should ask Alan Kubo.

MN: So when you started at the Rafu office, where was the office located?

TN: 244 South San Pedro Street where the JACCC plaza is.

MN: So can you describe this building for us?

TN: Old building, rickety. I felt like it was going to fall down in an earthquake. But we got a big earthquake in 1971, Sylmar earthquake, it didn't fall down, but there are cracks in it. But the building next to us, to the south of us, the wall fell down into the street, so it covered up the whole inside lane. And the building next to that collapsed even worse. Later on somebody was, much later somebody was working to clear out the building, and one guy died. More of the building collapsed on him.

MN: So when you were at the Rafu in the early days, was it really a tough competition with the other papers like the Kashu Mainichi or the Pacific Citizen?

TN: They were there, but I don't know about tough competition. I think Rafu had the most subscribers. We didn't think we were competing that much, we just did our own thing as far as I could tell.

MN: So what year did the Rafu move from the current, you said where the JACCC is to the Los Angeles Street building?

TN: Around 1979.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.