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BN: What are some of the first things you remember growing up in Aala? What are your first memories of...

HM: Oh. Well, when I was born, it was in the midst of the Great Depression. But I don't remember my family being in a bad state because of that because I remember a happy childhood. And we (...)... well, we always played either on the sidewalk or sort of.. between, there's a hallway that goes to the back of the Aala building, there were some markets in back. And so sometimes in the hallway there, and then many times across the street at Aala Park. But (yes), from what I remember it was a happy childhood. We had fun. We made our own fun. [Laughs]

BN: Was your sense that the business was doing fairly well even though it was the Depression?

HM: Yes, but I think I was too young to even realize what was really going on. But I don't remember my mother saying anything about, "We can't afford this," or, "We can't afford that." So I guess as far as I knew, we ate well and she cooked upstairs. It was the Great Depression, but I'm not too sure... I don't know. I guess Robert might remember a lot more, but at the end store (...) did all right. Because there was a need for that type of clothes, and that was the only store that could fit a lot of Japanese people.

BN: The Aala neighborhood was kind of known as a Japanese commercial district, theater district.

HM: Yes.

BN: And can you tell us some of your memories of, highlights of the area, other businesses? Can you visualize...

HM: Oh, yes. On the corner, on one corner there was a Akahoshi Drug Store that was right across from the bridge that went over to the next building. But the Akahoshi Drug Store, we would go there for ice cream, there was a counter, and we always ate ice cream there, so I remember that. There was Hawaii Importing, which was the Okamoto family dry goods store. Well, Jane Okamoto Komeji was older than I, so I didn't really play with her. But I knew her younger sister and younger brother, and we did go up to her apartment house. And there was Lion Shoe Store right next to Sato Clothiers, and we would get our shoes over there always. Then there was Pacific Woolen, they used to make, tailor suits and things like that. There was a Chinese store where I would go there to get candy. They had all kinds of candy there and seemoi and stuff.

And then right across the hallway was the Amaguri Taro, (where) they used to sell hot chestnuts. And there was a big machine in the back and we would go to the back to watch Mr. Maeda grinding out the chestnuts. It was very fascinating. Chestnuts were always baked in this huge tub, and it looked like black sand to me. He would churn that. But I remember that, and he had an only son, George, and George was older, but he was like kodomo taisho, so he always used to get us younger kids to do this and that.

[Interruption]

HM: And then next to that was (Hei-wa Do), Aloha Curio store, and they sold curios, Hawaiian things. (Narr. note: Hei-wa Do was a jewelry store where U.S. Senator Dan Inouye's first wife, Maggie Awamura, grew up. I always played with her younger sister, Betty.) And then after that was... I think the hardware store, Iwahara hardware store. Then down around the corner, way down, was the furniture store where Jane Komeji's husband's family lived. That was across from the railroad station.

BN: So with all of these, were they similar to yours in the sense that the family lived above or in the back or whatever?

HM: Yes. Well, they (all) had apartments upstairs, yes. So we would visit each other.

BN: And pretty much, they're all similar Japanese immigrant businesses with these Nisei kids, they're all kind of the same age?

HM: (Yes).

BN: So that was kind of your playmates?

HM: Yes, except my playmates, I had some playmates in school. But we played -- well, the ones who were closer to my age were Jane Komeji's younger brother and sister, and then Margaret Inouye's younger sister, Betty. But the others were mostly older.

BN: You were at the younger end of the spectrum.

HM: Yes, uh-huh.

BN: So you mentioned the one Chinese business...

HM: Oh, the Chinese store? Yes.

BN: But were pretty much everyone else was pretty much all the others, businesses...

HM: Japanese, (yes). Everyone was Japanese. But we didn't really play with -- I don't remember the Chinese families, playing with the Chinese family.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright &copy; 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.