<Begin Segment 33>

SY: And you never met any of your father's family?

NS: No, because they're all in Japan.

SY: Did you ever go to Japan?

NS: Yes, after all these years, how many years is it? How many years now? Not quite five years maybe, I went to Japan first time and I saw the... they're all gone, most of 'em, his parents are gone. Only one was our second cousins.

SY: On your dad's side, only one family?

NS: Yeah.

SY: And they were still in Kyushu?

NS: Yeah, they were in Fukuoka. They had a nice... because the older son was an architect, so they built a beautiful home. In Japan they have a floor that's, you sit on the floor. Oh, I tell you, they don't have wood like that out here. Beautiful, just beautiful and shiny. And then you have to take your shoes off to go up there.

SY: And how about your mother's family?

NS: Same thing. Yeah, they were nice people, too. No, they're all my cousins, second cousins. They were so tall, I was just surprised. They were six footers. You'd never know with my family. My family's all short. [Laughs]

SY: So you never really met anybody like aunts, uncles...

NS: No. Before, uh-uh.

SY: But you think --

NS: First time.

SY: You're pretty sure, though, that they had, your mother had siblings?

NS: Yes, yes. Well, she told me about it anyway, all the time. And then she went back to Japan couple times when I was still at home.

SY: So did she miss her sisters and brothers in Japan?

NS: Oh, yeah. That's why anytime she had enough money to go back to Japan, she'd like to go. At least we sent her two times, anyway, before she died.

SY: And you never, they never came here? You never got to meet them?

NS: No, none of them. I told them, I said, [inaudible], you but they said they don't like to ride the plane. And then she said she don't want to ride the boat because it takes too long. So they never came. [Laughs]

SY: I'm just wondering where she got that strong constitution. She's very strong.

NS: Yeah, I know.

SY: And so are you. You're very strong.

NS: Well, I don't know where I got mine. I guess Mom. [Laughs]

SY: And when you went back, then you met some cousins, second cousins?

NS: Oh, yes, second cousins. They're nice-looking, oh, they're tall, six footer. I said, "If I was single, I'd marry you," I told my cousin. He said, "Heee?" He's laughing. [Laughs] He's nice-looking. Both of 'em was so nice-looking, tall. They didn't have too many girls. I guess like me, we had six brothers, just like in Japan, too, they had nothing but boys. Only one girl.

SY: And so of your family now, are you the oldest?

NS: Right now? Yeah.

SY: And your younger brothers and sisters are all still alive?

NS: Yeah, well, Sadie, my younger sister Sadie, she's still alive. She's the youngest one, see. She's the last one from the nine of us. And I still have four brothers.

SY: Four brothers still... and your younger sister, so the six?

NS: There's nine of us.

SY: Yeah, but there are six of you living?

NS: Yeah.

SY: And they're all doing well?

NS: They're strong so far, knock on the wood. They might catch cold or something.

SY: And so you have all, I'm sure, you must have big family gatherings.

NS: Oh, gosh. Some of 'em, my second cousins, my little niece, nephews, "Who are you? Whose child are you?" I don't even know them because they don't come. They live so far away, so you don't come. And matter of fact, I have only met one time, my great granddaughter or is it grandson? Grandson. I don't know them because I don't see them, they live so far away.

SY: So you have great grandchildren?

NS: Uh-huh. Only one great grandson is, what do you call? You know, his wife's son.

SY: Oh, so it's a grandson-in-law.

NS: Yeah, my, I have one great son now.

SY: And of the family members that are left... I've lost my train of thought. So do they all live in this area, too?

NS: Uh-huh, Culver City.

SY: So your family really stayed pretty much in the same...

NS: Yeah, uh-huh. Except I have, my brother, one of my brothers lives in Chatworth. His name is Bob Inatomi. I'm formerly Inatomi, and they live in the valley. They have kids, too, and great-grandkids and everything.

<End Segment 33> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.