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SY: So because your mother was always having children then, did you become the person who took care of...

NS: Well, I was twelve years old, I took care of the whole family. [Laughs] So I remember that.

SY: And what exactly were your jobs?

NS: Well, cooking, especially cooking, cleaning, washing. I did generally everything because in the country when my father was farming, everybody had to go help work out in the field. So there would have to be somebody in the house to help cook and clean and do the yardwork.

SY: Who was... so what about your older sister?

NS: Well, she was always working out. She went to work, being the oldest. Yeah, she was the oldest, so she always worked outside.

SY: And your older brothers, same thing?

NS: Uh-huh, yes. They're all same. They all worked. And then later in the years, like my sister became a dress designer, so she got a job in Beverly Hills, so she worked out there.

SY: So you really had to take care of cooking for the whole family?

NS: The whole family, yes.

SY: And do you remember the kinds of things you cooked?

NS: Oh, yes. Oh, big pot of stew, that's a pan about... I guess you would call it how many gallons? About four gallons, I guess. Because twelve of us, don't forget, and they eat like a horse. They all work out on the farm, they're hungry. And then okazu, I guess you'd call it okazu in Japanese, it's different kind of mixed vegetable with meat. Very few meat but a lot of vegetable, that type of thing. And mostly, and then Dad used to love to buy us roast, so I used to roast the beef, chicken.

SY: So did you eat the things that were grown on the farm? Do you remember what he was growing?

NS: Yes, oh, yeah. We had farm, so all kind of vegetable was grown. On the side, Mama used to raise all different kind of vegetable also, you know. And we always had nappa, Japanese nappa, Mama would grow that, and then we used to eat that all the time and then make tsukemono. My mother made that tsukemono for me, so she helped me. And then we had all the... we never missed out on that because Mom always made that.

SY: And so how... I still don't understand, did your mother just sort of say it's your job to do all the cooking?

NS: Well, because she had to go out to work in the field. So she told me what to cook today, and she'll tell me what to have. So we usually had... we had what they call a storeroom that put all the vegetables and canned goods and stuff. So my father used to buy all these things in boxes because we had so many kids. So I had to go look in there to see what we could cook.

SY: Did you all sit down and eat together?

NS: Oh, yes. My father, that's the only thing my father made us do was all sit together to eat at the same time.

SY: And you would serve them?

NS: Well, yes, and Mama would help, too, but then I would serve.

SY: And do you remember your mom always being, having, being pregnant?

NS: Oh, yes. I remember... well, especially my younger, after me, after I became about two or three years old, I used to remember Mama having big tummy, and then a little baby coming and sleeping next to her. And I still remember those kind of things.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.