<Begin Segment 9>
KN: So you're very blessed and you have so many wonderful things going on. You have a wonderful wife and great career and children and grandchildren. And you just kind of briefly referred to a number of your jobs that you've done. What are some of the jobs, maybe you can say, that you are the most proudest of in your career that you've done?
MY: I would say... well, my first commercial job which was the Hi Hing restaurant, they call it Diamond Head shopping center. I thought I put a lot of effort and it came out really good. But the one that I'm most proud of is the Hawaii Okinawa Center. It's for the community, and I did that pro bono. Like I said, from the heart, and I still look at it and I'm proud of it, and I'm very happy that I could have done that, I could have spent the time doing it.
KN: It's a beautiful building.
MY: Oh, thank you.
KN: And the amazing landscaping, it's such a great, practical... can you describe what it took to create that and what the building is supposed to symbolize?
MY: Oh, yeah, that's a fun one. No, it's really a community effort. We had a great committee, HUOA, and the committee raised ten million in two years at that time.
KN: And this was when, about...
MY: 1986. And I got to say, Ed Kuba, he did a great job in fundraising, and it was a lot of fun. And it was effortless, and actually, the whole idea was, it's sort of like a design like a turtle that represents long life. And Okinawans are known for longevity. So the design somewhat came out looking like a turtle, and of course, one building's supposed to be a little taller, so that's supposed to be the tsuru, the crane. So tsuru and the kame. And then, of course, the garden. I really wanted the garden to be, so-called, the focal point and inviting. So this good buddy of mine, Koichi Takakura from Okinawa, donated about four hundred thousand dollars to build that.
KN: I mean, it's a gorgeous garden. There's a waterfall and a koi pond, people go there to get their wedding photographs there.
MY: Right. And I had my son... got married there. The nice part about that garden, there's a bonsai plant, Okinawan pine, that my dad grew on Kauai. And we were able to ship it over and place it right in the center. And that's something that he wanted me to do because I was designing the center when he was alive, but he didn't get to see it completed.
KN: So the Okinawan center, it's really filled with meaning. And when you look at the symbolism of the various buildings and garden, and what's really also very wonderful, the front area of the entranceway, you also see the names of the peoples and the families that were so integral and part of it.
MY: Right.
KN: And the Okinawan community is so active. So are there other activities that you supported or have done for the community itself? Part of the festival that they have every year at Kapiolani Park?
MY: Oh, yeah, I was chairman way back when we had it at Thomas Square. And I still try to keep active, because it's a great organization. And nowadays you don't find any pure Okinawans, or there's a lot of Okinawans at heart. I mean, you can see it's growing, and main thing, it's part of the community and we have great leadership. Good training grounds for young people to see how working together, you can accomplish things. It's fun. And also, do it for fun. If it's not enjoyable, don't do it.
KN: Don't do it anymore.
MY: Yeah. But the main thing, it's enjoyable.
KN: Because it's gotten incredibly large. It used to be in the old town center, the craft fairs, and then it was at Thomas Square, and now it's over in Kapiolani Park. It's this huge community event with so many people involved in it every single year. It's impressive.
MY: And it's fun, exciting.
KN: It's fun.
<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.