<Begin Segment 24>

MN: You brought some photos. Can you share some of those photos with us?

YY: Sure, what would you like to see?

MN: Tell us what photos you have. What is that you have up there? What is that right there?

YY: This one? This is our wedding, my husband and I.

MN: Can you hold it up?

YY: This is 1950.

MN: And I guess you're going on, is it after your wedding?

YY: Uh-huh, we're going off, you know. Yeah, that was a great day. And did you want me to show these --

MN: Yeah, tell us what the photos, can you hold it up and tell us a little bit about --

YY: Can you see? This is my two older brothers that went to Japan, these were passport pictures, I guess. And this was the family portrait before they left.

MN: Now is that your dog?

YY: No, it's not a real dog, it's just a stuffed dog.

MN: Oh, it's a stuffed dog.

YY: Yeah. [Laughs] But it's cute, though, isn't it? So he had that taken before the kids all left. And, well, this is my husband's family, brothers, one passed away when he was a little baby, but this is my husband's family. He had, there was four boys and Saye was the only girl.

MN: Who was taking these studio shots? What studio...

YY: I really don't know.

MN: 'Cause I know there was a lot of photographers before the war.

YY: Yeah. My father knew, I guess, who to go to. Because I showed you this, my husband. And this is a beach picture, my brothers, my two brothers and a friend in the middle, that's me.

MN: Which beach was this?

YY: I don't know. I really don't remember all those things. Well, this is, I don't have too many pictures of my mother because I sent the whole album to Japan, to my father, and never returned it.

MN: Is that you?

YY: That's me when I was a little girl. And this is my father with his friend, this is old.

MN: Is this before he got married?

YY: Oh, yeah, way before. This is when he came back to the United States. He was quite a, he swam and golfed and he was quite a... and this is my brother, my brother Takeo and Masao and me.

MN: Which side is Tak on?

YY: This one's my brother Tak, and this is Masao, and that's me in the middle. And this is my brother in Japan. This is Hideo and this is Tomio, and that's me.

MN: And that's the first time that you met them?

YY: Oh, yeah, so we took a picture. So this is me and Jim when we were young, I think first year of marriage. We were still young. These are, I don't know whether you want to see these pictures. I'll show you, this is my daughter, oldest daughter Kathee and her husband John Fleming. And this is J.K. and his sister Peggy. And this is Saye and her brother, my husband, and this is Saye and her, his sister and myself. And this is Saye, her husband and me. That was about it. This is me and Saye at Wakako's house. I should have brought, I should have dug in more, but there's so many things I, scattered, so it's hard to find. But I should have brought that dance picture. Yeah, I didn't think of that.

MN: Is there anything else you wanted to add, tell us about your life, you want to share with the younger generation?

YY: Well, no. I guess you go through a lot, but you weather it. But I'm generally a more positive person so I don't, I try not to dwell on it.

MN: I guess that's what got you through your cancer.

YY: Yeah, I'm still here. I'm amazed myself.

MN: From age fifty to now...

YY: Uh-huh, eighty-five.

MN: And you look really good.

YY: Oh, thank you.

MN: Well, thank you for sharing your story.

YY: Thank you for interviewing me.

<End Segment 24> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.