<Begin Segment 21>

[Translated from Japanese]

I1: There are two things I want to ask. First of all, what did you think when you heard about the Pearl Harbor attack?

TY: Well, I was educated in Japan and didn't want to believe that Japan attempted a surprise attack on a big country like the United States. But it was indeed a sneak attack. That gave the States a reason to openly fight against Japan. We found out later that the United States was pressuring Japan. The U.S. was warning Japan against its aggression over and over again. The U.S. government told Japan that the relationship between the two countries would be back to normal if Japan ceased the invasion. Japan didn't listen. Then, the surprise attack in Hawaii.

I1: I don't think that Japanese people necessarily considered a surprise attack sneaky. There is a history of surprise attacks, like the Hiyodori Goe attack and so on.

TY: I was excited when I heard the news that Japan sunk several American battleships on the radio. I thought it was great. I can't explain why. We did it. Then, when I calmed down and thought about it carefully, I wondered why Japan started the war that they wouldn't have a chance to win [Laughs].

I1: That was your honest feeling then and there.

TY: That's when I realized that there was Japanese blood running through my body [Laughs].

I2: Were you already working under Mr. Kai's...

TY: Yes. I attended his Sunday school. People at church knew I was an athlete and supported me greatly.

I1: Internment of people in Dutch Harbor by the Department of Justice or FBI began at about the same time as the outbreak of the war. Did you know about it? For example, was Mr. Matsuda rounded up there?

TY: What was that?

I1: Were you aware of any FBI arrests or house searches at, for example, your sister's place? Did you hear anything about enemy aliens?

TY: Nothing happened to Mr. Matsuda.

I1: Is that so?

TY: The FBI immediately arrested someone named Araki. His wife was very pretty. She used to come to cheer me on at a meet. I knew them well. She came to my place crying. I asked, "What's wrong?" She answered, "My husband was arrested." So, there were a few incidents in our neighborhood. The FBI was keeping an eye on the people considered as potentially dangerous. They came and took them away quickly.

I1: Mr. Matsuda wasn't even marked.

TY: Was there a group called Kokuryukai in Japan?

I1: Yes.

TY: There was someone who must have been a member of that group. There was also a kendo master.

I1: Mr. Kai, well, he was Nisei. He wasn't on the list then.

I2: I didn't know Mr. Kai was Nisei.

TY: He wasn't targeted at the time. He was a Buddhist priest.

I1: I wondered if they arrested any Buddhist priests.

TY: It all depended on their background in Japan.

I1: Is that so?

TY: The FBI had records of what they were doing in Japan, like this person was involved in the military, and so on.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright (c) 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.