<Begin Segment 36>

[Translated from Japanese]

I1: I forgot to ask about the vegetables.

I2: Vegetables?

I1: We didn't record that part yesterday. The occupation army came to Japan and changed the Japanese vegetable production. You were saying you did something to do with it.

TY: Lettuce was imported to Japan from the States while I was working for the occupation army. They were all wilted by the time they came to Japan. We were able to use only about one third...well about a half of what was shipped to us. Roots were bruised as they were shipped frozen. I worked with vegetables since I was a child. Three types of vegetable that were harvested in the United States, broccoli, celery, and lettuce did not exist in Japan. We had nappa cabbage but didn't have crunchy vegetables like celery. Celery and lettuce. They have a unique smell. They are good in stew. The climate in Nagano and Salinas where my sister lived is similar, and Salinas is known for its lettuce production. I thought we might be able to grow lettuce in Japan. I talked about it to an occupation army officer I was working with. He said, "It is an interesting project, but I don't think Japanese people would like it." I told them that we all were Japanese and liked them. We could also introduce salad dressing to go with it. We discussed who we should teach how to grow lettuce. It should be somewhere in Nagano, and it could be interested farmers or school laboratories. I asked them to get seeds from the States. I went to talk to people at Japan Agricultural Cooperatives in Tokyo. They agreed to plant the new vegetables in Japan. We conducted tests in their greenhouse. It was very successful. Then they tested in Nagano and then Chiba. People were very pleased. I started the project but the official record says the occupation army introduced it to Japan.

I2: While you were working there, the hearing regarding the wartime incarceration was held. You were in Fukuyama at the time. You didn't go to the hearing because you were busy with work?

TY: Right. The hearing was held in San Francisco. I think I was in Thailand, probably in Bangkok. There was a cholera outbreak there. Someone heard that Yakult products would cure the disease. They were saying someone ordered Yakult from the Yakult Hong Kong, drank it and the symptoms went away. The Thai government wanted to import Yakult products to Thailand. It was the beginning the Yakult Thailand. I think it was in the middle of the project when the hearing was held. That was such a long time ago. That hearing in San Francisco.

I2: In 1981. Do you think you would have gone to Geneva and testify if you had been available?

TY: Yes. Have you already seen it? My testimony is included. This one. My sister translated all the documents I created for submission. It is about my experience at Tule Lake like food stealing, beating, suicide, this is about Todoroki. This is about the Dies Committee. This is "life in Japan." These are the documents submitted to the hearing. You can take everything. I have another copy.

I2: Can we? We will make a copy.

I1: ...and his son look alike. What did you think when you heard that the hearing would be held?

TY: I wasn't really interested. They asked me to share my experience to preserve the real stories for the future generations. I wrote in Japanese, and my sister translated it into English. It was introduced at the hearing. I remember receiving a letter of appreciation from the hearing committee. It said thank you for your valuable testimony.

<End Segment 36> - Copyright (c) 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.