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TI: What about other Japanese community events? Picnics, things like that, kendo, did they have things like that?

FS: Yeah, we used to have a Japanese community picnic, we had a kendo group out there. And as a kid, you know where the NVC hall is now? My earliest recollection is coming to a kendo tournament there as a little kid about seven years old. And when the war broke out, my dad just burned all that kendo gear.

TI: Talk about that early kendo tournament at the site of the Nisei Vets. I mean, who was there, how many people would show up, what communities were there, just describe that?

FS: I don't remember too much about that other than going to... my guess, thinking back, maybe a hundred people at the most. It wasn't large. Because in those days, judo was more popular than kendo. Kendo was kind of secondary.

TI: And what was the facility before NVC Memorial Hall? What was that building like?

FS: You know, all I remember is where the main hall is now, on both sides, there were some little, what do you call it, stands?

TI: Like bleachers?

FS: Bleacher seats, and that was about it.

TI: And was it a two-story building like it is today, or was it like a one-floor...

FS: Best I remember, it was a one-floor thing.

TI: Yeah, I was just curious. Because I know that after the war, when the Nisei Vets took it over, they essentially built that Memorial Hall, I was just curious what was there before. I know it was donated by the Isseis to the Niseis to build that.

FS: Yeah. I don't remember that much about it, but I remember it coming there. I don't remember too much details about that.

TI: Yeah, you're the first person who has mentioned being there before that, that's why I wanted to ask you that question. When you think, going back to Sumner, growing up, what did you do for fun?

FS: Well, as a kid fishing, I used to go fishing on the stream right next to the farm. And the interesting thing is, we never had regular commercial hooks. I used to take regular (safety) pin, bend the hook, tie it on the line, and that's what we used to fish with, good old days.

TI: And is this trout that you'd go after?

FS: Yeah, trout. They'd come off the streams, off the hillside. And so anyway, fishing, sports, I used to go on my bicycle all over the place up and down the West Coast highway to see my friends. You know Wash Murakami who is still living and had the garage? He was our next door neighbor, next (farm) over. And, of course, the Murakamis were a large family, and we'd visit all the time in the winter and this and that.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2017 Densho. All Rights Reserved.