Densho Digital Archive - George Fugami Interview (denshovh-fgeorge-01-0054)

<Begin Segment 54>

DG: So do you have some things that you want to add about your life and what you would like to tell your grandchildren, some advice?

GF: [Laughs] Some advice. Well, I think you should have a religious structure. It's important. Even if you're a Buddhist or a Christian, this is important to have. I think a lot of kids nowadays they don't go to Sunday school. They don't go to church. I know my two grandchildren, they don't go to church. I says, "You should send them to church." And I don't care if you're a Christian or a Buddhist or whatever you are, you going to end all end up to God. And God's path is many paths that go to God. You may take one path, you may take the other, but you end up to God, and this is important. And in Japan, they used to have what they call shuushin. You ever hear the word shuushin? It's a document of how a family should be. And you be loyal to the government -- I mean, Tennoheika. They don't have shuushin anymore, see. So now in Japan, I understand, they want you to go to church, I think. That's where it's built in because shuushin, when I was in school, that's one thing that shuushin. Every morning before that, every class you have shuushin. It tells you what you should be, what you should do, you should be strong to the emperor and all that stuff. But they don't have that because I guess the emperor is involved and that's the reason why you don't see that. Time has change. Just like --

DG: So it provided a structure.

GF: Yeah. So I don't know. I can't say, but I think religion is important. Religion is important. I don't care what you are. Just like my son, he says, "Dad, you're a Buddhist. Now my girlfriend is a Christian, very strong Christian." And he says, "Does that make any difference to you, Dad? I said, "Nope. You marry who you like and do things best to you." Now he's a strong Christian. He won't be a Buddhist -- [laughs] -- but that's all right, you know. That's all right. And I think that preserves the family together because you have that what they call "giri" or whatever it is.