<Begin Segment 17>

SY: Some people who were in camp had the opportunity, I guess, to have experience with some Japanese cultural activities, sometimes for the first time in their life, such as flower arranging or dance or calligraphy. Did you have any first-time Japanese cultural experiences in camp?

MN: Well, most of them were done by the Isseis, the flower arranging and the calligraphy. And they had Japanese theater, too. And they didn't have any Japanese dance, except Bon Odori. But the gang that I was with, I was the only one interested. And I tried to get 'em to go to the Japanese theater and I tried to get 'em to dance, but they weren't interested. And I wasn't strong enough to just say, "Okay, you guys go. I'm going to stay here."

SY: So you, basically, never got a chance to explore the Japanese cultures?

MN: Well, I was interested in the theater. But I wasn't interested in the flower arranging, 'cause I had worked with flowers all my life.

SY: Oh, that's true.

MN: And calligraphy was beyond me. [Laughs]

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.