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MN: I want to ask a little bit about your family, your parents. You mentioned how, about your father, he was a very successful businessman. I want to ask about your mother because she was very talented.

AK: She knew, I think she was the only one at that time, she was the only one that knew how to... odori, Japanese odori, and she played the shamisen. She used to play the shakuhachi and violin. She played almost all the instruments. She, in Japan she came from a pretty rich family, see, so I guess that's when she learned it.

MN: So she played Japanese instruments and also Western instruments? You said the violin?

AK: Violin, uh-huh.

MN: How about, like, the piano?

AK: I don't remember that. I don't remember that. She used to play violin and mostly shamisen, and she played that flute, the bamboo.

MN: Shakuhachi?

AK: Yeah, I guess that's what it's called.

MN: Now, she played the shakuhachi, did she play the saxophone?

AK: She played a little bit of saxophone.

MN: Did she sing at all?

AK: Yeah, she knew all the Japanese, she used to teach Japanese songs.

MN: What kind of singing? Like shigin? There's shigin, gidayuu, jourori.

AK: Both joururi and gidayuu, a lot of that odori music that I don't know the name of it.

MN: Now, did your mother give a lot of lessons on these different instruments and singing?

AK: Uh-huh.

MN: Where did she give these lessons at?

AK: In the house. In our (home).

MN: Do you know if she was getting paid?

AK: I don't think so. I don't think she was getting paid. She loved to teach, so she, any children that were interested, she used to teach. All the mothers want (her) to teach, so they have 'em come over to our house to learn.

MN: Now, did your mother, did she give performances also?

AK: Yeah, she played the shamisen, and when the girls used to dance, Japanese dance, she played the shamisen and sang.

MN: Where did they usually perform at?

AK: There was a Japanese, Japanese school called Daiichi Gakuen, and they had a big hall, so I know once in a while they'd have a party and she'd perform. At that time she was the only one that knew how to play shamisen, but later on more came from Japan. She was here pretty early, that's why.

MN: How about like at the kenjinkai picnics?

AK: Yeah, picnic too.

MN: Did she perform at Koyasan?

AK: Yeah, that's her favorite place.

MN: Did your mother ever try to teach you how to play an instrument?

AK: I didn't want to.

MN: How about your sisters, did your mother teach --

AK: Yeah, I think oldest sister tried shamisen, and one of 'em learned the, with the bamboo, shakuhachi. She was teaching them, but I don't think they were interested and didn't last very long.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.