<Begin Segment 6>

MN: Now, when you were living in Sacramento you also attended the Japanese language school. How old were you when you started?

SO: I was probably about nine or ten, but I only went for one semester.

MN: Did you go every day, or just Saturdays?

SO: I think we only went on Saturdays.

MN: And where were the classes held?

SO: At the Buddhist church. My father was Buddhist, so that's where we went to school.

MN: Did your father take you to church regularly?

SO: Well, we used to tag along with him, but that was about the extent of it. We, my brother and I never became Buddhists.

MN: What memories do you have of attending the Sacramento Buddhist Church?

SO: Pardon me?

MN: What memories do you have of attending the Buddhist church?

SO: Well, I remember the teacher was the Buddhist priest, and he would whack us with a, with a ruler. That's the only, my only recollection of Japanese school. And then we'd have to do shodou on newspaper. That's the only thing I can remember, the a-i-u-e-o, you know. But it wasn't very pleasant.

MN: Now, I think your family, you mentioned your family was living in Sacramento when your mother passed away?

SO: Uh-huh.

MN: How did you hear about her death?

SO: I guess my father told me. I just remember the funeral. My father, he carried me to the open casket and told me to say goodbye, but I was only about six, so it really had no meaning. And my mother was more or less a stranger, so like I say, it didn't have much meaning.

MN: You know, after your mother passed away did your father ever talk about sending you and your brother to Japan to be raised?

SO: No. The only time I remember was, I think my uncle wanted to take me back to Japan, and I didn't want to go.

MN: And then after your mother passed away, do you have recollections of going to the Buddhist church Obon?

SO: Well, we used to go to, I guess it was Obon, but more I remember kenjinkai picnics. But I think the Japanese community in Sacramento were... I don't know what you call it. Nichiren. Nichiren, they were more Nichiren people. So those are the picnics I remember.

MN: So the Buddhist church you went to is Nichiren?

SO: Uh-huh. Well, that my father was, he was pretty regular.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.