<Begin Segment 7>

gky: What was Japan like when you first went there with the occupation?

SN: Well, I couldn't believe it. By that, I mean when I got to Tokyo, there was only one section of downtown Tokyo that was intact. But then from there on you could see nothing but burned-out buildings, flattened buildings. You could see from one end of the city to the other with nothing blocking your view. The one section that was left intact was obviously left unbombed with the idea that after the war we have to have office space or something, for headquarters and that sort of thing. And so there was about, oh, I guess about a ten-block square where none of the buildings were bombed, right opposite the Imperial Palace.

gky: What did the people look like?

SN: Which people?

gky: Japanese people after the war.

SN: Oh, there was a conglomeration. Mostly, they -- what struck me funny was the repatriates that came out of Southeast Asia. They were used to the hot climate, muggy climate of Southeast Asia and I guess they still retained that idea because they wore shorts, walking shorts. But the funny thing is, they'd wear socks with garters, you know. You see a guy walk around with socks and then the shorts, and the guys are kind of comical sight. But the people that you really felt sorry for were these people, overseas Japanese that returned from, like I say, from Southeast Asia, China, Manchuria, Taiwan. They came back with nothing but the clothing on their back. And...

gky: Are you okay?

SN: Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be all right.

gky: When you think about the MIS and being in the war, what kind of contribution do you think you made? I mean, not only individually, but on a broader basis. You know, for example, what you did during the war may have had some influence on American public perception of Japanese Americans.

SN: The thing about the MIS...

gky: Could you just move up a little bit?

SN: Oh. The thing about the MIS...

gky: I'm sorry, would you start again.

SN: ...and everything they did do in the war...

gky: Can you just start it over? I stepped on you when you were talking.

SN: Oh. The contribution of the Nisei, how it influenced the general public after the war. What I'm saying is that everything that the MIS did during the war was kept secret until the 1970s, and so that's a long time there to more or less suppress what the Nisei had done. So I don't know how it became that classified material, and whatever they call it, was taken away, the status of being secret documents and all that sort of thing, that what the Nisei had done didn't become public until after that. But by that time, I thought it lost its impact.

gky: I forgot to ask one question about Japan. Did it smell different? I mean, you told me about how it looked, but did it smell different, or were the people -- how were the people, people's faces, or people's attitudes, Japanese attitudes?

SN: I think initially, of course, they, like any defeated people, they'd be apprehensive of the conqueror, right. But, right away, MacArthur ordered that, you know, these people are a defeated people and we shouldn't gloat over it, and treat them like what we are, that we are all human beings. So immediately after the war when MacArthur took over, you know, actually run the government or whatever, that they thought he was a god, really. Because I don't think no one could have done a better job than MacArthur in the restoration of Japan. And then when MacArthur was removed by Truman during the Korean War, they couldn't believe it that something like that could happen to MacArthur.

gky: You said that usually you would be apprehensive about whatever, if you were a conquered country, usually you'd be apprehensive about the conquering country coming in.

SN: Yeah.

gky: Do you think that because they were Nisei, they were people with Japanese relatives there, they were people that looked the same or had some kind of, some of your cultural, you shared some cultural background, traits. Do you think that would have made them any less apprehensive?

SN: Who was apprehensive, the Japanese people?

gky: The Japanese people.

SN: Well, when you look at the overall population, not that many people had Nisei as relatives. You know, maybe one out of 10,000 had a cousin, or a brother, or whatever here in America. So that population ratio never -- having a Nisei as a relative, you know, numerically, it didn't happen that much.

gky: Any last thoughts about...

SN: I know, for instance, that when I got to Japan and I wrote to my dad to please send some food, or whatever, to my cousins or my uncles or anything. So my dad and mom, they sent through me some stuff for our relatives. The relatives later on told me that neighbors were really envious of them, because at that particular time, most of them are half starved, really, literally. That they had a relative that could provide them with food, or whatever, that they really need, clothing that they need.

gky: That's sad, huh?

SN: It really is. It was a sorry mess, postwar in Japan.

gky: And, what changed it? I mean, the first time as an adult that I went to Japan was in 1970, and I would have never believed the pictures I've seen.

SN: I think what, that really kicked off, stimulated the Japanese economy was the Korean War. Because, here was, Japan was capable of manufacturing anything, and if they manufactured in Japan it would save time than manufacturing it over here then shipping it over to Korea, you know, like whatever, you know, army material and all that sort of thing. That really started up the Japanese economy, was the Korean War.

gky: Huh, interesting. Well, what's good for Peter isn't necessarily good for Paul.

SN: No.

gky: Anything else?

SN: No, I think I more than had my say. [Laughs]

gky: Okay. Thank you very much.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2000 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.