Densho Digital Archive
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Collection
Title: Kimi Wakabayashi Interview
Narrator: Kimi Wakabayashi
Interviewer: Peter Wakayama
Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Date: January 10, 2005
Densho ID: denshovh-wkim-01-0009

<Begin Segment 9>

PW: Do you have any regrets about coming to Canada?

KW: What's that?

PW: Do you have any regrets?

KW: Regrets?

PW: Yeah, regrets means, do you feel any sorry that you came to Canada? You're happy to have come?

KW: Oh, right now, sure, I'm happy.

PW: But at the time when you first came, how did you feel?

KW: Oh, that's hard time. You know, I wanted to go back to Japan. And nighttime I can't sleep more, you know, thinking about Japan. But right now, very lucky and I like to stay here.

PW: Okay. Do you have anything to say about, about how you raised your children when you were, when they were growing up? What did you tell them about, about themselves?

KW: Oh, that's hard to say.

PW: Was there any special advice you gave them when they were growing up?

KW: No.

PW: No? You don't remember anything about any special advice you gave to your children?

KW: No.

PW: I've read somewhere where you said that, that because they were Japanese, they had to be very good children so they're not, they don't bring any disgrace to your family. Do you remember anything like that, telling them something like that?

KW: I don't think so. I can't remember.

PW: No? You can't remember.

KW: No.

PW: Your memory's pretty good, and you're still very healthy.

KW: No, I don't think so. I'm awful.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2005 Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre and Densho. All Rights Reserved.