<Begin Segment 5>

MU: So you've had an excellent education, not only in the United States but you had quite bit of education in Japan, and then back in San Francisco at Kinmon Gakuen.

MM: Kinmon Gakuen. And I really appreciate the opportunity that I had, and as I say, the folks were really interested in our education. In San Francisco, we went to school after the public school every day. And then the principal's wife, who was very good at Japanese calligraphy, started up this oshuuji class. Just a select few of us were attending. And of course, the other parents objected to that, so then she had to open up a class at school. In fact, we were going to her home to study and she was really outstanding. And so when Kaya no miyadenka, ryo denka, Prince and Princess Kaya from Japan visited our school, two of us were selected to do gozenkigo, so we couldn't use the fude on the blackboard, so we used chalk. And what we wrote was the song "Nara no Miyako." "Nara no Miyako." You've probably heard of that and the students sang that song at that time.

MU: That impressed the prince?

MM: That's right. And of course, before that, Prince and Princess Takamatsu also visited our school, so we had to learn to speak their high-level language, like "Kaya no miya denka ga godairin asobasaremashita. Asobase kotoba."

MU: Now, what's that all mean, Mitzi?

MM: Oh, that they were visiting. Godairin asobasaremashita. That sort of language...

MU: That's sort of welcome, in a way, welcome.

MM: Uh-huh. Isn't that interesting? [Laughs]

MU: That's good.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.