<Begin Segment 30>

JS: So when you think back on your life, and you think about how special Fresno is to you, you wanted to come back to Fresno?

NM: Yeah.

JS: What is so special about Fresno?

NM: I like the weather.

JS: You like the weather? Uh-huh.

NM: Yeah. You know, it's not, like snow like that, you got to get this and that. I like Fresno. Snow, I could go out, but I don't care for skiing or anything. I don't want to break my leg. [Laughs] I tried skiing, but I'm afraid. I can't go down that hill. Oh, god, I'm scared. And when I was in the, Fort Snelling, they want you to learn how to ski, too. But god, I can't, I can't ski down that hill. I was afraid I would fall over, so I didn't go into it.

JS: When you see Chinatown now, today, and many of the businesses are gone and not there --

NM: It's sad now.

JS: It's sad.

NM: You know, right now, Fresno, the building comes down, nothing come up. And then they got to tear it down, because it's too dangerous. There's some more that's still up there, yeah.

JS: So when you think back all those years, different eras, Fresno, 'cause you saw a lot of change. 1910, you were on China Alley, 1920s, and then, yeah, moved to F Street and you were active...

NM: You know, I walked by there yesterday, or Monday, rather. I walked that, gee, Kamikawa store was here, and then Aki was there, that used to be our garage. I could tell you that today. You want to see the picture now?

JS: Yeah, well, so do you have anything else that you want to say before we end the video? What do you think about the future? What do you hope that people will remember about Fresno?

NM: You know, I don't think our Chinatown will come up again, yeah. I sure like to see it come up.

JS: Yeah, I hope they keep the Fresno Betsuin, it's a beautiful building.

NM: You know why? Because there's too many empty lots now. Tulare Street, the whole block, one block is gone. And then F Street and opening here, opening there, and then there are some old building yet. That will come down pretty soon. And when they come down... you know, the store that my folks had? That's still there. Solid yet. Maybe good for another twenty years. I don't think they want to move. I think they got Chinese club there. The store is right there, brick building. I used to go there, there was a walkway from the alley to the F Street. So we used to go to Kogetsu-do right away.

JS: Well, Kogetsu-do is still there.

NM: It's still there. They're the only ones now.

JS: Yeah. Well, I hope that the Fresno's Chinatown, there's some revitalization, and other stores will come. They said that the subway, or is it the subway?

TI: No, high speed rail.

JS: High speed rail is gonna come right to Fresno's Chinatown, so maybe more people will come.

NM: Too bad, Fresno, now.

JS: Thank you for sharing all of the history.

TI: Nori, thank you so much. Your stories were wonderful, thank you.

<End Segment 30> - Copyright © 2010 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.