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DG: So we'll talk about MIS more in a bit, but I wanted to ask, so there were the classes for children to learn how to read and write...

GH: Here, here, Japanese school, yeah. That's where Mrs. Osaki was teaching.

DG: But there were other events at the school. Can you describe other ways that people would use the building or the outside area? Like picnics or New Year's?

GH: Oh, you mean other --

DG: Community events.

GH: Community? Yeah, we had a community picnic, and we had a talent, public speaking, and we also had... Mrs. Osaki was real good, she's a teacher from before. Shuji is writing in, calligraphy, in brush. She used to teach us, so we were taking all that. But I enjoyed public speaking most.

JS: Speech contest.

GH: Speech contest, right. Engeikai. Are you familiar with a lot of Japanese?

JS: I had to go to Japanese school, too. [Laughs] Sawtelle.

GH: Where? Oh, Sawtelle? Oh, you went to school in Sawtelle.

DG: So describe the speech contest. What would your speech be?

GH: Oh, any story, we read the book and you get a story or make some story up. I used to drive a story here and there and then tell the story in Japanese in the public speaking. So she used to gather all the parents and friends to attend this public speaking, so it was like a contest.

DG: So were you one of the prize winners?

GH: Well, prize winner... well, it doesn't exactly go like a prize, but first place, second place, third place, yeah.

JS: Do you remember what story, any of your favorite speeches?

GH: Some of the American story, I used to say it in Japanese.

JS: Baseball stories?

GH: Baseball story, football story. Story from Notre Dame.

DG: Football story?

GH: Football story.

DG: Like you'd tell the story of the game? What would the story be?

GH: Well, the players, you know, how they were playing and what they did. They became professional players, you know. Well, a lot of these players, San Francisco 49ers, I watched the 49ers. So like them, they were going to school, but they'd go to college and then they'd get to be professional football players.

DG: So you'd describe their lives.

GH: Yeah, describe their lives.

DG: So there'd be a New Year's event.

GH: Yeah, New Year's, we used to have New Year's, like we used to have entertainment, singing, and things like that. And Mrs. Osaki used to teach us, get us a play, a talent show. She used to make us give a talent show. I wasn't too good at talent show. I can make a public speaking, but not talent show. [Laughs]

DG: So would that be music? What would the talent show be?

GH: Yeah, it was music and telling the story, making a story, story of some of the old country stories. You know what samurai is? Yeah, lot of the samurai stories.

DG: And that would be on New Year's, or that would be a separate thing?

GH: During those talent shows.

DG: But I feel like I've read that New Year's was a big thing at the language school.

GH: Yeah.

DG: Everyone would come. And what would you do on New Year's there?

GH: Well, New Year's, well, this talent show, we had talent show, and story, like Mrs. Osaki tells a story about Japanese history, well, that was very interesting. She used to tell us all the history of Japan, the olden days. It was very interesting.

DG: She was very educated.

GH: She was very educated. She went to a women's college in Japan, but she was very educated.

DG: So there's a big, now in front of the language school, this big grassy area. Did you guys use that for games or sports?

GH: Oh, you mean at the school here?

DG: Yeah.

GH: Oh, yeah. Whatever is there, we used it. So... now which one are you referring to?

DG: The Clarksburg language school.

GH: Yeah, the language school here? Yeah, you went in there, and you saw some of the picture there?

DG: Well, we were there at that event in May, and it's just got a pretty large grassy area in the front. And so I'm wondering if you guys were out there playing games a lot.

GH: Well, of course, we play a lot of game, but not against other school or anything, just among the students, you know.

Off camera: That lawn, wasn't it Harry that put it in?

GH: Lawn?

Off camera: Put the lawn in and the yard. That was Harry. I don't think there was lawn while you were going to school.

JS: What was it? Just dirt?

GH: Yeah, that ground there is sandy. Well, we used to play basketball or baseball and football in there. And then we didn't play against other school or anything.

DG: So you would play basketball and baseball and football near the language school?

GH: Yeah, in the front yard there. Well, it wasn't as big, but still, we used to... of course, I played quite a bit of baseball in grammar school.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2012 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.