<Begin Segment 5>

JS: And what other activities were you involved in? Were you involved with church?

BK: We went to church every Sunday.

JS: And where was, what church was that?

BK: I went to the Buddhist church.

JS: The Buddhist church. And what other activities did the Buddhist church have besides Sunday service?

BK: I really don't remember, other than just going to church. They didn't, other than Obon time, they would close up most of Japantown street, and we would have Bon Odori. And all those kimonos we left behind, so they're gone.

JS: What other festivities would happen in town, other events?

BK: We had, we used to have the asparagus festival.

JS: And the Japanese would participate?

BK: Yeah, well, and the whole community took part, yeah. And then the Japanese part, you know, like my dad was a sumo man, he liked to teach and referee sumo, so we used to go watch sumo. And then we also had basketball tournament. It's all outside during the summer. And then we had, like baseball tournaments so other people from out of town would come. And then the biggest thing was going to Mr. Shusho's tofu stores, they used to sell snow cones. So that's the first thing you do, go buy your snow cone, and then you go on the bleachers and watch the game.

JS: So did your brothers participate in the sports?

BK: My oldest did, yeah. But then the others were kind of young.

JS: Still young?

BK: Yeah.

JS: I see. So can you describe a little bit about the sumo? Because your father was instrumental in starting that?

BK: Yeah. Well, all I know is he used to try those things on us. And I said, "You know, we're not boys, and you're not gonna let us do it." But he used to, when they got new ones, I guess it's stiff, so he used to try it on us. And then I remember when the FBI came to the house to search us, my dad got a medal from Japan that was shaped like a sumo fan, referee's fan. And they thought it was a medal of some kind, and, you know, they took it away from us. But he just lived and breathed sumo.

JS: Where did he become, when did he become interested in sumo?

BK: I don't know. From things that I've been reading, you know, like he picked it up in Hawaii. I knew he was in Hawaii for a few years before he came to Sacramento or Isleton. But, yeah, so my brothers all did it. So I told Dad I wanted to do it, and he said, "No, girls don't do things like that." [Laughs]

JS: What other community activities were your parents involved in?

BK: My parents weren't that active in the community because they were busy raising eight of us and feeding us and cooking and all that. I remember Dad helping us with our Japanese school homework.

JS: So who would help you with Japanese school homework?

BK: My dad did. And then English, regular school, my older brothers and sisters, they helped.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright (c) 2009 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.