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TI: Today is December 9, 2009, Wednesday, and we have Jill Shiraki, who's interviewing with me, Tom Ikeda, and we have Dana Hoshide on the camera. Dana's also from Seattle. And we're doing the interview in Sacramento at Gene and Jane Itogawa's house. And so we're interviewing Walter Matsuoka. And so, Walter, the first question, can you tell me where you were born?

WM: Walnut Grove.

TI: And do you recall, like, were you at a house, or where you were born?

WM: In a house. You guys went to Walnut Grove? Did you see my house?

JS: We did. Next to Mrs. Mayeda.

WM: Yeah. You know Mayeda.

TI: So that house, you were born in?

WM: Yeah.

TI: Do you remember the address of the house?

WM: P.O. Box 386, I think.

TI: Okay. And do you know who delivered you? Was there, like, a doctor?

WM: Akamatsu, I think.

TI: And this was like a midwife? Like Mrs. Akamatsu?

WM: Mr. Akamatsu.

JS: The doctor in town.

TI: And what was the date of your birth? What was your birthday?

WM: September 25, 1926.

TI: Good, okay. So that makes you, makes you about eighty-three years old today.

WM: Yes.

TI: And when you were born, what was the name that your parents gave you?

WM: Nobuo first, I think, then they put English.

TI: And where did Walter come from? Who gave you the name Walter?

WM: My dad, I think. See, when he... me and David got the English name. They're all Japanese name.

TI: Good. And when you were growing up, what language was spoken in the house?

WM: Japanese.

TI: So when did you first start speaking English?

WM: When we go to school, I think. See, we didn't go to the other school, White school.

TI: Good. Okay, so we'll talk about school a little bit later.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright (c) 2009 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.