Densho Digital Archive - David Matsuoka Interview (denshovh-mdavid-01-0024)

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JS: So then eventually your father did restart the shoe repair.

DM: Oh, yes, definitely. And then when my oldest brother came back, he took over. He was in Detroit or someplace.

JS: So the shoe store that was next... it was on A Street? Was it A Street? The shoe store was right next to the...

DM: Drugstore.

JS: ...drugstore.

DM: Yeah. You know where, you ever been through that town? You can't miss anything. [Laughs] You go too fast, you miss everything. There was a bait shop, drugstore, and then the shoe store. And then there used to be a big grocery store, and then like department store and that. But we had pretty good... as far as a small town, they had a little bit of everything. We have a, they used to make tofu in the town, too.

JS: And so what activities in town sort of resumed? When you were, like, in high school, was there a change? Did you notice a change in the town, or did it seem like you had just left?

DM: Yeah, it's not the same because there isn't that many Japanese, actually, 'cause it's, a lot of other people was in that Japanese, where the Japanese used to be. So there was not that many... it wasn't like before the war, it was more exciting. But it was kind of like dead.

JS: So other people were there, so other people that had opened up businesses when the Japanese were away, or who lived there?

DM: That I don't know. I don't know what they were doing. I know the pool hall was there because the table and everything was there. But other than that, we never did go into there. In fact, when we came back from the camp, where the other people was there, we never go into that places.

JS: Okay. So those establishments, you didn't go into.

DM: No, no.

JS: So what do you, what do you remember about, kind of, social activities? Were there any parties or dances? Because you were in high school, did you start dating?

DM: You mean after the camp?

JS: After camp.

DM: I don't remember too well. Did they have dances?

JS: You don't remember? How did you meet your wife?

DM: How did I meet my wife? Oh, 'cause I was in the service, Korea. When I came back... oh, anyway, this gal is a minister's daughter, okay? And they came to Walnut Grove, from Lodi to Walnut Grove in 1950. And I knew her a little bit, but I didn't know her that well. And I went to the army, Korea, and when I came back, her sister married my oldest brother. And then I used to, stationed in Camp Roberts, I used to come over on the weekend, she used to come with her sister to our home, 'cause she was packing the stuff for her sister and that's how I got to know her pretty good. So every weekend I'm home, she used to come over, so that's how I got to know her pretty good.

JS: Okay.

DM: Otherwise, I don't know her that well.

JS: Huh. So she didn't grow up in Walnut Grove, she was there in the 1950s.

DM: (Yes).

JS: She was from Lodi?

DM: Well, minister, they --

JS: They move around.

DM: They travel, yeah. I think she said she was, I don't know where she was born, but she says one time she was in San Luis Obispo. And from there to Lodi, I don't remember. That's how I got to know her pretty well. Otherwise I didn't know her that well.