<Begin Segment 19>

TI: And what were some of your memories from Japan during the occupation that kind of stand out for you?

GY: Well, as far as occupation goes, I think we did well and we kept the people informed and talked to 'em. We didn't push 'em around or anything like that, no. So every day, we lived every day just like they did. So it was fine, I mean, I enjoyed it.

TI: And during the occupation, how important was it to have Japanese Americans who could speak the language? How important was that for the United States?

GY: I think that was important to keep... what do you call 'em? Peace, not peace, but trying to show 'em what to do and changing their government, which they did change it all the way around. It was just mostly communication, trying to pass on your ideas if they ask. Nobody asked me anything. So I got along fine.

TI: Do you think it helped that you had a Japanese face compared to maybe a Caucasian who spoke Japanese?

GY: Oh, yes, oh, yes. They trusted us more than they would a Caucasian man. Because their vocabulary was altogether different. I mean, their accent and stuff was altogether different. And as far their fighting each other, fighting the whites, you know. So I think we were accepted pretty well. At least I think I did pretty well.

TI: And how did it feel for you to go to Japan and be around all these Japanese people? Did it feel comforting or foreign?

GY: Oh, yeah. It was just like living every day. We didn't feel any different, at least, I didn't feel any different. So we can pick up the girls in the street if you wanted to, go to a restaurant any place you wanted to. We weren't refused anything if you wanted to do something. So it was helpful that you knew and you looked like them also, you know. Only trouble I had -- I didn't exactly have the trouble, I think I prevented something. I got on a streetcar once, and I had a Caucasian motorman. And he'd take that thing and speed it around, so I went out there and asked him, I said, "Look, we don't want to both die here. Why don't you just give it back to the engineer and let us two go away?" And he said, "Okay." So we both got off, he went one way and I went the other way.

TI: And so this Caucasian, was he a soldier?

GY: Yeah, he was kind of drunk.

TI: Okay, kind of drunk, and so he took over the streetcar.

GY: Yeah, yeah. He pushed the engineer out of the streetcar, he's a streetcar operator, he said. He pushed him off, and he took control of it.

TI: And there were other people, civilians, on there?

GY: Yeah, people on there.

TI: And so you just went up there and...

GY: Yeah, let's just get out of here. [Laughs] So it was okay. That's the only thing I had. Of course, during the days, sometimes we went to Ueno Park terminal, train terminal. And the people that was trying to get on, it was so full, you had to push 'em in there, help load up, you know. That was quite an experience, pushing people into the car to take, get in to go where they're gonna go. It was interesting. And one guy, I went out, see, I met a girl in their family and they had to go get rice on the farm. So they asked me to go to, if I would help. So I took 'em out there, and I brought rice back myself. I don't know how many pounds it was. And they sat in the reserved section just like I did, which was okay. I brought back their rice for 'em. [Laughs]

TI: When you talk about rice and bringing that back, how difficult was it for people to get food?

GY: I don't think it was very difficult, just so they had a source. But these people had their own farm out there, so they went there to get their rice and they asked me to bring some of it back for them, which I did. I mean, nothing for me to do, over the weekend or something.

TI: And how about the rebuilding of Tokyo during this time? Because it was pretty devastated during the war.

GY: Yeah, it was devastated, yes. When we came over, unloaded in Yokohama and took the train, and you could see where all the buildings are down. It was firebombed, you know, it was all burned down. It was kind of sad. But some parts, it's still standing. Like my folks, our relatives, their place was still standing. It was so sad to look at all the stuff that burned down. And I thought they were gonna maybe build it with maybe a little space to walk. No, wrong. They built it right up to where they put in the sidewalk. [Laughs]

TI: Because land was at such a premium, they tried to get every inch that they could.

GY: Right, right.

TI: You mentioned relatives, did you meet any of your relatives when you were in Japan?

GY: Oh, yeah. I met my mother's side first, and they came to see me. And they were surprised that I talked Japanese language so well. [Laughs] Some of it was mixed up, but I get along with them. Then I went out to the farm and stayed there overnight once. Once is all. I got bedbugs all over me, I mean, marking all over my back, I said, "I'm not going to come back here anymore. I'll take the last train home if I have to." So that's the last time I went. [Laughs] They came to town to see me. So we got along okay. As for my father's side, I met one cousin because he used to come to the States. He was a chemical engineer or something, he used to come. So I met him and his family. But I didn't get to know 'em very well, the family, you know. Because he went one way and I was always doing something else. But that was about it. But it was treated okay. We had a lot of fun.

TI: Okay, good. And so how long were you in Japan?

GY: I was there from '45 to '47, December of '47.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright ©2009 Densho and the Twin Cities JACL. All Rights Reserved.