Densho Digital Archive - Jiro Sugidono Interview (denshovh-sjiro-01-0004)

<Begin Segment 4>

TI: So I'm curious, so in those early days, did they have, sort of, like kenjinkai picnics for Yamaguchi-ken?

JS: (No). Well, actually, they didn't. There were like Kagoshima, I know Kagoshima pretty, they stick together, I know. But Yamaguchi, we all had, all the Isseis, they had a Christian church or Buddhist church had their picnic together. Of course, it's something like, those days, like a JACL kind of, they just, all the Japanese got together at a picnic either at a beach or at country someplace.

TI: So can you describe one of those picnics for me? Like a big picnic, how many people would be there?

JS: Oh, in fact, those days, it seemed like, see, 'cause most of the Japanese people were farmers, so heck, when it came to, like, picnic, look like they all came out. It was a big, big deal. It was something like they didn't have television or anything like that, so it was something, a treat to get together and meet each other, talk about it, this and that. And they had regular races for the young kids and this and that. (Yes), it was nice. So those days, get together was just like exchanging information, (yes).

TI: And so about how many people would be there?

JS: Oh, I'd say, heck, there must be about maybe fifty to a hundred people, maybe more. I don't know. (Yes), there was quite a bit people.

TI: And was there a certain time of year that the --

JS: (Yes), usually it's right, right after springtime, right after the rain.

TI: And you mentioned, so the farmers would be there, everyone would come, it'd be a treat.

JS: (Yes). Oh (yes), because usually it, most of the people was, there weren't too many people like my father who worked in town. Mostly it was farmers, you know, 'cause that's, most of it's a farming country, so that's why when things like this come out, they all come out with the car, and they had bento and they just put it on the car, and just eat together.

TI: And so was it kind of like a big potluck where people would share or people would stay...

JS: No, they kind of individual, they talk, 'cause they eat individually, they didn't, they didn't talk -- I mean, eat together. It's not like they have potluck like what they do now. No, it was, 'cause it was a big group so they just threw out the blanket and just put out the goodies outside the front (of their car).

TI: So describe the foods. What would be some of the foods that your family --

JS: Oh, that was good, it was Japanese food. Just like we have New Year time, we had onigiri and fried chicken, teriyaki chicken and more like finger food. And they had, well, naturally, soda and things like that. But usually it was rice, rice ball and nigiri. It was good. Ate chicken, ate a lot of chicken.

TI: And so what did the kids do? You mentioned races, was there other activities that you guys did?

JS: Oh (yes). Sometimes we had it at the, at the beach, they (had) the fishing club, so a lot of people who come there, they bring their fishing pole and go out there, and they have contests, who got the biggest perch or whatever, or the smallest one. So they used to have prizes for those people, too. There was, at that time, as I say, there wasn't too much activity, so the people all came out and enjoyed themselves that way. So (yes), and the young people had to tag along because they didn't have tennis or things like that, so bowling, so they had to participate with the family, see.

TI: And how about the Isseis, your mother and father? During these picnics, what would they do?

JS: Well, usually they'll sit down and they go out and talk to each other and things like that. But they didn't move around too much, 'cause they just more or less relaxed. But sometimes, some of those people go see their friends nearby and just talked to 'em, this and that.

TI: And did the, did the families stay together, did, like, the men, like the Issei men, did they kind of group around, or how did that work?

JS: No, I didn't notice any of that. 'Cause it was more or less, they got together like a family. So I think they stuck together mostly, each family stayed within themselves, they didn't move around. I think later on they did, but at that time, they just, once they sit down, that's where they sit. [Laughs]