<Begin Segment 3>

FA: Let me go back a little bit now, Jimmie. Where were you born?

JO: I was born in Winslow, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

FA: What kind of family did you have?

JO: We had a family of six; three boys -- four boys and two sisters.

FA: What happened to your family?

JO: Well, when the sixth child was born, my mother contracted childbirth disease which was determined incurable and my father decided to take the mother and the three youngest children to Japan and split up family. We had a, we had a choice, the three oldest had the choice whether they would go to Japan with the mother or stay in America. When we were told that we could never return, we chose to stay in America.

FA: Why?

JO: Well, we were Americans and Japan was a foreign country.

FA: What happened the day your mother left?

JO: Well...

FA: Did you get to say goodbye to her?

JO: No, that was our biggest... well, that was my biggest disappointment. We were told to, we were going up the ramp and told to stop midway, and then here come my mother and the rest of the children. My dad went ahead and packed them into a auto and the auto sped off. We never had an opportunity to say goodbye and we knew that, at least I knew that we were never gonna meet again. And it was a big disappointment to me because you'd like to have the opportunity to say goodbye.

FA: Growing up in Seattle, you went to Broadway High School.

JO: Yes.

FA: Did you play any sports?

JO: Well, I did turn out for basketball and baseball but unfortunately in baseball I had a problem with my arm. I had a good write-up before that happened, though, in the Seattle Star, I understand. I never saw it, but some people told me about it. I went to a, I was sent to a school doctor. He never examined it, which concerned me a great deal. He just listened to what I told him, how I felt and what happened. And then he suggested that I discontinue baseball or it might affect my health.

FA: How about other sports?

JO: I played, I was encouraged by the coach to turn out for basketball. And he was a good, well, he was the coach of it. And so I turned out but I had problem, I had injured my thumb. I played for a while but then I had to quit. Because not only my thumb but then work duties and stuff like that.

FA: At the time you did play basketball, how did you feel about that? How did you, how did you like that, being in the uniform, being on the court? Where did you play?

JO: I was a forward. Well, I didn't have any special feelings except that it was a sport, and except one thing, in drills, in basketball drills, the other forward kept passing that ball to me behind me, you know, so naturally I never caught the ball. You know, you run toward the basket and he's supposed to pass it to you, he's passing behind me, I'm way past that ball, I never got the ball. I think that was deliberate.

FA: Why?

JO: Well, it makes me look bad. It makes his opportunity as a forward better.

FA: What teams did you play for?

JO: Well, the teams that I did play for were the Baptist High Stars and the Sparklers from the Baptist league as well. The High Star played town teams and the Sparklers played in the Japanese league.

FA: What other well-known Nisei journalists played on other basketball teams in Seattle? You know who I mean... Hosokawa?

JO: Oh yes.

FA: Tell me, tell me who, who played and what team?

JO: Bill Hosokawa played center for the Waseda Nippons, one of the two strongest Nisei teams, the two teams were rivals, the Baptist High Stars and the Waseda Nippons, although they weren't in the same league.

FA: Did you know Hosokawa personally back then?

JO: I didn't know him personally, I saw him play. Because I often did watch the Nippons play. I knew other players on that team. You know, like Sacky Arai and Sparky Kono, Kaz Arai, I knew other personalities on the team.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 1990, 2005 Frank Abe and Densho. All Rights Reserved.