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TI: Okay, so now I want to ask about your father, so why don't you first tell me his name and where he was from.

LH: My father's first name was Kajiro, and that's the only name I've known him by, Kajiro Takimoto. And he was from Ozu, Japan in Kumamoto-ken and he was the second son, so he immigrated here in his teen years, probably about sixteen or seventeen, I think, and he always lived in Los Angeles and he was not from a farm family. His parents had a, what he told me was they had a soda water shop, and they still do because when we went to visit once maybe twenty, twenty-five years ago they still did sell soda water.

TI: And this is in Japan?

LH: In Japan, in Ozu. And they had a store.

TI: And when, when they sell soda water in Japan, is it in bottles or...

LH: It was in a bottle, and that was strange 'cause you didn't think they had soda water in Japan, but it was probably some kind of a sweet drink. That's what I'm thinking. Anyway, and I've always wanted to go back there, but I want to go back one more time to visit them because his nieces are in their nineties and they're kinda waiting for me to come too, so hopefully my health will hold up and I can go maybe next year. I don't know.

TI: Do you have a sense about the, the soda water business, was that a pretty good business to have?

LH: You know, I don't know because I didn't ask him. He had an older brother and the older brother took care of the family and the business, so, and like I said, being the second son, he came over here to better his life, I'm sure. And I don't ever remember him saying he had a sister. I think it was two brothers, and his older brother, their nieces, his nieces were our age. That's why I say she's in, ninety-one now, and so his older brother got married probably in the twenties or something. Normally, my father didn't get married 'til thirty-five and he probably never would have got married, I don't think, 'cause he never mentioned women until, Mr. Takeda here in San Jose was a baishakunin for a lot of people, Kumamoto people, and he was a good friend with my father, so he knew him probably in Japan and he, he kinda matched my mother and father together and they married. So my father came here.

TI: So your mother was in San Jose.

LH: In San Jose.

TI: And at that time your father was in Los Angeles.

LH: Los Angeles.

TI: But, so before we go to your mother, in Los Angeles, what, what did your father do in Los Angeles?

LH: Well, he used to mention a fish market so I guess he worked in a fish market, but I think he also did domestic work, sounded like he did. But that's all I know.

TI: And how would you describe him, like personality-wise? What kind of man was he?

LH: He was a gentle person. He never yelled. I know that when he married my mother and he had to work on the farm it was very hard for him 'cause he's never done farm work. And then the Depression started, 'cause I was born in 1925 and the Depression was about '28, '29, and my grandparents came here, I don't know when, but I know my, my uncle was born here in Napa, and so my grandparents probably lived in Napa for a while and then they had two sons. My uncle and another son that passed away, and I know that my mother has gone over there trying to find the cemetery, but she never could find it because Napa has changed a lot throughout the years.

TI: So this is your grandparents on your mother's...

LH: My mother's side.

TI: Okay.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.