<Begin Segment 2>

KO: Your family shopped and did business in Japantown?

RO: Excuse me?

KO: Did your family shop and do business in Japantown?

RO: Yes.

KO: Did they go to the department store and the bank?

RO: Oh, they used to shop at Dobashis' and Koguras', and they had two candy stores, Toshi's Sweet Shop (operated by Toshi Taketa, Grayson Taketa's dad) and Sakamoto sweet shop. And also they had two pool halls in Japanese town with, one was from Takedas, owned a pool hall, and also the Kawakamis owned a pool hall. That was for recreation.

KO: So did your father visit these establishments?

RO: My father was an avid fisherman.

KO: Where would he fish?

RO: Well, we used to go to Frank's Track and Big Brick, out in the Delta. We used to go almost every weekend, but he was a very avid fisherman, because he's from Tottori-ken in Japan, and that was a fishing village. So I guess it was in his roots. So he just was an avid fisherman.

KO: And you went fishing with him?

RO: I went with him.

KO: What kind of fish did you catch?

RO: My dad went fishing for striped bass in the Delta, and then he used to go fishing on the, on the beach for perch.

KO: Half Moon Bay or Monterey?

RO: Mostly Santa Cruz.

KO: Santa Cruz?

RO: Uh-huh.

KO: So you must be a good fisherman also.

RO: I got so I didn't like it, 'cause I had to go every weekend, and we stayed from sundown to sunset. [Laughs]

KO: That's a long day. Did you say you had a good relationship with your parents?

RO: Very good.

KO: And you're an only child.

RO: Correct. My dad was kind of strict, though.

KO: How so?

RO: Well, it's the old Japanese way, they're very strict.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2004 Densho and The Japanese American Museum of San Jose. All Rights Reserved.