<Begin Segment 13>

JK: And what other memories do you have of growing up in Japantown? Perhaps favorite hangouts...

PD: Well, let's see. I didn't get married 'til a long time, that's, as did my friends, but I remember growing up, we used to go to the, they used to have dances at Peter Burnett and at the San Jose Armory. Later on, I was a member of the JACL board for a number of years, for about fifteen years, and I was active with the San Jose Japantown merchants association for, since it was started.

JK: And what was the, the mission of the merchants association? Or what was their, their goal?

PD: Well, to promote the Japanese community in the larger community, and it was started by Mr. Tatsuno of Nichi Bei Busan, and it was, it was started as a bit of advertising campaign, so it was started as a, it was called "A Bit of Orient," and we used to, I remember he used to make me go around and collect ads from the different shop owners, and put 'em on a block, and we'd say, "This is how we're gonna promote the Japanese community to the larger, larger public." And we would make an ad, and I'd go around and see if I can collect money from different merchants.

JK: And what, what time frame was this?

PD: I think it was sometime after my high school days.

JK: And was there a growing interest in Japantown, or was there decreasing interest from the mainstream?

PD: Well, it was... I think it was a pretty good time of doing business with... because everybody was coming into Japantown at that time, but we were looking for the, the larger community, the Caucasian and the whatever community come in to the Japanese town area.

JK: And did your family, did they ever consider moving -- right in the area, era of the resettlement when the camps closed -- did they ever consider moving to any other place than San Jose? And you growing up in San Jose, did you ever consider moving out of the area, or did you move out of the area?

PD: No, I didn't ever move out of the area. I just more or less stayed. But I did travel around to see different businesses and I met people from Seattle, met people from L.A., and I did talk to or meet the people from Uwajimaya and people from stores in L.A.

JK: Uwajimaya?

PD: That's in Seattle.

JK: How about other family members? Did they live out of the area?

PD: My brother went to school at Northwestern University dental school, and that's about it. My brother lives down in southern California to this, to this day.

JK: And did you meet your wife in Japantown?

PD: She was a shopper in the store, and I just took a fancy to her.

JK: And were you married here in Japantown?

PD: See, I think I was... I think I was married at -- [laughs] -- I think we married at my uncle's... my uncle's a judge, so I had him marry us at his home, I think.

JK: Your uncle was a judge?

PD: Yeah. He's Mr. Kanemoto, Judge Wayne Kanemoto from my mother's side. He was the youngest of my mother's family, so, so I had him do the honors of our marriage.

JK: And was this at the Buddhist Temple?

PD: No, I think I did it at his house.

JK: Now, what type, what type of transportation did you and your family use to get around town?

PD: When are we talking about?

JK: In, during the resettlement.

PD: During, during the...

JK: After camps closed.

PD: After camp? I remember there was just a few cars. I remember... I don't remember, the first car must have been a '48 Dodge or something. I can't remember, but I remember a green '48 Dodge and I remember a cream-colored Chrysler at one time. And I guess my parents were, the family was kind of partial to the Chrysler Corporation, 'cause I remember the trucks were Dodges. [Laughs] And I remember when I went to San Jose City College, I rode a, the store truck to the San Jose City College, and it was a three-quarter-ton pickup truck, and the San Jose City College was a mud, mud parking lot.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2004 Densho and The Japanese American Museum of San Jose. All Rights Reserved.