<Begin Segment 20>

TI: So let's talk about your life. I mean, what were your impressions of Japan? I mean, here you're in Tokyo, two jobs, what did you see? What was Tokyo like then?

TO: I thought I was dreaming. I thought for sure I'd be back in the United States. I never could actually feel that I was in Japan at that time. I just felt, "Oh, I hope this is a dream." [Laughs] I wanted to go back to the United States.

TI: And you wanted to go back because why? What was Tokyo like that made you want to go back?

TO: Well, for one, we don't speak too much Japanese, I wasn't that fluent in Japanese. It was difficult.

TI: And what was --

TO: Well, Japanese on the whole, they were nice to us, but at the same time, it was, to carry on or be sociable with Japanese was very difficult.

TI: Did you, you mentioned you worked for the military, so you worked closely with a lot of U.S. soldiers also?

TO: That's right.

TI: Now, did you work at all with any of the Niseis that were, like the MIS?

TO: No, I didn't at that time. I was living in a place called Den Chofu, and they had procured lot of the Japanese nice homes for the U.S. dependents. So that's my, that was my work, as a secretary.

TI: Okay, so helping to coordinate all that.

TO: Yes. Working with the Japanese contractors.

TI: So that was what you did for the U.S. military, and then you had this other job also?

TO: Also Japanese.

TI: And so what was that -- was it a similar type of work, or...

TO: No, it was just making out some documents, they want me to type it out for them.

TI: And what was it like? So you worked both for the U.S. And then for the Japanese, what was the differences in terms of working styles?

TO: Well, they knew I was from America, so they treated me real good, I mean, Japanese on the whole. But toward Japanese girls, I'm sure they don't treat like they were treating me.

TI: So it just so happened, you probably didn't realize it, but when you went to Japan, your English abilities was in high demand. I mean, it was really valued that you had an education, could speak, and you were somewhat bilingual, too, you could speak Japanese and English.

TO: That's right, uh-huh.

TI: So that was really valuable.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.