Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Toyoko Okumura Interview
Narrator: Toyoko Okumura
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Denver, Colorado
Date: July 6, 2008
Densho ID: denshovh-otoyoko-01-0004

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TI: So tell me a little bit about the Japanese community. How many other Japanese families were living around you?

TO: Oh, lot of them were, had small farms.

TI: And so did, were there ever kind of like Japanese events like...

TO: Oh, we had Japanese Buddhist church in Gardena.

TI: So did you have like an annual Obon dance, things like that?

TO: Yes, we did.

TI: So describe that. What was that like? Like, how many people, and what was it like?

TO: Oh, there was quite a few, hundreds of people would get together. Not only Japanese, Americans liked to join in.

TI: Oh, so even back then, way back then...

TO: Yeah, they, yes.

TI: That's exciting. Are they kind of similar to the Obon dances today?

TO: Yes, it is.

TI: And so people were dressed up in yukata.

TO: Yes, that's right. We had it in Gardena, but a lot of times we'd go to L.A., to East First Street.

TI: How about things like Japanese school? Did you have Japanese school?

TO: Oh, yes, we did, uh-huh.

TI: And so describe that. What was Japanese school like?

TO: Ours was more of a private, for a while. My mother had about fifteen children around the neighborhood at our house, and then they, the Buddhist, Zen Shuji in L.A., decided to send one of the priests over to teach us once a week, Saturday, from nine o'clock until twelve.

TI: And did you enjoy Japanese school?

TO: Yes, I did, uh-huh. Yes.

TI: And so you strike me as probably a good student?

TO: [Laughs] I don't know about good student.

TI: And then how about the Buddhist ceremonies? How, did you have, like, Buddhist church, that every Sunday you would get together? Can you describe that, how that worked?

TO: I guess I was about four or five years old, and they'd come around picking us up in a Model T, remember the Model T Ford? They would pick us up, and then bring us back. This was Gardena Buddhist Church.

TI: And when you think about that Model T Ford, how many people would climb on top of the Model T Ford to go to the Buddhist church?

TO: Four... about five of us.

TI: But someone would drive, pick you up, bring you to church.

TO: Yes, that's right, uh-huh.

TI: And they would just keep doing that.

TO: Every Saturday.

TI: And when everyone was at the Gardena Buddhist Church, how many people would be there?

TO: Oh, I think about fifty.

TI: Good.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.