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RP: This is an oral history for the Manzanar National Historic Site. This morning we're talking with Mas Nakajo. Our interview is taking place at the Japanese, Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church in Sacramento, California. The date of the interview is April 4, 2011, our cameraman is Kirk Peterson, our interviewer is Richard Potashin. And we'll be discussing Mas's experiences at the Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II. Our interview will be archived in the Park's library. And Mas, do I have permission to go ahead and record our interview?

MN: Yes.

RP: Thank you very much for coming down today and it's great to have you here sharing some of your history with us.

MN: You're welcome.

RP: Tell us where you were born and what year.

MN: I was born in a place called Moneta, California, in... right now I think many years back they incorporated into Gardena.

RP: Okay.

MN: So, Moneta is not even on the map I don't think. So anyway, I was born 5/17/27.

RP: Okay. And Moneta would be spelled M-O-N-E-T-A?

MN: Yeah, Moneta.

RP: Moneta.

MN: Yeah.

RP: And that's a Japanese word?

MN: No. I don't think so.

RP: Oh, okay. Uh-huh.

MN: But all they did was divided the Gardena railroad track and one side was Moneta and the other side was Gardena. I think they incorporated so no more Moneta and Gardena now, see.

RP: Okay. And, what was your full name at birth?

MN: Masahiro Nakajo.

RP: Okay.

MN: Masahiro Nakajo.

RP: Do you know what your Japanese name means?

MN: Masa means "vast." Hiro means "vast knoll" or something. Masa means "vast." Knoll, Hiro means "vast knoll."

RP: Knoll? Like N --

MN: Yeah, so vast knoll like this.

RP: Okay. All right.

MN: Then by last name, Nakajo, naka means "inside" and Jo is the "castle." You know, Japanese castle, the samurai castle. That's what it is, inside the castle.

RP: Now your family, you have a connection with the samurai culture in Japan.

MN: Yeah, my great-grandfather, I think, or... it's goes back to the fifteenth century, the Nakajo family. So, great-grandfather I think served.. maybe it was Saigo, Seigo Takamori, the big guy with the little dog, bulldog on the side. My father served under him I think, great-grandfather. I think that was the era when the Japanese military, government had taken over and the samurai is still there and they had their... the movie The Last Samurai is, that's what I think the history was that...

RP: That kind of story.

MN: Yeah, right.

RP: Reflects your family background.

MN: Yeah.

RP: Oh, interesting. And your... can you give us your father's name?

MN: Masataka.

RP: And that's M-A...

MN: S-A-T-A-K-A.

RP: T-A-K-A.

MN: Yeah, all the Nakajo family, from way up down, it's all Masall Masa. Even my younger sister, Masako. Masatsugu is my younger brother. Masahiro me. Then all the uncles, Masamiki, Masamoto... you saw in Japan in Kagoshima-ken.

RP: That's where your dad came from?

MN: Pardon?

RP: Did your dad come from Kagoshima?

MN: Yeah.

RP: Oh okay.

MN: Yeah. Kagoshima-shi, a city of Kagoshima.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright &copy; 2011 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.