<Begin Segment 27>

KL: One of the ladies we're going to interview, actually tomorrow, her father worked for Reverend Nicholson after the war.

MN: Is that right?

KL: Did you know Reverend Nicholson at --

MN: Yes, I... yeah.

KL: What do you recall of him? What was he like?

MN: Well, see, I never had, personally I don't know, but I know who he is and I know he did so much for Japanese people. He used to come into camp and bring what we need. But I never had, personally I never talked to him. But I know who he is because he used to come to church and everybody knows him.

KL: Who were some of the ministers at West L.A. that you remember?

MN: So many. Right now it's... I used to belong to a Japanese congregation, not the English one. English congregation they have more people. They have Reverend Gary Oda, and his wife is a Caucasian lady. She's a minister also. But I belong to the Japanese congregation. I was there for about forty years, because fifty years ago I got baptized, but recently, ten years, about ten years I'm at the Venice church. I was at the West L.A. for years. Many minister comes and goes.

KL: Does the Venice church have a lot of Japanese heritage too?

MN: Well, not as many as the West L.A., I think. Right now it's getting less because younger people moving out and older people passed away. Last year four people passed away, because they were all my age, three of them my age and my brother-in-law, my sister's husband, he passed away. He was ninety-six. Last year he died. So it, older people dying and so right now not too many people go to church.

KL: Was the Venice church a hostel too?

MN: I think so. That time I was, belonged to West L.A. Church, so I think most churches and most Japanese schools they used for hostel.

KL: I know people from Venice came to Manzanar, and interviewed other people who...

MN: Yes. West L.A., almost everybody went to Manzanar. That's why Reverend Nicholson used to come and visit us all the time.

KL: Yeah, he was unusual, in an usual position, being a Caucasian minister in a Japanese American church.

MN: Yeah, he was so good to Japanese, not only in America but in Japan too. They have a name for him, Yagi no Ojisan. Yagi is a goat. He used to send a goat by boat so kids have goat milk, so they called him Yagi no Ojisan, Mr. Yagi. Yagi is goat.

KL: I didn't know that.

MN: Yeah, they called him -- I had a book that he wrote, but I got rid of most all of my books because after I hit ninety I didn't want to keep everything. So I gave most away. The other day my younger friend came, so I gave her, you ever heard of Rick Warren? He's a minister at, his book I bought it, in Japanese. And I finished reading, so I gave to one of, a girl. I'm getting, little by little, giving away. I think Reverend Nicholson's book, too, I think I gave away.

KL: Well, I think we'll turn this off 'cause I do want to see the pictures, if you're willing to share those with us. But again, thank you for...

MN: I gave a lot of pictures away. At the West L.A. a historian was collecting pictures, so I gave a lot of 'em away.

KL: Is that someone at the church?

MN: Yes, his name is Randy Sakamoto. He's a Sansei and he was, he was a historian at the church. So he asked everybody if there's a picture they want to share with other people.

KL: Yeah, that church, I know, has been just a really important institution for a long time, and it's been really wonderful that we have a relationship with each other. It's really great to have members come and visit, and to know people here in Los Angeles to help with the interviews and everything too.

MN: It's a nice church.

<End Segment 27> - Copyright © 2014 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.