Densho Digital Archive - Kenji Ogawa Interview (denshovh-okenji

<Begin Segment 13>

KL: But you said it was fun for you to be in Japan?

KO: Yeah, for me, it was a lot of fun. I thought everything was fun, good memory.

KL: You told us about the scary goats and you told us that you took kendo. What else are your early memories, what are your first memories of Japan?

KO: I was a rascal, I'm not kidding. [Laughs]

KL: What kind of trouble did you get into?

KO: Well, I get into a lot of trouble. You know, train come in, you know those all steam trains? I used to stop in front of the train, stand and stop. [Laughs]

KL: So the bee sting that prevented our first interview, that's not the first brush with death.

KO: Then the [inaudible] and my (mother's grandfather) was the governor, so I get away. [Laughs]

KL: What did your grandfather think about your...

KO: He'd tell my mom, "Boy, this boy is too much trouble." [Laughs] "You better go back to the United States." I'm a shame, you know.

KL: Did you stop?

KO: Never stopped. Then the next day, I went to underneath the train bridge. [Laughs] Then remember I used to say... what is that? You know, people talk about comedy? What is that? Comedian, they come in the front. So I made a rubber band --

Off camera: He was just standing around.

KO: Yeah, shooting. [Laughs]

Off camera: [Inaudible].

KL: Where did you do that?

KO: Japan.

KL: Like in school or in church?

KO: No, all the people coming to see these people.

KL: Like at a theater.

KO: Yeah, yeah, theater, more like a theater.

KL: Did you have friends who did this with you, or just you?

KO: No, I did it myself. There are friends, too. So I had a good time.

KL: Yeah. Are there any other stories? What else did you do?

KO: You know, Japan, lot of watermelon. Find me a bunch of watermelon, so we used to take it, watermelon. Japan, lot of lake, so we'd, couple hours. Oh, the Japan watermelon is good. We used to steal the watermelon, apple, pear. So I have a good memory.

KL: I've heard, actually, that right after the war ended, people from the cities would come to the country and steal potatoes or whatever food. Did you have, did that happen to your family? Did other people steal?

KO: Oh, yeah, (...) they steal.

KL: Do you remember any trouble in your childhood? Like were you ever hungry or was there anything hard for you? Or it was okay?

KO: We were fine.

KL: Did you try to keep, did people in school or neighbors know that you were American, or did you try to hide that?

KO: Yeah, you know, they say, when I went to Japan, my mom would say, you're speaking English, so those Japanese kids said, "How come you don't speak Japanese?" Same thing happened when I came back here? It was hard; it was hard.

KL: Were there problems in Japan because you spoke English or because you were American?

KO: Yeah, yeah, I don't speak Japanese, speak English all the time.

KL: How did you learn Japanese?

KO: Oh, I guess you stay, going to school, every day speak, you learn.

KL: Sometimes kids have told me that they would have to go to the city to update their documents. Did you have to do anything like that?

KO: [Shakes head].

KL: But you didn't try to keep it a secret that you were American?

KO: No.

KL: It was just hard to learn Japanese?

KO: Yeah, it's hard to learn.

KL: Were you guys part of a Buddhist group in Japan? What was that like?

KO: Well, I guess same.

KL: And then you had (a) brother in Japan. When was he born?

KO: He's five year, I mean, younger than me (in Japan).

KL: 1947. How long were you in Japan?

KO: I was thirteen.

KL: When you came back? Uh-huh. [Addressing RM] Do you have questions about Japan?

RM: Yeah. You mentioned that your family continued practicing Buddhism in Japan. Do you know if they practiced any Shinto traditions as well, or if your grandfather did?

KO: Yeah, maybe grandfather. I have no idea.

RM: You don't remember, though?

KO: No.

RM: You kept saying, when you were talking about getting into trouble, you said "we." I was wondering who your friends were and what they were like.

KO: (Sometime), couple, four or five guys. We were young, so those people, core, you know, throw the face, yeah, they were so mad, stopped the train. [Laughs] I guess when you're young age, you don't know scared, nothing.