Densho Digital Archive - Takeshi Minato Interview (denshovh-mtakeshi-01-0015)

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RP: What block did you, did you live in and when you first arrived at Manzanar?

TM: Block 11, yeah. But when I first went there, Block 11, I still had these friends with me so we all moved into to Block 11, what is it, Barrack 10, and room so and so. And then after that we start, they start separating the families, so we ended up at block, Block 2... Block 11, Barrack 2, Room 3. I think that's what it was.

RP: What were your initial impressions of the camp?

TM: Well, being, being twenty years old, I mean, I just thought that this was the easy life. You don't have to work. [Laughs] I didn't, I didn't feel no hardship or nothing. I just went along. You... they, they call for meal. We just go there and eat, eat your breakfast, lunch and all that. It doesn't, it didn't bother me too much actually. So I know some, some people really regretted that, but....

RP: You had your friends there so you had a chance to get involved in sports in camp?

TM: Not too much. It was mostly the younger kids that were involved with sports. I played a little basketball and things like that but not too much.

RP: Did you provide any guidance or leadership for some of the younger kids in your block?

TM: No, no. I wasn't into too much of that stuff, yeah.

RP: Uh-huh. Did you... you said that it was kind of an easy life. You didn't have to work, but did you eventually work in the camp?

TM: Well, I guess if everybody had to work. I was wondering what the easiest job I could get. So I picked the mailman. You deliver mail to so many blocks and you're all through. [Laughs]

RP: So how many blocks would you deliver mail to?

TM: I think a couple blocks, that's all. Yeah.

RP: So you would go down to the post office and pick up the mail or would they deliver it to the block?

TM: Well, yeah, we had our own post office. I guess they would bring the mail and somebody'd be sorting it out and then, and then you get your, say you were covering Block 10 and then 11, and that's what you got and you just delivered it. And that's... it was easy, easy job.

RP: Door to door.

TM: Uh-huh. [Laughs]

RP: Did you get to meet some people, too?

TM: You mean...

RP: Folks in Block Ten and Eleven. People that you didn't know already that you struck up friendships with?

TM: Yeah. Well, I didn't associate with them too much. And I wasn't into sports. I had one good friend. He's in Seabrook and he's about my age. He's from Terminal Island. And I, every chance I get, I would see him. But he's in Seabrook on... I met him in Salt Lake City a couple times and, and we would go up to Idaho and we, we went fishing. Yeah. And then when I go to Seabrook, he has a boat and we go fishing over there. Yeah. That's about the only... I have another friend from Terminal Island. He's my age and he's in Seabrook and he had a real bad stroke and he's still living, but...