Densho Digital Archive
Manzanar National Historic Site Collection
Title: Rokuro Kurihara Interview
Narrator: Rokuro Kurihara
Interviewer: Richard Potashin
Location: Glendale, California
Date: May 10, 2010
Densho ID: denshovh-krokuro-01-0008

<Begin Segment 8>

RP: So in Block 6 were there a large number of people from Glendale living in that block? Do you remember?

RK: No, there wasn't. Block 12 there were. Block 12 there were, you now, just right across the way? Yeah, the Watanabes were there. The Okamuros were there. And there were quite a few in Block 17.

RP: Glendale?

RK: Yeah, the Chimoris were there. Sakamotos were there.

RP: So --

RK: Come to think of it, we were the only Glendale people in Block 6.

RP: In 6?

RK: I can't think of any.

RP: Who else was in Block 6? What other communities or groups that you recall?

RK: Well, the Yokomizas were ... San Fernando, I would say San Fernando. I really don't know. Block 6 was sort of diverse. They came from all over. Boyle Heights and San Fernando... yeah, and we were, we were the only...

RP: Were there other, other folks who, other than your brothers and your mom and dad, that was who was in your barrack? In your barrack room, it was just your family? There was no other families also put into your barrack room?

RK: Yeah, well, there was a very good friend of ours. He, he was the only one that was in our, that was in our... his name was Kamimura.

RP: Kamimura?

RK: Yeah.

RP: From Glendale, too?

RK: Yeah, and you know, there was six of us, six of us including him. And folks, too, so there was eight people, and we took up the whole barrack. So there was no other people. You know, and there was, we didn't have to put up any, you know. So we were a big group so we had our own barrack, in other words.

RP: Uh-huh. Had you ever taken any trips out of Los Angeles before you went to camp?

RK: Oh sure, sure. Sure, we went to Mammoth a lot before...

RP: Before...

RK: Before, before camp.

RP: Really?

RK: Yeah. I thought Tom's Place was named for a friend of ours. We used to go so... his name was Tom, that's why. And then you know, like I say, I went to Japan, too, before the war.

RP: Would you go up there to fish or?

RK: To fish. Yeah, we were there, we were in Lake Mary when it was Lake Mary. [Laughs]

RP: That would be a summer vacation type of trip?

RK: Yeah. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah, they were fun times.

RP: What did you travel in? What kind of car did, did your family own?

RK: Well, they had this truck for gardening purposes. And, what did we... yeah, we had this beat up Chrysler. I remember that Chrysler. But that's about it.

RP: What about the, that area, the Mammoth area, or the Owens Valley area, impacted you?

RK: Well, it was a, it was a, just as it is now. It was a great place. Oh, a matter of, we used to go up there quite often. Every summer, every summer we used to go up there. This Tom Sano, who was a friend of ours, who sort of lived with us even, he would go up there all the time. He was, he was quite a fisherman. He knew that whole area.

RP: So that's where you picked up your fishing bug?

RK: Yeah, I think so. I think so.

RP: So it's just natural for you to want to keep fishing when went to camp.

RK: Yeah, well, you know, we used to go to Big Bear too. You know where Big Bear is? And then, then the war came along and we went to camp.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.