<Begin Segment 8>

RP: I was curious to know, what type of holidays you celebrated growing up in Mesa?

NM: Well, besides the usual, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter. That was because we were affiliated with the church. And but before that we, the community celebrated the Emperor's birthday, Tennou Tanjoubi, and I guess that was probably the only time we got together to do any celebrating.

RP: How would that be celebrated?

NM: Oh dear. They would have a, I know, a stage and then they'd put on plays and, and just sort of get together and have fun. This was with the whole community, the older generation and the younger ones. Probably had some kind of a box lunch or people prepared kinds of, kind of nigiri or sushi or something like that, too.

RP: Do you remember ever celebrating Girls Day? Was that a holiday?

NM: No, not as a celebration. I think... I never did anyway. My kids didn't have any... And I don't think we did either on the farm, no.

RP: How about New Year's?

NM: New Year's was a big day for the Japanese, especially for the men. The women had to cook, and the men could go around eating all these delicious foods that was cooked. [Laughs]

RP: And the kids had to stay home and help their moms.

NM: Oh yeah, we had to stay home. That was the advantage or being a man at that time.

RP: So they go around eating and...

NM: Drinking.

RP: ... drinking sake?

NM: Yes.

RP: And they'd come home a little plastered maybe?

NM: Yeah.

Off Camera: Not my grandfather.

NM: Huh?

Off Camera: No Grandpa, 'cause he didn't drink.

NM: No, he didn't drink much. No, he didn't drink. Yeah, I think he did when he was younger. But, I think because he saw his father being, you know, inebriated I guess you'd call it. A nice word, but okay.

RP: What were some of the dishes you remember your mom would make for New Year's?

NM: Well, besides the sushi type of thing, and, some, with the rice mixed with vegetables and vinegar. That's, that's a type of sushi. And then of course we had mochi. And...

RP: Who did the pounding of the mochi?

NM: Oh, that was a community affair, sort of, of friends I guess you'd say. What I remember is different families came together. And we had a big backyard. And like I said, I mentioned before, so then we had a metal washtub filled with cement with the center dug out to make a bowl. And they put the steamed rice in there and pounded. And I think they made their own steaming boxes to put the rice in too. But the other, the little straw things like, that kept the rice in there, I guess they bought it. It's a... I don't think we made those, but anyway, they were available.

RP: Uh-huh. Did you have a part in making the balls?

NM: Oh, yes. We had lumber, I don't know how long it was. As I recall it was quite long but I was small then, so... and I remember the white paper being covered over the table and then all these mochi lined up. We had to take 'em out and, and spread them out to kind of dry them. And I remember my mother had the job of turning the mochi as the men pounded. You had to be careful that your fingers didn't get pounded. Turn it, keep it moving.

RP: Dangerous job.

NM: That was very dangerous. But she was good at it. I don't think she got her hands caught even once.

RP: You get the timing down with it.

NM: Yes, it was.

RP: With --

NM: So those who pounded had to be also careful about timing it.

RP: And the, the pounding would go, would it go at a pretty steady pace?

NM: Yes. Not too fast but... and of course they made the -- what, I forgot what they call it. Anyway, the mallet or whatever -- with a log about so big and so long with a stick handle.

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