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RP: What do you remember about growing up in San Francisco?

AT: Well, I knew I had a lot of friends. But we had a colored family living next door and a lot of Japanese families on the other, other side. And it just happened that my husband was born in San Francisco too, and he was born about four or five doors away.

RP: But you didn't know him then?

AT: No, I didn't anyway. 'Cause he was well almost five, five years older than I.

RP: Can you tell us a little bit about the Japantown in San Francisco?

AT: Well, I don't remember too much.

RP: Were there a lot of stores to shop at?

AT: Well there, yeah, on certain street there were. I don't know if you've heard of a Dave Tatsuno? Now he, they had a what they call it, dry goods store I guess. And then across the street there was another same type of store. There were a lot of grocery, meat market. I don't know. All I know is that the streets were very hilly. Especially the street next door to us, next block I mean to us, Buchanan Street.

RP: Did you have to take care of your younger sisters?

AT: Oh, we played together, I know that. And we were all about the same height at one time so people would ask us if we were triplets. [Laughs] But we got along well and to this day it's just my youngest sister is living now. And so I get to see her quite often, but she's ninety-two. So, so it's a race to see who will go first. She said she doesn't want to be the last one. And I said, well, I'm the oldest, so I'm supposed to go before her.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.