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MK: Thank you very much for being here for an interview today. Could I ask your name first?

CE: Yes. My name is Chiyoko Endo.

MK: How old? Can I ask how old you are?

CE: When I came over?

MK: How old are you now?

CE: Oh, now. I'm ninety-seven. My birthday is on the 16th, so a bit shy of ninety-seven. They already had a birthday party for me at the church though.

MK: You are blessed with longevity for ninety-seven years. Would you say it has been a happy life when you look back?

CE: Yes, it's been a happy life. I have been a greenhouse farmer all of my life. I have not done any craft making or other fancy creations.

MK: Growing flowers.

CE: Yes. Growing flowers and vegetables.

MK: It has been a good life with a lot of fond memories.

CE: Yes. I worked as a farmer until I was ninety.

MK: That is impressive.

CE: Yes. [Laughs] Until I was ninety. I grew pansies. Kei was worried about me falling while I was working. I worked until I tuned just ninety. [Laughs]

MK: And you made a lot of natto.

CE: [Laughs] I make natto almost once a week from October through March. I keep giving it away to those who enjoy it.

MK: Everybody loves it.

CE: Some people asked me to teach them how to make natto. It is tricky to know when to take it out. Mrs. Fujita was my next door neighbor. She is also a natto lover. I tried to show her how to make it, but she just cannot get it right. It is tricky to take it out at the right time.

MK: What's the secret?

CE: The secret is to cook beans in an electric pot. Timing is tricky though. Cooking beans too. It takes a whole day.

MK: Simmering for a long time.

CE: Simmering in Japanese style. You cannot make decent natto with a pressure cooker. You want the beans so soft that you can crack them with your fingers. [Laughs]

MK: You don't use natto yeast?

CE: I don't.

MK: You don't worry about contamination.

CE: No.

MK: You wrap the pot with paper?

CE: In a box. I put the electric pot in a box just big enough to hold it. I put a lot of newspaper on the bottom and top it with clean sheets of paper. I put the beans in the box and let them cool down. Then I put them in the electric pot. I usually make about ten cups. It takes about two days. First night, and the second night. I keep them warm until the following morning until about 9 o'clock. I add water at the end.

MK: Add water?

CE: Slime.

MK: Oh, it gets slimy.

CE: Uh-huh.

MK: It takes two days?

CE: Yes.

MK: How can you tell if they are ready?

CE: I can tell them when they are ready on the first, second night. I check them around ten, twelve o'clock at night. If they look ready, I keep them warm and let them rest until the following morning. Then I take them out. [Laughs] That timing is tricky.

MK: I always enjoy it. We all love your natto.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.