<Begin Segment 12>

SG: When did you meet your wife?

HU: I met her 1949. When I was on the way to Portland, she was on the way to Honolulu. At that time, she already graduated from university in Japan, and she's just pursuing further, further educations in Hawaii. We met on the boat, and I parted with her in Honolulu, then I came to Portland. And then we corresponded for a long time, ten years to be exact. And after eight years, I just want to make sure that she is the one. So after eight years, I wrote to her father and get his blessing and permission to marry her. At that time, she was working for the U.S. government, and she just signed up for two more years of contract with the federal government, so she couldn't, she couldn't come over. So I asked her to train herself to be a good bride, so she went through the cooking school and flower arrangement and all that for two years.

SG: In Japan?

HU: In Japan. When I asked her father for permission, and we, corresponded for the eight years, so family knew me like their own son. And we're just writing all the time, so they knew my character. You cannot lie about yourself for eight years, daily corresponded type of thing. And after two years finishing the contract with the government, she came over two years later. So even to exact the date, ten years, we haven't seen each other. So that's an unusual situation, but we were patient, I guess, and happy. We have two wonderful children. Oh, they're all grown up, and we have two granddaughters, so happy ones.

SG: How often did you write to each other?

HU: On the ship, we formed five people, then we start exchange, I mean, corresponded for the among the five. But one dropped out and married, and that and now only just the two of us left. So at that time, probably maybe once in two months, once in three months. Then after a few years, the number of corresponding start increasing, and we knew that we shared the common interests. So then it came to that point that I proposed to her. And at that time when she accepted, she promised me that she'll write me every day. So I thought every day, yeah, taking notes, like a diary type of thing. She sent me seven letters a week, separate letters, and she continued that two years. She's a very stubborn woman, you know. She promised one and she just follow up, and my correspondence increased too. I have to kind of reciprocate, yeah, so maybe once a week, twice a week type of thing, you know. And to this day, she has my letters packed and sealed in the basement. I am not to touch it. She has, overall this, happy ones. But the incident I have is... you know those days, you don't, forty-four years ago, we don't fly, and we don't call. Unless it is business, you don't call people in Japan. And when we engaged, my friend in the business, I asked him to take engagement ring, deliver it to her, so we made arrangement. He stays in the Miyako Hotel in Kyoto, and she came up from Fukuoka to meet him. You know, my friend gave engagement ring. [Laughs] It was a really odd thing, you know. But, oh, anyway, that's not really common interest for the viewer of this film. So people just wonders, how we survive ten years courtship without seeing each other for ten full years.

SG: That's wonderful. And so you ended up getting married in the United States?

HU: Yes. She came over here alone, and I think some relatives probably against her decisions. But when she came over, no relatives. Closest one is Hawaii, and no one here. And however, I have many lady friends. It's easier to make lady friends than male friends. So they, and I get to know their families, that type of thing. And when she came over, of course, we had to make wedding, ceremony, arrangement, so she, then all my friends, the girls, lady friends, they get together, then taking her to lunch, taking to the shopping, making the wedding arrangement. I know she was puzzled. Why all these ladies, young ladies, helping her? Later she'll find out, they are really good friends. So anyway, that's how we end up.

SG: Were you nervous the first, when you're going to see her for the first time in ten years? How did you feel?

HU: No, no, no. I wasn't nervous at all. No, that's lie. [Laughs] She send the telegram, telegram. You remember that thing, such a thing? She send me a telegram, and she told me for the departure date, and so I am to go down San Francisco and meet her. But I didn't, I was, I suppose I was nervous. I didn't realize, Japanese date and American date one day different. So I got there one day early and went to the airport, nothing happens, and I just wonder, oh, she lied to me, you know. See, now this is the date, was it one day early or somehow, so I waited one day. Maybe it was a mistake. All of a sudden, I realize the date different. [Laughs] So next day, we met. Ten years, but I think that's worth waiting, I guess.

SG: What was it like to have met after ten years?

HU: Oh, just exciting. But good thing about our marriage is we corresponded for ten years, then we knew each other. Even for the food she cook, I knew, I mean, she knew that how much salt to be used and soy sauce and whatever because I was writing a letter to her, and I'm cooking, you know. I'm just, while I'm cooking in my apartment, I'm just writing a letter, and I'm cooking such and such a thing. I put too much salt, you know that type, so that we knew. So even to this date, she never cook anything that I dislike, so that's the good part of this longtime courtship, you know. But I tell people how long, I've known her before marriage and all that things, and I usually tell them that, oh, I spent only six hours with her before I propose. The people just kind of, "What?" That's the truth because we're on the boat. That's a Navy transport in those days, 1949. We don't have a passenger ship for boat, so we came over with the military transport, Navy transport. And I bunk with a guy, three Navy bunks, three tiers, I guess. The one guy above me seems to disappear at two o'clock in the afternoon every day since we left Yokohama. And after six days, I just became curious, "Where do you go on the ship?" He explained to me that there's, we are separated, men's compartment, women's compartment. He had a cousin in women's compartment. He was asked to take care of her until reached the San Francisco. And so he go to the compartment, women's compartment, and open for male two to four, so he spend the time there. So he asked me would I want to go. So naturally, I just jump to opportunity. And she, then I met her and other two ladies including the guy's cousin. That's where we formed the five group, five people. So that's how, then only I could see, the weather was bad. We cannot really go up to the deck, so we spend, the compartment for two hours in three days, and she got off in Honolulu. So that's how the six hours came about. So I enjoyed telling people, oh, young people especially, "I knew my wife, only six hours before I proposed to her." [Laughs]

SG: It's a nice, nice story.

HU: But anyway.

SG: What was your wedding after, what was, did you have a traditional Japanese wedding?

HU: No, western. She, of course, changed to Japanese kimono, after the ceremony and taking the pictures. And I was going to church, and the church folks all came and was decent wedding ceremony. I didn't have any relatives here. She didn't have any relatives, but all those Nisei girls helped me out for make arrangement.

SG: Where was the wedding at?

HU: Wedding took place in Northeast Portland near the Hollywood District, and pastor was very, very nice, and the wife helped us out.

SG: At a Japanese church?

HU: No, no, no, American. What is that? Some Alliance, something or other. I can't remember the name of the church.

SG: Are you still in touch with the friends from that time?

HU: I think, from that wedding party, two men and two ladies are still alive. The rest are gone, from illness and old age.

SG: They remained your close friends?

HU: Oh, yes, yes. And this is a small town, you know. Once you get to know them, you can't help it just running into each other for, especially for the, some wedding parties, funeral service. The funeral service, I hate to say this, but we see each other all the time. It's a sad occasion, but it happens a lot of times, meet each other. Right now, the Issei people, passing away, then we go to a lot of funeral service. And now it's the Nisei's time. A lot of Nisei is dying, but we're just waiting for the ring, when our time comes and then we got to go.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.