<Begin Segment 13>

MK: Because that's one thing, when I tried to enter university, well, after all, high school is coming to end. I was in the university track and then studying hard, but there are other opportunities, and I wanted to test the ground, to see what would be the best for me. I went to the NHK, to become announcer, broadcasting corporation, and took a test, and I read one line, and the examiner said, "Thank you very much for coming," you know. I knew I couldn't become an announcer, well, that's done. And then I wanted to become a, maybe I'll be good at, sewing, so I went to go to a seamstress school. And I was listening to the principal, and I fell asleep, and I said, "No, this is not going to work." And then I went to a school for nurses and took examination, written examination. I passed. Then physical examination time came. Then I was told I had to remove my clothes, brassiere and all, and then, except for underwear and then spread our hand, arms, and so on to show that we are physically fit to become a nurse. Now, I ain't going take my clothes off in front of men, so I just walked out. So I knew I wasn't going to become a nurse.

Then I took the examination, then at the time, the governor, Miki Yukiharu, came back from Brazil and said that Brazil is the place to go for everybody, and then, to start up a new life. I was all for that because my mother told me too that my father always liked high land of Brazil. It's the best place to live as far as my father was concerned. He wanted, when the war ended, my father wanted to take the family to Brazil. So, of course, naturally that's what my father wanted, and I wanted, too. And also my father said, "When you live in Japan, you stay in Japan, you don't see other world. If you have a chance, you go to a continent like Manchuria and stand in the midst of nowhere and then look at the sun goes down, you realize how small you are, then you change." My mother told me this, my father always said that. He wanted his children to experience that. So I wanted to go to somewhere which is large, and then Miki Yukiharu came, governor came back from Brazil and then gave a big talk about us, encouraging us to go to Brazil. So after his talk, he was coming down the stairway and went outside into the hallway. I went hallway, and then he was surrounded by bodyguards, but I went up to him and said, "I want to go to Brazil." I was seventeen years old, you know. He looked surprised, and all the bodyguards surrounded me. I was surprised too and scared. And then he said, he smiled and said, "Why don't you come to my office next day." So I went to see him, and then he asked me many questions. One of the things he asked was, "Have you ever planted a radish?" So I said, "No." "Have you ever planted rice?" "No." I don't know. "Then why don't you go to department, Okayama University Department of Agriculture and study? Then after that, you come back to me and see what I can do for you." So immediately I went to the Department of Education, dean's office, made an appointment and went to see him. He said, "What in the world is happening with this woman?" And I said, "Well, I talked to Governor Miki Yukiharu and then he said that I should come to agriculture department and study how to plant the radish," and so on. He smiled and said, "We don't take women. Women... studying at university is a serious matter for men because men have to support the family. We don't want women to come around and mess up the men's study attitude." Well, I grew up with equal rights and MacArthur is, we are... "That's not fair," I said. I said, "At least give me a chance to study, take an entrance examination. And if I don't do well, I realize that. I have to find a different way of living, but give me a chance." And he smiled and said, "Well, okay. Why don't you." So I studied hard, you know. Then I became, I think, either number two or three out of 250 students. So he had to accept me.

And I remember I went to the university to see if I was accepted or not. The names are all written, and then with the numbers and the names are written. And I found my name, and I was so happy, so I went home to my mother and said, "I was accepted. I'm going to the university." My mother looked at me and said, "Congratulations, but we have no money. In fact, your brothers, younger brothers, are more important, because they are men, than you," yet, my mother had been encouraging me to study. This is what she said. What am I supposed to do, no tuition money. So I thought about it, and I went back to the dean and said, "My mother says my mother has no money for me. Could you make me into a tuition free status?" He looked at me, said, "Well, I can't decide by myself. I have to take this up to university conference, the professor's conference." Okay, I'll wait. Then I became a university free student. But somebody told me there is a government scholarship may be available to students, so I went back to the dean again and said, "Would you please recommend that I would get a government scholarship?" I didn't know the government scholarship you're supposed to return afterwards, but that didn't enter the mind, my mind, I thought that well, anyway, I'm going to get it. And then he said, "Okay, with one condition. You will not have love affair until you graduate to age twenty-two because I do not want any mess in the university campus." So I said, "Okay, I promise." So I kept my word because I was one of the first women to enter the Department of Agriculture. One other person ahead of me, but she was a very quiet person. And then, so I was thinking about the women that would follow behind me that I had to be a model, so I tried to keep my word. Well, I can't help it if other gentlemen fell in love with me. That's a different matter, but I had a great time. But that's the way I started the university life.

SG: How was university life for you?

MK: Well, to my surprise... well, the moment I started university life, it was, I remember going home to my mother and telling my mother, "There are so many windows." I feel as if I were opening little windows one at a time. And then throughout the windows, I can see a vast field. And I was so excited about studying philosophy, studying chemistry, studying Japanese literature, whatnot, I really enjoyed it. And there are so many opportunities. And then I one day saw horseback riding, some students are riding horses, and I went up to them and kind of asked if it was possible to get on the horse, so they said, okay. So I became a member of the horseback riding club and then began to ride horses, yes. It was so heavenly. I was jumping over the barrier. But then when it came to national competition, I was disqualified because I didn't have money to buy my hat. They have to have special hats, special pants. And then my sister-in-law, my brother's wife, was a great seamstress. She made me a pants and so on, but that was not good enough, so I was disqualified. But I did the best I could to a certain level.

SG: Did you find anything difficult about being at the university?

MK: No. I had just a great time. I studied hard. And when I entered university, now, they are worried because I'm one of two girls. The other girl was, failed in entrance examination previous year twice. As a result, she was older than we were and, most of us, so she didn't have problem, but people didn't pay attention to her. But since I was the same age as the rest of the boys, one professor in biology department kind of thought that I may get into trouble with, they accepted hundred boys and then here are two girls, so he felt kind of protective of me. So he took me into his room, well, eventually, he had something else on his mind, but then at the time, I was very grateful, and he taught me a great deal of things. And then quite a few people, students came to be his students. But when I opened the door, automatically, I said, "May I walk in with my shoes on?" You know, that's Japanese custom to me. But in the university situation, oftentimes, you walk in with the shoes in, in any place. But his room was so clean, so I asked him, may I, the attitude that I showed, kind of humble attitude I showed pleased him, I guess. And of all the applicants, he took me in, so I studied for a year and a half or so under him. But somehow his attitude began to change. His wife had died and so on and then kind of became sticky, and I stopped going to him. I began to concentrate more on horseback riding which is kind of unfortunate, but that's what happened.

SG: You became romantically --

MK: Yeah, kind of, yeah, well, you know when you're young.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.