<Begin Segment 15>

AC: We've talked about an awful lot of things. Is there anything that we, that you would like to go and say that we haven't, that I haven't asked you?

NH: That I would like to have done?

AC: Anything that you would like to talk about that we haven't talked about?

NH: No, my life is not, I haven't had an eventful life at all. It's just normal life, you know, taking things as they come from day to day, and accepting it that way, because it wouldn't do me any good otherwise. So, no, I would like to have chances of doing some traveling and all that, though I did go to Japan twice, I was fortunate there. But that's about the only traveling I have done. Of course, trip across the States, and that's about it.

AC: How was that? Tell me about that?

NH: Pardon?

AC: Tell me about your trip across the United States.

NH: Well, it wasn't much of a trip, 'cause I flew from Boise to Washington, D.C., 'cause my daughter lived there at the time when her husband was in the Forestry Department. So places where I've traveled is just where my children have been, so that was what forced me to make the move, I guess, travel. Otherwise I probably would have stayed in Ontario.

AC: What about your two trips to Japan? Where did you go?

NH: To Kumamoto and Tokyo and Yokohama. And Kumamoto was where I, my relatives lived there. And since I made the trip to meet them over there, they'd been over here about three times, because I made that first trip to meet them. And the idea of being blood related gives them incentive to come over here. It was a worthwhile trip, and got to see the country and the place where my parents were from. So I really enjoyed that trip and was thankful. I shouldn't have gone the same place twice, but being that I have family there, I chose to do that. And I had friends in Tokyo. In fact, one particular friend there was a newscaster on the TV station in Tokyo, he was a very close friend. And then there was another friend there that came from the same community near Banks, he chose to live there, and I was able to visit him also. It was a nice trip for me. And then from there, leaving Japan, I went to Hawaii because I've always wanted to go there once. So I guess I should be thankful for the shortcuts I did have.

AC: What did you do in Hawaii?

NH: Pardon?

AC: What did you do in Hawaii?

NH: I just went sightseeing, mainly, because I didn't know anyone there to visit at all. So it was a sightseeing trip. It was with my brother and his wife, uh-huh, the three of us were traveling together. But it was experience. You hear so much about a vacation place in Hawaii, so I had to see that.

AC: Where in Hawaii did you go?

NH: Honolulu... went to two islands. I get those two islands confused, I did go to two different islands. Flew from one island to the other.

AC: Maui?

NH: Yes, that's right. Have you been there?

AC: I grew up there.

NH: You what?

AC: I grew up in Hawaii.

NH: You did? Well, then you could stand to live here? [Laughs] Well, yes, it's quite a vacation place. We got a hotel there in Honolulu right close to the beach, and you could see the beach right from the hotel window there, too. And then my brother, he didn't want to take a tour, 'cause they go to all these different places, he wanted to just take a trip that he would do the driving, so he rented the car. So we went all over driving... of course, you go so far, but, oh, so it's a place a person should see. Oh, do you permanently live in Portland now, then? Oh, that's quite a change.

AC: So looking back over your entire life experience, what advice would you give your grandchildren or great grandchildren?

NH: Well, I don't think they should sacrifice like I did and miss out in life that I would have liked to have gone to college, but that couldn't be helped, because my parents could not afford to send me at all. I'm thankful that I did send both of mine to college. And two of the grandchildren have gone to college also, so that's so important. 'Cause it's easier to meet your challenges if you have that background, college background. So I advised them, if at all possible, have that education so they can make choices after that. Right now my granddaughter is in Florida, she's with the border patrol there, kind of a dangerous job. She was on border patrol in Texas, but she got transferred to Florida, and she's still in border patrol there. And she seems, she hasn't encountered anything dangerous at all, but she says it's very interesting. She was the only girl to pass that, to be on border patrol in the class with all the rest of the men. She was the only girl to pass.

AC: Is there anything else that you'd like to say?

NH: No. Like I say, my life is very uneventful because I didn't have the opportunities to be different, though I'm thankful that I had a very faithful husband and had two children. So I should be very thankful for that.

AC: I think you've had a far from uneventful life. Thank you so very much for speaking with us today.

NH: Well, like I say, I didn't encounter anything exciting, or to benefit society any more than raising my family.

AC: Raising your family through the conditions that, this slice of history that you've lived, is an accomplishment. It is an amazing accomplishment, and I think you've had a pretty incredible life. Thank you again for speaking with us.

NH: Well, you're very welcome, and I'm glad to have had this opportunity in. If I'd kept a journal of my life, maybe it would have been different, but I just had to go from just short bits of here and there.

AC: That's fine. That's what we're looking for. Thank you.

NH: You're very welcome.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2004 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.