<Begin Segment 8>

TI: So when you were... let's see, about ten, eleven, that you then took a trip to Japan?

LI: Yes, uh-huh.

TI: So let's talk about that. So why did you go to Japan?

LI: Because my father's mother was very ill, and I think that was, that was the second time they went to Japan after they were married. And I'd never met my grandmother at all. And then my grandfather was already gone, so I never did know him. It was a nice trip.

TI: So let's talk first about the journey from Portland to Japan. So how did you travel?

LI: Hmm. I think we went to Seattle by train, by golly, because we had a pass, and that was the first time he ever used the pass while he was working there. And so we went by train, and we caught the boat in Seattle, the Heian Maru, and that was a lot of fun. It was the first time I'd been on a big ship, too. So we met a lot of people from Seattle, and not too many from Portland.

TI: So when you say you met people from Seattle, this was on the ship?

LI: Yes, on the ship. And there were quite a few Japanese people that were on the ship. So it was quite a trip for me.

TI: And this was in 1941 that you took this trip?

LI: Yes, uh-huh.

TI: And what month was this?

LI: Around June or July, because I was there... let's see, June, July, August, September. We were supposed to be there only for a couple of months, because I'd have to go back to school when September came around.

TI: And so sort of in this early summer of 1941, was there any sense that there was tension between the United States and Japan at this point?

LI: Not at all. Not at all. My parents never said anything about it. As far as I know, the Japanese people didn't say anything to me.

TI: So it felt pretty safe to travel to Japan?

LI: Oh, yes.

TI: And so you go on the ship, and so any memories from the, you mentioned meeting more Portland and Seattle people?

LI: Yes, yes. Well, we ran around the ship all the time. But we met some people from both the cities and the States. We took part in, they had a lot of shows, so we'd go see the shows. They were basically musical or dancing type shows. Let's see... we would do our exercises, and my parents and I always ate together when we were on the ship.

TI: And so you don't remember what class you guys were in?

LI: It wasn't the first for sure. I don't know, but it must have just been regular. They were not the richest people in the world.

TI: You mentioned the dining area, so I was just wondering what area you were in.

LI: Remember, I was only twelve, and you know how old I am now.

TI: It must have been a pretty exciting adventure.

LI: It was; it really was.

TI: And so where in Japan did you land?

LI: In Kobe or Yokohama, I can't tell you for sure. And then we took a train over to my grandparents' home in Okayama, which was quite a distance. And I don't know whether I landed in Narita or... what's the other one? Oh, I guess Narita was...

TI: Well, that's the airport, Narita. That's more modern-day.

LI: Yeah, can't be. I guess we landed in Kobe or Yokohama.

TI: Yeah, that makes sense, they're both coastal port cities.

LI: Right.

TI: First impressions of Japan when you got there? What were your thoughts?

LI: It was so beautiful, I really can't even describe it. It was very, very nice. And of course everybody spoke Japanese and I knew a little bit, the regular... I didn't know any fancy words, but I (could) understand part of it.

TI: Now, do you think you were ever made fun of or teased because of your lack of Japanese?

LI: Not at all, but, you know, I was in the sixth grade, I believe, sixth or seventh when I went over there. And since the boats were not leaving, and we didn't know why or I didn't know why, we had, they put me in the grade school and I was in the fourth grade (in Japan) at that time so I would learn from the beginning or whatever. That was interesting, but it was very difficult for me, because it was all in Japanese, no English spoken at all. So when I came back, my parents' friends said that I had learned quite a bit (in Japan).

TI: Because it was really immersion in Japanese.

LI: Right, uh-huh.

TI: And during that time, did your classmates ever tease you because they thought it might be strange that you're the same age but didn't know?

LI: Not really. They were all very kind to me.

TI: That's good.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2013 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.