<Begin Segment 10>

MK: Did you get married in February?

RM: Yes, in February. It was the twenty-something of February, I think. I had a paper record. I probably still do, but you know how I am. [Laughs]

MK: It was February 27th.

RM: Yes. I think that is the date. I think it was at the end of February.

MK: I heard you had a problem with your eyes.

RM: Yes. I had trachoma. A lot of us were traveling together, and I got unlucky and infected. I had to go to see a doctor for a month.

MK: Was your husband back in the States then?

RM: Yes, yes. He came back before I came over. Yes.

MK: By ship, from Yokohama?

RM: Yes, I came over by ship from Yokohama.

MK: Do you remember the name of the ship?

RM: What was it? I don't remember. What was the second one? I don't remember it either. The second one, when we came back after we went back to Japan once, that was the last ship. Those who came after that had to turn around and go back. I went back to Japan for some sort of festival, and also we wanted our eldest son to learn Japanese. I took our eldest son, little Nami, and his younger brother and went back to Japan.

MK: What year did you go back to Japan?

RM: It was a long time after I came over. Many years.

MK: 1940...

RM: Yes, it was in 1940 something. Maybe after a year.

MK: Was that the year the war started?

RM: That was before the war started. Yes. That's what it was.

MK: Did you come back again before the war started?

RM: Yes. It worked out well, and we were able to catch the last ship. The next one left port but had to turn around and go back. That was when we went over. But I forgot about a lot of things many years ago. I remember some things very well, surprisingly. I have a poor memory. It's not fun.

MK: Did you spend about a month there when you visited Japan?

RM: No, not a month. I was there for a while.

MK: Half a year or so?

RM: Yes. No, not for half a year. Probably for three months or four months, I think.

MK: We are going back a bit, but you didn't know anyone here when you got married and stepped onto the ship in Yokohama, did you?

RM: No. The ship was full of people who were going back to the States and also a lot of brides. There was a boat full of brides when I came over.

MK: Did you have a good time on the ship?

RM: Yes?

MK: Did you have fun when you were on board?

RM: I see. Not so fun, as we were all seasick. We couldn't really get up.

MK: But you were heading for the States...

RM: We had to be on a boat for fourteen days those days. We didn't have any other way.

MK: Do you remember what you ate on the ship?

RM: No, I don't remember.

MK: You heard about what it is like in the States on the ship, didn't you?

RM: Yes. Those who were going back to the States told us about it.

MK: What was your expectation for the U.S.?

RM: Well, I was thinking that I would need to work very hard there. [Laughs] That's how I felt.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.