Interviews
Reaction to the Emperor’s surrender
Oh tearing…in Japan, yes. I believe for Emperor to accept the defeat, then for him to come and tell the people…you see, Emperor is way high and common people cannot reach him. He’s a god, we were told. And for him to say and then to surrender, would disbelief…well it’s very, very…it was a very difficult moment for I think all of us. They want anybody that was in the army at that time…I don’t think there was any other way we could express ourselves at that time.
Because……looking back and if he says, “Hey, you’re an American citizen.” Well it wasn’t that simple as that. You’re in the Japanese army to protect Japanese land. That’s your main reason you’re in there. To take a defeat is…well, you…until you accept it, it was…it did take a few days to…in my true opinion, yes. I know it’s hard to…even it’s hard for me to explain it right now. But the true feeling was…it was true. I just haven’t been brought up that way.
Date: June 17, 2008
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Janice Tanaka
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Fitting in to both sides of her family
Jewish Japanese American journalist
Asian American Lawyers as Victims of “Overt Racial Discrimination”
(b. 1934) The First Japanese American Appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
“I could never get a job offer from a private law firm”
(b. 1934) The First Japanese American Appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Nomo's impact on later Japanese players
Former Director of Asian Operations for Los Angeles Dodgers
Respecting the will of a five-year-old daughter (Japanese)
(b. 1925) War bride
The Kids and Japanese Language (Japanese)
(b. 1937) A war bride from Yokohama
Change of identity (Japanese)
(b. 1979) Sansei Nikkei Brazilian who lives in Oizumi-machi in Gunma prefecture. He runs his own design studio.
The term Nikkei (Japanese)
(b. 1979) Sansei Nikkei Brazilian who lives in Oizumi-machi in Gunma prefecture. He runs his own design studio.
On becoming a Japanese national (Japanese)
(b. 1979) Sansei Nikkei Brazilian who lives in Oizumi-machi in Gunma prefecture. He runs his own design studio.
My father forced me to speak Japanese at home
Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)
Foreign language education was severely restricted during the war
Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)
Japanese language education for children
Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)
Brazilians with a Japanese identity
Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)