The old cliche, “What’s in a name?” Names like “Mad Dog” and “Scarface” are obvious. African-American names are very creative and unique. De’Andre, Shaquon, and JuJuan give more attention to people with these names. Former Yankee ace “Whitey” Ford or “Whitey” Herzog of the St. Louis Cardinals were probably given that nickname due to their whitest head of hair. Whereas, Nikkei with a “Whitey” nickname originated on account of his Japanese name Shiro. Both Nikkei genders could have the same nickname, such as “Sugar.” Satoshi for male and Satoko for female. Sato means sugar. What about nicknames like “Mutt,” “Mush,” “Bacon,” or “Oats”?
Nikkei women seldom had nicknames because it was not “lady-like.” From the Greenwood Internment location, this one lady’s name was Kinuyo. Most acquaintances referred to her as “Kay.” However, her closest friends called her “Kinky.” Kinuyo was far from being kinky. From what I heard, Kinuyo saw this man coming out of the mine shaft with soot all over his face. She called him “Inky.” From then on, her friends called her Kin(uyo)ky. Kinuyo’s high school-aged granddaughter was so concerned that her grandma was called “Kinky.” When explained, the granddaughter was so relieved. There was another lady whose voice was so loud when she blurted out that she was called “Kaminari” (Thunder), however, not directly, just amongst friends.
The funniest nickname came from the Grand Forks self-supporting internment camp. My sister-in-law told me that there was this one lady who was “gacha,” so friends referred to her as “Gacha-ba.” To her Steveston friends, she may have been a very excitable person. Discover Nikkei researched and found gacha to mean messy or disorganized. Therefore, I phoned this 90-year-old friend from Midway who lived in Mio-mura as an adult and she knew Gacha-ba! Mrs. Yoshida told me that neighbours still called Mrs. N “Gacha-ba” when she returned to Mio after the war. Her description of Gacha-ba was closer to “gasa-gasa,” abstract random and busy-body. Apparently, she loved to talk, but she was a very nice, friendly person.
In Wakayama Prefecture, mainly from Mio village, the residents shortened people’s names with an honorific “O.” Koto would become “O-ko-ba.” Tsuki would be “Otsuki-ba.” I think “ba” derived from oba-san. Most of the mothers and elders were called “obasan.” Children would greet any Nikkei women on the street, “Hello Obasan!” As for elderly men, it was “Oi-san,” again abbreviated from “oji-san.” As for my parents, they would call their friends “O-den-ba,” “Ma-se-ba,” and so on. Yet, when they meet someone from another prefecture, it would be “Sano-san” or “O-han-san.” However, they greeted their younger friends even though they were seniors as “Toyo-chan” or “Yo’chan.” This was in Greenwood.
Some of the younger girls had nicknames like “Tarzan” because she swam like Tarzan with a rubber knife in her mouth. Overweight girls could be called “Porky,” or if petite, “Shorty.” This one girl outgrew her nickname when she was called “Hanatare Nanami” in kindergarten.
Very close male family friends would be referred to as “Toichi-ni(san)” or Toshi-ni. There was one man whose name was Kenji but friends addressed him as “Ken-boh.” Even when he was in his nineties, Kenji was still “Ken-boh,” a child-like name. Nicknames were so prevalent in the ’40s and ’50s that their official names were forgotten.
There was another boy in Greenwood whose legal name was Haruo, but he was never called by his Japanese name, except maybe his mother or father. Haruo was baptized as Phillip and his confirmation name was Dominic. No one called him by those two names. Haruo loved his superhero Flash Gordon, so his friends started calling him Gordon. That name stuck. However, another popular nickname as he was referred to quite often was “Barrel.” Why? Most children made homemade skis from cedar kindling, but not Gordon. He had a “Cadillac” model back in the ’50s by using barrel slats for skis. We would all rub candle wax underneath the homemade skis so that they would slide smoother.
Nikkei names have evolved in Canada. Starting with the Issei, their names were long and difficult to pronounce. For example, men’s names were Yazaemon or Rikimatsu. They were shortened to “Ya’san” and “Ri-san.” Then, the Nisei kids who had only Japanese names like Takashi, Masayoshi, Akihiro, or Hiroshi. To make it sound more English friendly for the teachers, they became Tak, Mas, Aki, or Hiro. Girls were Sumiko, Rumiko, or Chieko. They were now Sumi, Rumi, or Chic. The Sansei children were baptized or given English names at birth so their middle names were Japanese. Yonsei girls started leaving out the hard sound of ‘ko’ and their names morphed into Mana, Misa, or Aya. I noticed that younger Nikkei parents are now reverting to unique phonetic Japanese names such as Riyo, Kai, Kyo, Kia, or Seri. I wonder if some of the younger Nikkei parents will name their babies by going back to their Issei great-grandparents’ names, like Ainosuke or Daigoro? Maybe, but highly unlikely.
As for myself, I was born Hachiro in 1945. My mother was teased by her friends about why she gave such an old-fashioned, outdated name. Simple. I was the eighth one in the family of nine. Thus, it was Hachi-ro. My uncle was the eighth boy in the family of 18 therefore, he was Hachiro as well.
I was baptized Charles in 1952. My sister looked at the Catholic calendar and she told us to pick a saint. My friends chose Vincent and Anthony. I don’t know why I chose Charles. Maybe that name was next to Vincent and Anthony. While attending school, I came to regret it. Friends started calling me “Charlie,” as in the comic book Charlie Chicken. No superhero was called Charlie.
In 1958, a new western show, Rifleman, debuted on TV, starring Chuck Conners. That was it! I wanted to be called Chuck from then on. However, Greenwood people still called me “Charlie.” When I graduated and made my career outside of Greenwood, I was Chuck.
I reconnected with Greenwood about ten years ago. Some people still call me Charlie to this day. Since most of the Issei folks are gone, I no longer hear Hachiro, except in legal matters. It was so difficult to sign my name Hachiro at the bank, driver’s licence or passport office since I have not heard that name called to me for over seventy years. Recently, I changed my birth certificate to be legally Charles Hachiro.
I am hoping to go to Japan to meet my last surviving uncle with the same name.
© 2024 Chuck Tasaka
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