Interviews

1. Birthplace

2. My image of America as a child (Japanese)

3. Longing to be an imperial soldier as a youth (Japanese)

4. Boarding house life and the Issei (Japanese)

5. My father’s venture into the hotel business (Japanese)

6. (Japanese) My children’s education

7. Luckiest Issei

8. The situation after the war (Japanese)

9. “Junior Issei” (Japanese)

10. Working in America

11. Struggles with English (Japanese)

(b. 1929) Kibei Nisei

Longing to be an imperial soldier as a youth (Japanese)

(Japanese) Until the beginning of the Pacific War, I was never bullied or singled out as American-born or Japanese-American. But two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor – in Japan, that was December 8^th, so it would have been December 10^th – I passed by a classmate in the hallway at school, and when I said, “Good morning,” he said back, “Hey, it’s an American spy! Go back to America!”

Right after I entered elementary school, war broke out between Japan and China, then, when I was in sixth grade, the attack on Pearl Harbor happened. Japan was swept up in a current of militarism; everyone was gung ho for nationalism. So, no doubt about it – I was to become a solider. That is my wish, I said. I took the entrance exam for the military academy and was about to enter when the war ended.

generations Japan Japanese Americans Kibei Nisei Pearl Harbor attack, Hawaii, 1941

Date: January 31, 2012

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki, Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Edward Toru Horikiri (b. 1929), Kibei Nisei, was born in Little Tokyo, but moved with his family back to Japan when he was 18 months old. He was raised and educated in Japan during World War II, but decided to return to the U.S. in 1952 in order to re-establish the family business that was disrupted by the War. However, lacking sufficient English language skills, he did a variety of jobs including gardener, houseboy, truck driver, and grocery and supermarket employee. He continued to be involved in cultural activities through Japanese language community organizations and friendships with artists such as Taro Yashima. (June 2014)

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NIKKEI CHRONICLES #14