I did get married late. I got married when I was 34 years of age. I did get a younger wife however, but I was lucky to find somebody who is willing to say, “yes.” It took me a long time. But I – so she said, “yes,” I think I met her and I got married within six months. I didn’t want to lose Irene, so we tied it down. It was tied good, because we have been 56 - 57 years now, and we are happy together. And she still tried to change me a little bit here and there, but she is succeeding pretty well.
Now, I – when I first got my daughter - the first child, in 1952, I became a father for the first time. That was a tremendously, wonderful experience for me. Because for the first time I realized that I’m now part of God’s world. That, I’m part of that many parents that help keep the world going, and part of that of process of continuation, of perpetuity. So I felt a distinct being part of that process, and God’s world. When Matthew came in 1957, a son, that was another good experience for me. I feel very good. I wanted to have more children, but my wife thought two was enough, and so...usually if you want a happy marriage life, you have to agree with your wife more often than disagree, I learned.
Date: March 4, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Florence Ochi, Art Hansen, Yoko Nishimura
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
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