AKIKO VO: IT MAY BE THEIR LUNCH

SPOT OR THEIR FISHING HOLE OR

THEIR SOCCER FIELD WHERE THEY

VISIT THE KING KAMEHAMEHA

STATUE. FOR SOME, THOUGH, THE

PRESENT-DAY SITE OF WAILOA STATE

PARK IS SHINMACHI, WHICH MEANS

"NEW TOWN" IN JAPANESE, A

THRIVING BUSINESS DISTRICT OF

THREE CITY BLOCKS ON THE HILO

WATERFRONT WHERE THEY LIVED

THEIR FONDEST CHILDHOOD

MEMORIES.

RAMON GOYA: WE USED TO PLAY

FOOTBALL, SOFTBALL, BASEBALL ON

THE STREET·

JUNE SHIGEMASA: WE DID GET VERY

CLOSE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. WE

SUPPORTED EACH OTHER. WE HELP

EACH OTHER IN DAILY LIVING.

YOSHINOBU TERADA: AND THE

POPULATION WAS LIKE NINETY FIVE

PERCENT JAPANESE· CARPENTERS,

STEVEDORES, FISHERMEN.

RAMON GOYA: AND ALSO THERE WERE

MANY BUSINESSES, COCA-COLA AND

ALSO ALL THE SMALLER BUSINESSES

LIKE GOYA BROTHERS, I KITAGAWA·

DONALD IKEDA: AND THEN ALL THE

PEOPLE WOULD LIVE AROUND AND

THERE WOULD BE LIKE A COURTYARD

AND HAD A COMMUNITY BATH AND

COMMUNITY BATHROOM·

KENNETH KAMEOKA: THAT YOU WOULD

SEE THERE ALL THE PEOPLE WALKING

WITH UNDERWEAR, TOWEL, SOAP,

TARAI. THEY'D ALL GO TO THE

PLACE.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: THAT'S WHY

WE WERE JUST SAYING THIS IS WHAT

WE USED TO CALL CHAWAN CUT --IT

MEANS "BOWL" IN JAPANESE AND

THIS IS HOW THEY USED TO CUT OUR

HAIR.

AKIKO VO: ON THE MORNING OF

APRIL 1ST, 1946, A TSUNAMI

DESTROYED DOWNTOWN HILO,

REDUCING SHINMACHI'S THREE SOLID

BLOCKS OF SMALL BUSINESSES,

TEMPLES, SHRINES AND FAMILY

HOUSEHOLDS TO RUBBLE. AT LEAST

38 PEOPLE DIED THAT DAY, AMONG

THEM MANY CHILDREN.

MASAKO ODACHI: AND I HAD A

SPECIAL FRIEND AND HER NAME WAS

SADAKO, AND I STILL MISS HER,

BUT I LOST HER IN 1946 TIDAL

WAVE.

AKIKO VO: ALTHOUGH THE TSUNAMI

ALMOST DESTROYED SHINMACHI, IT

WAS NOT THE ONLY IMPORTANT EVENT

TO HAPPEN IN THIS PLACE WHERE

HUNDREDS OF LIVES HAD BEEN LIVED

FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.

AKIKO VO: BEFORE THE WAVE, THE

PEOPLE OF SHINMACHI WORKED

TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO FORGE

THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM THE

ECONOMIC DOMINANCE OF HAWAII'S

SUGAR COMPANIES. TOGETHER,

SHINMACHI'S CLOSELY KNIT

BUSINESSES, FAMILIES AND SOCIAL

ORGANIZATIONS, POOLED THEIR

RESOURCES AND THEIR EFFORTS.

TEMPLES, SHRINES AND OTHER

PLACES OF WORSHIP HELD THEM

TOGETHER. THEY WANTED TO ENSURE

THAT THE NEXT GENERATIONS WOULD

NEVER KNOW THE GRUELING LABOR

AND THE WORLD OF UNCERTAINTIES

THAT THE FIRST GENERATION

OVERCAME IN HAWAII.

AKIKO VO: WE KNOW THE TSUNAMI

GRABBED A HOLD OF SHINMACHI AND

STOLE IT AWAY. BUT WHAT DID IT

TAKE? AND WHAT, IF ANYTHING,

REMAINS?

AKIKO VO: MOST JAPANESE MEN WERE

BROUGHT TO HAWAII AS CONTRACT

LABORERS FOR THE FIVE MAJOR

SUGAR COMPANIES. THE CONTRACTS

BOUND WORKERS TO THE PLANTATION

FOR THREE TO FIVE YEARS, WHERE

THEY WORKED LONG HOURS UNDER THE

STRICT SUPERVISION OF CAUCASIAN

OVERSEERS. WORKERS LIVED IN

COMPANY HOUSING THAT WAS OFTEN

IN DISREPAIR AND THE ONLY MARKET

AVAILABLE WAS THE COMPANY STORE

WHERE THE SUGAR COMPANIES

DETERMINED WHAT WOULD BE ON THE

SHELVES. THE COMPANIES WOULD

PROFIT FROM THEIR EMPLOYEES WHO

HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO SHOP. MANY

JAPANESE PLANTATION WORKERS

FOUGHT AGAINST THE SYSTEM WITH

STRIKES AND OTHER FORMS OF

PROTEST. SOME WORKERS TOOK A

DIFFERENT PATH: THEY LEFT THE

PLANTATION TO CREATE BUSINESSES

OF THEIR OWN, TO PROVIDE FOR

THEMSELVES AND THEIR NEIGHBORS

AND TO ULTIMATELY BUILD A STRONG

ECONOMIC FOUNDATION FOR THEIR

CHILDREN. AS INDEPENDENT

BUSINESSPEOPLE, THEY WOULD NOT

BE LIMITED BY THEIR NATIONAL

ORIGIN, BY THEIR WORKING CLASS

STATUS OR BY RACIAL

DISCRIMINATION. IN JANUARY 1913.

A GROUP OF JAPANESE BUSINESSMEN

FORMED THE HILO SHINMACHI

ASSOCIATION, THE GROUP ORGANIZED

AS A KUMIAI -- AN ASSOCIATION TO

ASSIST WHEN THERE WAS A DEATH IN

THE FAMILY. THE KUMIAI WOULD AID

THE PEOPLE OF SHINMACHI BETWEEN

PIOPIO STREET AND THE WAIAKEA

BRIDGE.

AKIKO VO: THIS PARTICULAR KUMIAI

ALSO BECAME A COMMUNITY OF

MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE

ENTREPRENEURS.

AKIKO VO: ONE SHINMACHI

ASSOCIATION MEMBER, KAMETARO

FUJIMOTO, CAME TO HAWAII IN 1894

AT AGE 16 TO WORK ON A

PLANTATION. HE LEARNED CARPENTRY

AND BUILT HOUSES FOR PLANTATION

WORKERS. HE LEFT THE PLANTATION

AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY TO

STRIKE OUT ON HIS OWN AS A

GENERAL CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTING

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND HOMES

IN HILO'S UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOODS.

BUT EVEN AS A SUCCESSFUL

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, FUJIMOTO

COULD NOT ESCAPE THE CONSTRAINTS

OF THE SUGAR COMPANIES WHO

CONTROL THE SUPPLY CHAINS AND

PROCESSING OF LUMBER, FUJIMOTO

MADE A BOLD DECISION. HE BECAME

HIS OWN SUPPLIER AND IN DOING

SO, FOUNDED WHAT BECAME ONE OF

HAWAII'S LEADING BUSINESSES.

MICHAEL FUJIMOTO: IN 1921 OR

EVEN A LITTLE BIT BEFORE '21 HE

AND HIS FRIENDS CREATED HAWAII

PLANING MILL LIMITED, AND THIS

WAS A COMPANY THAT WAS DESIGNED

TO SUPPLY LUMBER TO THE

COMMUNITY.

AKIKO VO: SUMIE TOKUNAGA ALSO

FORGED A PATH FROM THE

PLANTATION TO PRIVATE

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SHINMACHI BY

TURNING HIS PASSION FOR FISHING

INTO ANOTHER OF HILO'S CENTURY

BUSINESSES. HE CAME TO HAWAII AT

AGE 19 TO WORK ON THE

PLANTATIONS BECAUSE AS THE STORY

GOES, HE DID NOT WANT TO BE A

SHINTO PRIEST. AT THE END OF HIS

CONTRACT, HE LEFT THE PLANTATION

TO WORK AS AN ACCOUNTANT IN A

GENERAL STORE IN SHINMACHI. HE

WAS GOOD AT BUSINESS, BUT HAD A

PASSION FOR FISHING. HE MERGED

THE TWO IN 1920 WHEN HE OPENED

HIS S. TOKUNAGA STORE WHERE

CUSTOMERS CAME FROM MILES AWAY

TO BUY THEIR FISHING SUPPLIES.

MICHAEL TOKUNAGA: MY

GRANDFATHER'S CUSTOMER BASE,

DURING THE YOU KNOW EARLIER

TIMES, I HEARD STORIES OF PEOPLE

DRIVING IN FROM PUNA, DRIVING IN

FROM KAU OR EVEN DRIVING IN FROM

THE HAMAKUA COAST, YOU KNOW, I

GUESS THIS WAS A BIG TREAT FOR

FAMILIES TO, YOU KNOW, DRIVE

INTO TOWN AFTER WORK FRIDAYS OR

FIRST THING SATURDAY MORNING,

SPEND THE TIME IN HILO TOWN, YOU

KNOW, DO THE GROCERY SHOPPING

AND DO WHATEVER SHOPPING.

AKIKO VO: SHINMACHI

ENTREPRENEURS WERE GOOD AT

DIVERSIFICATION, MEETING THE

NEEDS AND SATISFYING THE TASTES

OF THEIR COMMUNITY. THE IKEDA

FAMILY STARTED A VARIETY OF

BUSINESSES AT THE TURN OF THE

20TH CENTURY WHEN TATSUNOSUKE

IKEDA ARRIVED FROM HIROSHIMA.

DONALD IKEDA: BUT HE WANTED THE

ADVENTURE SO HE CAME OVER. AND

SO HE CAME OVER AS A LABORER AND

HE WAS AT KUKUIHAELE BUT HE

WOULD NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THE

COMPANY, YOU KNOW, THE

PLANTATION STORE. HE WOULD GO

FISHING. AND MY GRANDMOTHER

WOULD RAISE VEGETABLES AND

SOMEHOW HE GOT INVOLVED WITH

HORSE AND BUGGY. I DON'T KNOW

HOW. AND HE RAN THE

TRANSPORTATION STORE.

AKIKO VO: AFTER SUCCESSFULLY

STARTING A TRANSPORTATION

BUSINESS BETWEEN HILO AND

HONOKAA, IKEDA ESTABLISHED THE

FIRST SHOYU AND MISO FACTORIES

ON HAWAII ISLAND. HE HAD A

REPUTATION FOR HARD WORK AND FOR

MAKING PERSONAL VISITS TO

CUSTOMERS IN HIS TRUCK--A RATHER

BIG DEAL IN EARLY SHINMACHI.

TATSUNOSUKE'S SON, SHIRO IKEDA,

MOVED INTO NOODLE MANUFACTURING.

THIS ENDEAVOR EVENTUALLY BECAME

HILO MACARONI COMPANY. THE LOCAL

JAPANESE PRESS CELEBRATED SHIRO

AS "FLUENT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND

JAPANESE" AND "SHARP-WITTED."

HE WAS CONSIDERED A SHINING

EXAMPLE FOR THE SECOND

GENERATION, WHERE HIS FATHER WAS

KNOWN AS STEADY AND AMBITIOUS.

SHIRO WORKED LIGHTNING-FAST TO

BUILD A $30,000 SODA WORKS,

OUTFITTED WITH THE LATEST

TECHNOLOGY. HE BECAME KNOWN AS

"THE MAN WHO BROUGHT 7-UP TO

HILO."

AKIKO VO: INNOVATION AND

EXPANSION REQUIRED CAPITAL AND

THE BANKING SYSTEM SERVED THE

INTEREST OF THE SUGAR PLANTERS,

NOT THEIR FORMER LABORERS WHO

WERE VIEWED AS COMPETITION.

ISOJIRO KITAGAWA WAS ONE SUCH

COMPETITOR. HE PAID HIS OWN WAY

FROM JAPAN TO THE CANE FIELDS OF

HAWAII. BEFORE THE END OF HIS

FIRST DAY AT WORK, HE HAD ENOUGH

OF PLANTATION LIFE AND TURNED IN

HIS CANE CUTTER. HE HEADED TO

SHINMACHI TO MAKE HIS LIVING AS

A FISH PEDDLER.

BRIAN KITAGAWA: SO THAT'S WHY,

YOU KNOW, MY GRANDPARENTS WERE

VERY GOOD, COULD CLEAN FISH

FASTER THAN YOU COULD EVEN

IMAGINE.

AKIKO VO: THOUGH GIFTED IN

CLEANING AND SELLING FISH, THE

KITAGAWA'S REAL TALENT WAS IN

FORESEEING CUSTOMER DEMAND IN

SHINMACHI--STARTING WITH THE

FISHERMEN.

BRIAN KITAGAWA: THEY SUPPLIED

THE BOATS, THEY SOLD GAS. AS I

SAID, THEY SOLD GAS FOR THAT.

THEY HAD ONE-CYLINDER ENGINES.

SO THEY USED TO...GOING OUT...

"PUTT PUTT, PUTT PUTT PUTT PUTT,

PUTT PUTT." YOU KNOW, REALLY OLD

SAMPANS. AND THE SAMPANS WERE

BUILT LIKE THE JAPANESE SAMPANS.

AKIKO VO: SELLING GASOLINE FOR

THE FISHERMEN'S ONE-LUNG ENGINE

SAMPANS LED TO SELLING CARS. I.

KITAGAWA MOTORS BECAME ONE OF

SHINMACHI'S MOST IMPORTANT

BUSINESSES. KITAGAWA WAS ALSO A

PARTNER IN NIPPON SHOJI KAISHA,

ONE OF A NUMBER OF HOMEGROWN

INVESTMENT AND LENDING AGENCIES

THAT SERVE JAPANESE BUSINESSMEN.

THIS WAS NEEDED SINCE THE

BANKING ESTABLISHMENT ALMOST

ALWAYS REFUSED LOANS TO JAPANESE

CUSTOMERS.

BRIAN KITAGAWA: IF YOU DIDN'T

HAVE THE MONEY TO START A

BUSINESS, YOU'D HAVE TO, YOU'D

HAVE TO FIND A WAY OF GETTING

THEM READY TO START A BUSINESS.

SO THEY GO TO THEIR FRIENDS AND

ASK, "NOW I GOT THIS IDEA. I'M

GOING TO DO THIS BUSINESS. SO,

YOU KNOW, I NEED YOUR HELP."

THEY GOT TOGETHER AND DECIDED

WHO HAD THE BEST IDEA TO DO A

BUSINESS AND THEY ALL PUT MONEY

IN. WHEN I CAME HERE, WE HAD

STOCK IN SUISAN, AND WE HAD

STOCK HILO RICE MILL, WE HAD

STOCK IN AMERICAN TRADING, AND I

DIDN'T REALIZE WHERE ALL THESE

STOCKS CAME FROM, BUT THEY DATE

FROM THE TIME MY GREAT

GRANDFATHER INVESTING IN

BUSINESSES.

AKIKO VO: STEADY, HARD WORK,

GENEROSITY TOWARD NEIGHBORS AND

A GUTSY SPIRIT TRANSFORMED

SHINMACHI FROM A GROUP OF NEW

BUSINESSES INTO A NEW TOWN.

IN SHINMACHI, OVER A THOUSAND

RESIDENTS WORKED TO CREATE

STABLE, PROSPEROUS FUTURES

FILLED WITH POSSIBILITIES FOR

THE GENERATIONS TO COME.

THE GOAL WAS NOT TO BE THE

RICHEST PERSON IN SHINMACHI, BUT

TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC

GROWTH OF THE COMMUNITY AS A

WHOLE.

AKIKO VO: IN JUST A FEW SHORT

YEARS, SHINMACHI'S MUTUAL

SUPPORT NETWORKS TRANSFORMED A

GROUP OF JAPANESE BUSINESSES

INTO A THRIVING COMMUNITY OF

SHOPS, TEMPLES AND NEIGHBORS WHO

WERE LIKE AN EXTENDED FAMILY.

RAMON GOYA: AND THE GOOD PART

ABOUT SHINMACHI WAS EVERYBODY

SORT OF HELPED EACH OTHER OUT.

THEY REALLY LOOKED AFTER EACH

OTHER. I DIDN'T SEE TOO MANY

COMPETITIVE TYPE OF BUSINESSES

WITH EACH OTHER. THEY ALL, YOU

KNOW, HELPED EACH OTHER WHENEVER

THEY COULD.

AKIKO VO: BUILDING AND

TRANSPORTATION BUSINESSES

FLOURISHED IN SHINMACHI. HAWAII

PLANING MILL, KNOWN TODAY AS

HPM, EXPANDED FROM A SMALL

LUMBER YARD TO BECOME A MAJOR

PLAYER IN THE LOCAL CONSTRUCTION

INDUSTRY. ENTREPRENEUR GUNJI

KONO BROUGHT TRUCKING TO HILO

WHEN HE FOUNDED HILO

TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, OR HITCO

FOR SHORT. VERY FEW PEOPLE IN

SHINMACHI OWNED CARS, BUT PEOPLE

CAME FROM MILES AWAY TO PURCHASE

FROM I.KITAGAWA. AND SHOPS LIKE

QUALITY AUTO, NICK'S GARAGE AND

GOYA BROTHERS MADE SHINMACHI A

DESTINATION FOR PARTS, SERVICE,

AND REPAIR.

AKIKO VO: BEFORE THERE WAS GOYA

BROTHERS, THERE WAS AIZO GOYA'S

HORSE AND BUGGY TAXI SERVICE.

AIZO STARTED OUT AS A MULE

TENDER FOR THE PUNA SUGAR

COMPANY AFTER IMMIGRATING FROM

OKINAWA IN 1909. HE FOUNDED HIS

TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS TO

SUPPORT HIS WIFE HARUKO AND

THEIR GROWING FAMILY. HARUKO

CAME TO HAWAII AS A PICTURE

BRIDE. AIZO CLOSED THE TAXI

SERVICE IN 1933 TO OPEN GOYA

BROTHERS GAS STATION AND GROCERY

WITH HIS SONS, RONALD AND

TOSHIO, KNOWN TO MOST AS "HICK"

AND "SQUARE," AND ELLEN'S

LIQUORS WITH DAUGHTER ELLEN

HIROKO. THE FAMILY'S WARM

HOSPITALITY MADE CUSTOMERS MORE

LIKE GOOD FRIENDS.

RAMON GOYA: MY FATHER WAS MORE

LIKE, WELL, HE WAS A FATHER TO

SOME OF THE GUYS, BUT MORE LIKE

A FAVORITE UNCLE. HE LIKED TO

JUST BE ONE OF THE GUYS ALWAYS

TALKING STORIES, GOING OUT,

GOING MOVIES WITH THEM AND DOING

THINGS WITH THEM.

AKIKO VO: BY THE 1930S NO ONE

HAD TO LEAVE SHINMACHI TO HAVE A

DRESS MADE, OR TO BUY FISHING

SUPPLIES, OR HAVE A SIGN

PAINTED. IT WAS THE PLACE TO GO

FOR FRESHLY MADE BREAD, SUSHI,

NOODLES, ICE CREAM, SAKE,

PASTRIES AND FISHCAKE MADE FROM

THE CATCH OF THE DAY. A PERSON

COULD GET A HAIRCUT, SEE THE

PHARMACIST, HAIL A TAXI, OR SEE

THE MOVIES AT THE ROYAL THEATER.

SHINMACHI HAD EVERYTHING.

AKIKO VO: AND THERE WERE NEW

BUSINESSES EVERY YEAR. RAYMOND

MASATO ATEBARA WAS A FAMILY

BREADWINNER AT AGE 16 WHEN HIS

FATHER BECAME VERY ILL. HE

WORKED AS A BUTCHER, A SAMPAN

DRIVER, ANY JOB THAT WOULD

SUPPORT HIS PARENTS AND FIVE

SIBLINGS. TO MAKE ENDS MEET

DURING HIS STUDENT DAYS AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, MANOA, HE

DELIVERED GROCERIES TO

HONOLULU'S LUXURY HOTELS. ON

THOSE RUNS RAYMOND DISCOVERED A

MAINLAND DELICACY, THE POTATO

CHIP. WHEN HE RETURNED TO HILO

TO CARE FOR HIS FATHER, AN AD IN

POPULAR MECHANICS FOR

CHIP-MAKING EQUIPMENT CAUGHT HIS

EYE. IN 1936, WITH LITTLE MORE

THAN SHEER DETERMINATION TO WORK

WITH ATEBARA'S POTATO CHIPS

OPENED IN ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION

ON EMMA STREET. THE FIRST MONTHS

WERE HARD. NO ONE IN SHINMACHI

HAD HEARD OF POTATO CHIPS, AND

HILO'S HUMIDITY SOMETIMES MADE

THEM SOGGY. WITH A FEW

ADJUSTMENTS, ATEBARA'S TOOK OFF.

MANY YEARS LATER, WHEN HIS

CHILDREN ASKED RAYMOND WHY HE

WENT INTO THE POTATO CHIP

BUSINESS, HE SAID SIMPLY, "I

LIKE THEM."

AKIKO VO: SHINMACHI WAS NOT THE

FANCIEST PART OF TOWN, BUT ITS

RESIDENTS WERE PROUD OF ITS

ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WHEN PRESIDENT

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT STOPPED IN

HILO DURING HIS 1934 TOUR OF THE

U.S. TERRITORIES, SHINMACHI

BUSINESSES AND THE JAPANESE

IMMIGRANT NEWSPAPERS EXTENDED

ALOHA AND HIGHLIGHTED THEIR

ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE

DEPTHS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

KANGO KAWASAKI, PRESIDENT OF THE

HILO JAPANESE ASSOCIATION,

GREETED ROOSEVELT AS "THE CHIEF

EXECUTIVE OF THE LAND," "CREATOR

OF THE NEW DEAL," AND "THE

APOSTLE OF NEW DEMOCRACY."

AKIKO VO: ALTHOUGH MOST IN

SHINMACHI ADMIRED THE NEW DEAL,

THEY STAYED FOCUSED ON THE

NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR

RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAD SUSTAINED

THEM FOR TWO DECADES, SHINMACHI

FAMILIES HAD ALWAYS KNOWN

STRUGGLE AND SACRIFICE SO THE

HARDSHIPS THAT CAME WITH THE

DEPRESSION WERE ALREADY

FAMILIAR. MERCHANTS EXTENDED

CREDIT WHERE THEY COULD. NIPPON

SHOJI KAISHA WROTE OFF SOME OF

THEIR LOANS AND NEIGHBORS SHARED

WHAT THEY HAD WITH ONE ANOTHER.

AKIKO VO: THE ECONOMY HAD

SLOWED, BUT EVERYBODY IN

SHINMACHI, THE MEN, WOMEN AND

CHILDREN WORKED AS STEADILY AND

SKILLFULLY AS EVER.

YOSHINOBU TERADA: YOU KNOW, MY

FATHER WAS A CARPENTER, BUT HE

WAS ALSO THE HANDYMAN FOR THE

SHINMACHI, THE WOODEN BUILDINGS.

AS A YOUNG MAN I WENT ALONG WITH

MY FATHER TO THE VARIOUS

BUILDINGS TO REPLACE LIKE FOUR-

BY-FOUR, TWO-BY-FOURS.

RAMON GOYA (VO): WE SPENT MOST

OF OUR DAY AT THE SERVICE

STATION-RESTAURANT AREA. AND MY

MOM AND DAD WORKED THE WHOLE

TIME FROM 8:00 IN THE MORNING

WEEKDAYS, EIGHT TO 10:30 AT

NIGHT.

YOSHINOBU TERADA: MY MOTHER

WAS...I HATE TO SAY, TYPICAL,

BUT TYPICAL HOUSEWIFE. SHE HAD

SUCH A BIG FAMILY.

YOSHINOBU TERADA: SHE COOKED IN

THE MORNING, COOKED AT LUNCH AND

COOKED THE DINNER. EIGHT BOYS

AND ONE GIRL.

AKIKO VO: PEPPERED AMONG

SHINMACHI STOREFRONTS WERE A

NUMBER OF SMALL HOUSES OF

WORSHIP, LIKE SUITENGO SHRINE,

WHERE SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED IN

MINISTER JUNGO TSUTSUMI'S FAMILY

HOME. THE TENRIKYO MISSION OF

JAPAN SENT KINZAEMON AND KAMEKI

ODACHI TO HILO TO ESTABLISH

THEIR HOME CHURCH IN SHINMACHI.

AKIKO: THEIR DAUGHTERS, JUNE

AND MASAKO, RECALLED THEIR

PARENTS' DEEP COMMITMENT TO

THEIR DAILY MUSIC AND HEALING

MINISTRIES.

JUNE SHIGEMASA: OUR FATHER, I

BELIEVE, HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY

OF DOING THE EVANGELICAL WORK.

AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT HE

TRAVELED BY FOOT AND I DON'T

KNOW WHAT ELSE, BUT HE WENT

SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE CITY LIMITS

AND THAT WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY

TO ESTABLISH TENRIKYO IN THE

CITY OF HILO. AS BOTH A MINISTER

OF THE CHURCH AND WOMAN OF THE

HOUSEHOLD, KAMEKI ODACHI HAD

MANY DUTIES.

MASAKO ODACHI: SHE WAS QUITE

BUSY BEING A HOUSEWIFE AND SHE

DID PARTICIPATE IN THE SERVICES

AND KEPT THE ALTAR.

JUNE SHIGEMASA: SHE WAS VERY

QUIET AS A MINISTER'S WIFE. SHE

WAS VERY STOIC. BUT SHE HAS THIS

SENSE OF HUMANITARIANISM, YOU

KNOW, AND SO MANY OF THE WOMEN

PARISHIONERS LOOK TO HER FOR

GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION. AND I

CAN, I MAY NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD

EVERYTHING, BUT I COULD SENSE

THAT PEOPLE WERE DRAWN TO HER

BECAUSE OF HER ABILITY TO

MINISTER TO ESPECIALLY THE WOMEN

THAT CAME WITH THEIR CHILDREN.

AKIKO VO: SHINMACHI KIDS LEAD

BUSY LIVES, MOST WORKED IN THEIR

PARENTS' BUSINESSES BEFORE

MEETING THEIR FRIENDS TO WALK TO

PUBLIC SCHOOL. EDUCATION WAS THE

MOST IMPORTANT THING TO

SHINMACHI PARENTS, SO AFTER

ENGLISH SCHOOL, SHINMACHI KIDS

WENT TO JAPANESE SCHOOL FOR

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CLASSES.

AFTER THAT WAS ANY COMBINATION

OF WORK, PLAY, OBLIGATIONS AND

ADVENTURES.

JUNE SHIGEMASA: WE WERE EXPECTED

TO SIT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE

SERVICE TWICE A DAY.

DONALD IKEDA: EVERY CHURCH HAD

JUDO. SOME OF THEM USED TO HAVE

KARATE AND SOME WOULD HAVE

KENDO, BUT DIFFERENT MARTIAL

ARTS. SO WHEN WE WERE FIVE YEARS

OLD, WE WOULD GO TO JUDO. WITH

NO QUESTIONS ASKED -- YOU HAD TO

GO.

AKIKO VO: AND WHEN IT CAME TO

MAKING THEIR OWN FUN, THE

SHINMACHI KIDS WERE AS INVENTIVE

AS THEIR PARENTS.

DONALD IKEDA: WE NEVER BOUGHT

ANYTHING. WE MADE EVERYTHING

OURSELVES. BUT I THINK ABOUT IT

NOW, I WOULDN'T LET MY

GRANDCHILDREN PLAY WITH IT.

RAMON GOYA: WE USED TO SET

LITTLE OIL CANS SO THAT THE OOPU

OR THE GOBI FISH WOULD SWIM IN

AT NIGHT. AND THE NEXT DAY AND

ALL THE BOYS WOULD DIVE AND THEN

WE WOULD RETRIEVE THOSE CANS

WITH THE FISH IN IT. AND, YOU

KNOW, THE FILIPINO MEN REALLY

LOVE TO EAT THAT OOPU. SO WE

USED TO SELL THE FISH TO THEM

AND THAT'S WHERE WE GOT OUR

MONEY FOR CANDY, SHAVE ICE, BUT

OUR FAVORITE WAS THE DRIED

ABALONE. THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE

ALWAYS WANTED TO BUY WITH THE

MONEY.

AKIKO VO: THERE WAS LOTS OF

SWIMMING DOWN GATES IN THE

WAILOA RIVER. SEVERAL SHINMACHI

KIDS BECAME CHAMPION SWIMMERS

DESPITE THE LESS THAN IDEAL

CONDITIONS THAT LED THEM TO CALL

IT KUKAI RIVER.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: AT THAT

TIME, THERE WAS NO SEWER SYSTEM

SO EVERYTHING WAS GOING INTO THE

RIVER, RIGHT? YEAH. AND THAT'S

WHERE WE LEARN TO SWIM IN THAT

RIVER. OH, YEAH.

AKIKO VO: SHINMACHI ATHLETES

ALSO COMPETED IN FOOTBALL,

BASEBALL, TENNIS, BADMINTON, AND

SUMO ALL ACROSS WHAT WAS AT THAT

TIME THE TERRITORY OF HAWAII.

ALTHOUGH THEIR WORK SCHEDULES

WERE DEMANDING SHINMACHI

RESIDENTS MADE TIME TO TRAIN,

COMPETE, CHEER -- ANYTHING THEY

COULD DO TO SUPPORT THE HOME

TEAMS. TEAM SPIRIT, COMMUNITY

CELEBRATIONS, AND THEIR DREAMS

FOR THEIR CHILDREN STRENGTHENED

SHINMACHI FAMILIES IN GOOD TIMES

AND BAD. SHINMACHI'S TEMPLES,

SHRINES AND CHURCHES WERE THE

PILLARS OF THIS SUPPORT SYSTEM.

DONALD IKEDA: MY MOTHER USED TO

GO THERE AND MY FATHER. IN FACT,

YOU KNOW THE BIG URN WHERE YOU

OFFERED INCENSE, MY GRANDFATHER

BROUGHT THAT BACK FROM JAPAN. TO

US ALL THE CHURCHES WERE HOLY

PLACES. IT'S A SAFE REFUGE. WE

WERE BROUGHT UP LIKE THAT.

AKIKO VO: AS TODAY, EVERY

SUMMER, SHINMACHI FAMILIES

CELEBRATED THE RETURN OF THEIR

ANCESTORS FOR OBON. THEY FILLED

THEIR HOME SHRINES WITH FRESH

FLOWERS, INCENSE, AND FOOD.

BUDDHIST TEMPLES HELD THEIR

SPECIAL OBON SERVICES AND A BON

DANCE TO ENTERTAIN AND HONOR

THOSE WHO HAD PASSED AWAY.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE & JOAN

GOODALL PUAKELA: AT THE TIME WE

ALL HAD TO WEAR ONLY KIMONO. YOU

HAD TO WEAR A KIMONO. YOU

COULDN'T WEAR ANYTHING ELSE. YOU

HAD TO WEAR ALL KIMONO. MY MOM

WOULD HAVE HAD ME MADE ONE.

YEAH. AND EVERY SUMMER WE PICKED

IT OUT WE'D GO TO EVERY BON

DANCE WITH THE SAME KIMONO.

KENNETH KAMEOKA (VO): BUT THEY

HAD THEIR BON DANCE AND THEY'D

HAVE ALL KIND OF FOOD, YOU KNOW.

DONALD IKEDA: YEAH.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: THEY MUST SPEND

A LOT OF MONEY. THEY HAD

BARBECUE STICKS.

DONALD IKEDA: NOT ANY MORE.

EXPENSIVE -- TOO EXPENSIVE.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: SHAVE ICE.

THEY HAD MUSUBI.

AKIKO VO: BON DANCES WERE ONE OF

THE MANY WAYS THAT PEOPLE IN

SHINMACHI RENEWED THEIR STRONG

CONNECTIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER,

BUT FOR SOME IN SHINMACHI, THE

JAPANESE CULTURE PUT THEM ON THE

MARGINS. EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS

BETWEEN SHINMACHI'S JAPANESE

MAJORITY AND THEIR CHINESE,

FILIPINO, PORTUGUESE AND

CAUCASIAN NEIGHBORS WERE

FRIENDLY. YET INTERMARRIAGE WAS

UNCOMMON AND INTERRACIAL

FAMILIES WERE HELD AT A

DISTANCE. JOAN GOODALL'S MOTHER

WAS JAPANESE AND HER FATHER, A

PHARMACEUTICAL DISTRIBUTOR, WAS

FROM ENGLAND. HER MOTHER MOVED

JOAN AND HER BROTHER FREDERICK

TO SHINMACHI AFTER THE GOODALL'S

DIVORCED IN HONOLULU.

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: I GREW UP

HALF, HALF HAOLE, HALF JAPANESE.

AND I COULD FEEL THE DIFFERENCE

IN THE OLDER GENERATION. THERE

WAS AN AWKWARD FEELING, AND I

DIDN'T LIKE IT.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: AND YOU

DIDN'T KNOW WHY, TOO.

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: WELL,

THOSE DAYS I DIDN'T KNOW. BUT AS

I GREW OLDER, I KIND OF KNEW AND

I KIND OF UNDERSTOOD THE

LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD

KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: THIS

GRADUATING CLASS OF YOUNG

AMERICAN EAGLES ARE NOW READY TO

MAN THE FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE

ARMY AND NAVY AIR CORPS·

AKIKO VO: AND AS THE WAR IN THE

PACIFIC DREW CLOSER TO HAWAII,

MORE AND MORE PEOPLE IN

SHINMACHI WOULD EXPERIENCE WHAT

IT MEANT TO BE AN OUTSIDER IN AN

AMERICAN TERRITORY. BUT FOR AS

LONG AS THE UNITED STATES

REMAINED AT PEACE, THE COMMUNITY

OF SHINMACHI CONTINUED TO WORK

EVERY DAY TOWARDS A FUTURE WITH

ABUNDANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE

GENERATIONS TO COME.

KGU RADIO BROADCAST: HELLO, NBC.

HELLO, NBC. THIS IS KGU IN

HONOLULU, HAWAII. I AM SPEAKING

FROM THE ROOF OF THE ADVERTISING

PUBLISHING COMPANY BUILDING. WE

HAVE WITNESSED THIS MORNING THE

DISTANT VIEW, A BRIEF BOMBING OF

PEARL HARBOR BY ENEMY PLANES,

UNDOUBTEDLY JAPANESE. ONE OF THE

BOMBS DROPPED WITHIN FIFTY FEET

OF KGU TOWER. IT IS NO JOKE. IT

IS A REAL WAR.

AKIKO VO: THESE FIRST WORDS

DESCRIBING JAPAN'S ATTACK ON

PEARL HARBOR CHANGED LIFE FOR

EVERYONE IN THE HAWAIIAN

ISLANDS. WITHIN HOURS OF THE

UNITED STATES' FORMAL

DECLARATION OF WAR, HAWAII

GOVERNOR JOHN POINDEXTER

DECLARED MARTIAL LAW, PLACING

HAWAII UNDER MILITARY CONTROL.

AKIKO VO: FOR NEARLY THREE

YEARS, THE ARMY AND NAVY SEIZED

CONTROL OF HILO BAY. SHINMACHI'S

CHILDREN REMEMBER IT THIS WAY:

KENNETH KAMEOKA: DURING THE WAR,

WE COULDN'T GO ACROSS THE STREET

BECAUSE OF BARBED WIRES.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: ALL I

REMEMBER WAS BLACKOUT BECAUSE WE

USED TO LIVE FRONT STREET.

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: THE GUY

WOULD, THE SOLDIER WOULD KNOCK

ON THE DOOR AND SAY THEY GOT

LIGHT COMING THROUGH, GOT A

PUKA, YOU GOT TO GO COVER IT.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: DECEMBER THE

7TH: STILL MORE DIFFICULT TO

EXPLAIN THE NEED FOR THESE

MONSTROUS LOOKING THINGS.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: I WAS PROBABLY

IN ABOUT THE THIRD GRADE WHEN

THEY ISSUED EACH ONE OF US A GAS

MASK. SO WE JUST STRUNG IT OVER

OUR SHOULDERS WHEN WE WENT TO

SCHOOL CARRYING A BOOK BAG, PLUS

THE CASE WITH A GAS MASK.

AKIKO VO: OCCASIONALLY,

SOLDIERS CAME TO SCHOOL TO HOLD

GAS MASK DRILLS. WHEN THE

SCHOOLCHILDREN RECEIVE THE

SIGNAL, THEY WERE TO PUT THEIR

MASKS ON QUICKLY AND RUN INTO A

TENT FILLED WITH TEAR GAS. THE

FACT THAT THEY WERE LOOSE,

ADULT-SIZED GAS MASKS CREATED A

PROBLEM.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: AS SOON AS WE

WALKED IN THERE WE COULD FEEL

THE EYES BURNING, YOU KNOW, THE

NECK, THE SKIN BURNING. SO WE

JUST WENT RIGHT OUT. EVERYBODY

CAME OUT CRYING BECAUSE ALL THE

GAS MASKS WAS TOO BIG, TOO

LARGE.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: DECEMBER THE

7TH: JUST VIRTUALLY OVERNIGHT,

THE ISLAND SCENE CHANGED. WAR

HAD COME TO AMERICA'S TROPICAL

SUBURB.

AKIKO VO: THE NEW MILITARY ORDER

ALTERED THE FLOW OF LIFE FOR

EVERYONE IN HAWAII, ESPECIALLY

THOSE OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY WHO

CAME UNDER HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY

AFTER THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN

ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR. IN THE

PROPAGANDA FILM DECEMBER THE

7TH, THE "VOICE OF REASON" WARNS

UNCLE SAM THAT THE JAPANESE IN

HAWAII COULD NOT BE FULLY

TRUSTED.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: DECEMBER THE

7TH THEY EXPRESSED THEIR LOYALTY

AND NO DOUBT, WILL THEY SEND

THEIR CHILDREN TO AMERICAN

PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHERE THEY PLEDGE

ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG AND SING

PATRIOTIC AMERICAN SONGS. BUT

THEY ALSO SEND THEM TO THEIR OWN

LANGUAGE SCHOOL, WHERE THEY ARE

TAUGHT JAPANESE LOYALTIES,

CULTURE, AND MORALS.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: I REMEMBER

WE HAD SOME JAPANESE KIMONO AND

SWORDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

YEAH, I THINK MY FATHER FOLKS

THEY BURNT IT ALL.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: THAT'S WHY

WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING FROM

JAPAN THAT THEY HAD.

AKIKO VO: IN 1942, THE HILO

JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PETITIONED THE HAWAII COUNTY

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO CHANGE

THE NAME OF SHINMACHI TO

HANAKAHI, THE HAWAIIAN WORD FOR

"PLACE OF WORK." THE JUNIOR

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SAID IT WAS

"UNFITTING FOR ANY PART OF HILO

TO HAVE A NAME DIRECTLY

ASSOCIATED WITH A NATION WITH

WHICH WE ARE AT WAR."

AKIKO VO: THE COUNCIL DISMISSED

THE PETITION, BUT THE

CONTROVERSY REFLECTED THE

REALITY. THAT SOME HILO PEOPLE

SAW SHINMACHI AS A HAVEN FOR THE

ENEMY, WHILE OTHERS WERE READY

TO STAND UP FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS.

THE JAPANESE IN HAWAII WERE NOT

SUBJECT TO THE MASS REMOVAL AND

INCARCERATION THAT WAS CARRIED

OUT ON THE WEST COAST OF THE

MAINLAND. BUT THE FBI MAINTAINED

A LIST OF JAPANESE INDIVIDUALS

TO BE ARRESTED IN THE EVENT OF

WAR THAT INCLUDED SOME IN

SHINMACHI. THE ARRESTS WERE NOT

MADE FOR ANYTHING THAT THEY HAD

DONE, BUT FOR WHAT THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT WANTED THE PUBLIC TO

BELIEVE THEY MIGHT DO. THESE

ARRESTS WERE ORDERED BY

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.

ONLY SIX YEARS HAD PASSED SINCE

THE JAPANESE COMMUNITY WELCOMED

HIM TO HILO AS "THE APOSTLE OF

NEW DEMOCRACY."

AKIKO VO: BUDDHIST AND SHINTO

PRIESTS WERE PRESENTED AS

SHADOWY FIGURES WHOSE MISSION IN

HAWAII WAS TO FOSTER LOYALTY TO

JAPAN,.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: DECEMBER THE

7TH SHINTOISM EMBRACES MANY

DOCTRINES. IT PREACHES HONOR OF

THE ANCESTORS, THEREBY KEEPING

ALIVE THE FIRES OF NATIONALISM

AND PRESERVING A RACIAL AND

SOCIAL BOND. WITH THE UNBROKEN

AND DIVINELY DESCENDED IMPERIAL

DYNASTY.

AKIKO VO: ACROSS THE ISLANDS,

JAPANESE SCHOOLS WERE SHUT DOWN

AND TEMPLES AND SHRINES

CONFISCATED FOR MILITARY

PURPOSES. BECAUSE HE WAS A

MINISTER, CAN KINZAEMON ODACHI

WAS ARRESTED AND HELD AT KMC,

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP OUTSIDE OF

HILO, BEFORE BEING TRANSFERRED

TO A DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

INTERNMENT CAMP IN LORDSBURG,

NEW MEXICO.

AKIKO VO: THIS LEFT HIS WIFE,

KAMEKI, WITH THE CHURCH AND FOUR

CHILDREN TO CARE FOR ALONE. WHEN

ASKED IF SHE WANTED TO BE

REUNITED WITH HER HUSBAND,

KAMEKI, LIKE MANY WIVES OF THE

INCARCERATED, JUMPED AT THE

CHANCE.

JUNE SHIGEMASA: TWO VERY LARGE

CAUCASIAN MEN. I REMEMBER

LOOKING UP AT THEM BECAUSE THEY

WERE SO TALL AND THEY CAME TO

ASK MY MOTHER THROUGH THE

INTERPRETATION OF ELDEST SISTER

BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND

ENGLISH, AND THE QUESTION WAS,

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE WITH YOUR

HUSBAND?" AND MANY OF THEM SAID,

"OF COURSE, YES." AND THAT'S HOW

IT STARTED, THAT WE HAD TO PACK

OUR THINGS. AND I REMEMBER GOING

IN A BIG ARMY TRUCK OVER WAILOA

BRIDGE AND GOING TO THE WHARF.

AKIKO VO: THE ARMY PUT THE

ODACHIS ON A SHIP TO SAN

FRANCISCO. JUNE WAS SEASICK THE

ENTIRE CROSSING.

AKIKO VO: IT TURNED OUT THAT

THEIR MAINLAND DESTINATION WOULD

NOT BE NEW MEXICO, BUT A FAMILY

INCARCERATION CAMP IN JÉROME,

ARKANSAS. IN ADDITION TO RAISING

HER CHILDREN IN A STRANGE PLACE

AMONG PEOPLE SHE DID NOT KNOW,

KAMEKI HAD RECEIVED WORD THAT

HER HUSBAND WAS GRAVELY ILL.

JUNE SHIGEMASA: WHILE MOTHER

WENT OUT TO WORK IN THE PX, I

MEAN, DOING KP DUTY, THE OLDER

CHILDREN HAD TO LOOK AFTER THE

YOUNG ONES. AND WE COULD TELL

HOW DISTRAUGHT AND HOW BURDENED

MY MOTHER WAS FEELING AT THAT

TIME.

AKIKO VO: AFTER NUMEROUS APPEALS

TO THE WAR RELOCATION AUTHORITY,

THE ODACHIS RECEIVED WORD THAT

THEY WERE TO BE REUNITED AS A

FAMILY IN THE SAME CAMP BUT

DRIVEN ODACHI PASSED AWAY AT

LORDSBURG BEFORE THE TRANSFER

TOOK PLACE. HIS DAUGHTER,

MASAKO, HAS NO ANGER OR

BITTERNESS WHEN SHE TALKS ABOUT

THE CAMPS, BUT STILL FEELS

DEEPLY ABOUT THE LOSS OF HER

FATHER.

MASAKO ODACHI: I WAS NOT BITTER

ABOUT WHAT WE WENT THROUGH, BUT

I DO FEEL SORRY FOR MY MOTHER

BECAUSE HER HUSBAND, YOU KNOW,

WHO SHE REALLY LOVED WAS NEVER

TO COME BACK TO US.

AKIKO VO: BACK IN HILO, CHILDREN

HAD A VARIETY OF ENCOUNTERS WITH

THE STRANGERS WHO LANDED IN

THEIR CITY.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: WELL, WE SAW A

LOT OF MILITARY TRUCKS, MILITARY

PEOPLE GOING UP AND DOWN THE

STREET, AND WE ALWAYS SEE THEM.

WE ALWAYS GIVE THEM THE V FOR

VICTORY SIGN. EVERYBODY DID THAT

WHEN YOU SAW START MILITARY

TRUCKS COMING IN.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE & JOAN

GOODALL PUAKELA: I REMEMBER THE

SOLDIERS COMING FROM THE FROM

THE SAND BEACH. RIGHT. I

REMEMBER THAT THEY HAD SPAM AND

VIENNA SAUSAGE.

AKIKO VO: THE FONDNESS BETWEEN

THE SOLDIERS AND THE CHILDREN OF

SHINMACHI WAS HEARTFELT, BUT

TINGED BY THE FACT THAT THEY

WERE CHILDREN OF THE SO-CALLED

"ENEMY RACE."

YOSHINOBU TERADA: PRETTY NICE TO

TO US AS KIDS. THEY LET US ROAM

AROUND THE CANNONS, THE MACHINE

GUNS AND SO ON. BUT THEY ALWAYS

TOLD US THAT IF THEY'RE HAVING

AN INSPECTION COMING, THAT WE'D

BETTER LOSE OURSELVES FOR THE

DAY.

AKIKO VO: JOAN GOODALL, WHOSE

MOTHER WAS JAPANESE AND FATHER

ENGLISH, SOMETIMES DREW UNWANTED

ATTENTION FROM SOLDIERS WHO MISS

THEIR OWN DAUGHTERS.

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: YOU KNOW

WHAT THE GUYS WOULD GRAB ME AND

THEY WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS

LOOKS TO ME LIKE MY CHILD, YOU

KNOW, BECAUSE HALF, EH, THEY'RE

ALL HAOLES. AND I REMEMBER THAT

I USED TO BE SO SCARED BECAUSE

THEY WOULD HUG, EH.

AKIKO VO: FOR MANY IN SHINMACHI,

THE INFLUX OF MILITARY PERSONNEL

WAS ALSO AN INFLUX OF NEW

CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR GOODS AND

SERVICES. THE KIDS EVEN GOT IN

ON THE ACTION.

YOSHINOBU TERADA: SO I RECALL

THIS ONE TIME WHEN I THINK WAS

AN ENSIGN OR WHATEVER IN THE

NAVY AND THEY SAID, "I'LL GIVE

YOU FIVE BUCKS IF YOU GO DOWN

AND GET MY UNIFORM." SO I SAID,

SURE. SO I RAN DOWN, GOT THE

UNIFORM AND THAT WAS THE BIGGEST

PAYDAY FOR ME, FIVE DOLLARS!

AKIKO VO: THE WAR EXPANDED

WOMEN'S WORK INTO AREAS OUTSIDE

OF THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES.

THE LOSS OF BUDDHIST CLERGY TO

INCARCERATION AND THE ARRIVAL OF

SOLDIERS FROM THE MAINLAND

PLACED MULTIPLE BURDENS ON

SADAKO HARA'S MOTHER, KIYONO.

HER HUSBAND, REVEREND TETSUO

HARA, HAD BEEN THE MINISTER AT

HILO MEISHOIN PRIOR TO HIS DEATH

IN 1940. WHEN THE PRIESTS WERE

INCARCERATED, MRS. HARA WAS ONE

OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHO KNEW THE

CORRECT SUTRAS FOR FUNERAL

RITES. SHE WENT ON CALLS WITH

MR. DODO, THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR,

WHENEVER SHE WAS NEEDED.

AKIKO VO: HER SPIRITUAL LABORS

SUSTAIN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY

DID NOT BRING A WAGE TO FEED HER

FAMILY. FOR THAT, MRS. HARA,

LIKE MANY WOMEN IN SHINMACHI,

TOOK IN LAUNDRY FROM THE

MILITARY PERSONNEL. IT WAS NOT

EASY WORK.

SADAKO HARA IWASAKI: OH, THEY

WERE SO LARGE AND SHE WOULD

STARCH AND IRON AND SPRINKLE.

HOW DID SHE DO IT ALL? WE ALL

USED TO HELP I GUESS. I USED TO

PUT BLANKETS ON THE BENCH AND

IRON BECAUSE THEY'RE SO TALL AND

WE'RE TINY AND TRYING TO IRON.

AKIKO VO: THE WAR BROUGHT MANY

HARDSHIPS, BUT IT ALSO BROUGHT

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHINMACHI

TO SHOW ITS INVENTIVENESS. WHEN

POTATOES WERE RATIONED,

ATEBARA'S INVENTED TARO CHIPS.

HILO MACARONI'S EXPERIMENT WAS A

BLAND GERMAN HARDTACK CRACKER

RECIPE CREATED HAWAII'S BELOVED

SALOON PILOT CRACKER. AND AT

GOYA BROTHERS, HUNGRY NEWCOMERS

WERE EXPANDING THE MENU.

RAMON GOYA: PEOPLE NOT ONLY CAME

TO EAT, BUT A LOT OF THEM HUNG

OUT THERE AND BECAME GOOD

FRIENDS. AND MY MOM LEARNED A

WHOLE LOT OF DISHES AND THINGS

FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY CAME FROM

THE MAINLAND. MY MOM NEVER KNEW

WHAT GRILLED CHEESE WAS ALL

ABOUT, WHAT KIND OF SANDWICH IT

WAS. SO SHE ASKED THAT PERSON,

PLEASE COME INTO THE KITCHEN AND

SHOW ME HOW TO DO IT. AND HE

BECAME A REGULAR, YOU KNOW. YOU

KNOW, THAT'S THE THING. THEY

PERSONALIZED THEIR BUSINESS.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: IMPORTANT AND

DECISIVE BATTLES, AND EACH TIME

THESE MEN OF THE 100TH INFANTRY

BATTALION AND THE 442ND COMBAT

TEAM HAVE BEEN RIGHT OUT IN

FRONT.

AKIKO VO: AS SOLDIERS FROM THE

MAINLAND BECAME FIXTURES IN

HILO, SECOND-GENERATION MEN FROM

SHINMACHI AND ACROSS THE

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS JOINED THE

ARMED FORCES WHEN THE ARMY

FORMED THE ALL JAPANESE FOR

442ND REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM,

THE FOUR FOUR TWO, IN EARLY

1943. THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO

SOLDIERS FROM EACH BLOCK IN

SHINMACHI ON THE FRONT LINES IN

EUROPE. RONALD TAKAHATA, WHO

GREW UP HELPING HIS FATHER RUN

QUALITY AUTO IN SHINMACHI, WAS

ALREADY A TRANSLATOR IN THE

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE

FOR THE DURATION OF THE WAR.

AKIKO VO: WATARU KOHASHI LEFT

HIS JOB AT HIS FATHER'S FISHCAKE

FACTORY TO ENLIST IN THE 442ND.

LIKE THE THOUSANDS OF HIS FELLOW

SOLDIERS OF JAPANESE DESCENT,

KOHASHI HELPED TO LIBERATE ITALY

AND TO RESCUE THE TEXAS LOST

BATTALION. HE LOST MANY FRIENDS,

INCLUDING ONE WHO DIED IN HIS

ARMS.

AKIKO VO: AT THE END OF THE WAR,

WHEN MARTIAL LAW WAS LIFTED, THE

BEACHES WERE FREED OF THE BARBED

WIRE, MOST OF THE SOLDIERS AND

PEOPLE IN INCARCERATION CAMPS

CAME HOME, AND ALL OF THE GAS

MASKS WERE RETURNED TO MILITARY

STORAGE. THERE WAS EVERY REASON

TO BELIEVE THAT LIFE IN

SHINMACHI WOULD SETTLE INTO A

STEADY RHYTHM OF WORK, PRAYER,

NEIGHBORLINESS, AND PLAY. FOR

EIGHT MONTHS. SHINMACHI'S MODEST

WISH WAS GRANTED.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: UNITED

NEWSREEL INTERNATIONAL: THE

PACIFIC OCEAN ON THE RAMPAGE,

SWIFT, TOWERING WAVES

ORIGINATING IN THE ALEUTIAN

ISLANDS, SPREADING OUT FOR

THOUSANDS OF MILES TO BATTER

SHORELINES FROM HAWAII TO SOUTH

AMERICA. ONE OF THE WORST TIDAL

WAVES ON RECORD TAKES ITS TOLL

AS MAMMOTH WAVES BEGAN TO BREAK.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: MY GRANDFATHER

WAS LIVING HERE IN SHINMACHI. I

WAS PROBABLY IN FIFTH OR SIXTH

GRADE. IN THE MORNING, WE'D

USUALLY GO TO SCHOOL ABOUT 6:45

IN THE MORNING. YOU COULD HEAR

PEOPLE SCREAMING AND YELLING

LIKE, "HEY! TIGER WAVE!" WE

THOUGHT IT WAS "TIGER WAVE" BUT

THEY WERE PROBABLY SAYING, LIKE,

"TIDAL WAVE." AND THEN THEY'RE

ALL STANDING ON THE ROOFS OF

HOUSES. SO WE JUST THOUGHT "EH,"

AND JUST YELLED BACK, "APRIL

FOOL! APRIL FOOL!"

AKIKO VO: IT WAS LESS THAN A

YEAR AFTER THE WAR ENDED THAT A

TSUNAMI TURNED SHINMACHI INTO A

SWIRLING CHAOS OF SPLINTERED

BUILDINGS, SCATTERED OBJECTS OF

EVERY KIND, BROKEN TREES,

PANICKED PEOPLE AND LIFELESS

BODIES. THAT MORNING, THE OCEAN

RECEDED, ODDLY, AND THE FEW WHO

WERE FAMILIAR WITH TSUNAMIS

SHOUTED WARNINGS ABOUT THE FIRST

TWO WAVES. WHEN THE POWERFUL

THIRD WAVE HIT SHINMACHI, MOST

COULD ONLY REACT TO SURVIVE, IF

SURVIVAL WAS EVEN POSSIBLE.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE & JOAN

GOODALL PUAKELA: DURING THE

TIDAL WAVE WE WERE HIGH UP HERE.

YEAH, YOU GUYS SAW ALL THE THREE

WAVES? OH YEAH. DOWN ON THE

THIRD WAVE. BUT MY MOTHER KEPT

TELLING US, GO UNDER THE BED, GO

ON TOP OF THE BED. AND I DON'T

KNOW HOW MANY TIMES, UP AND

DOWN. UP AND DOWN BECAUSE SHE

DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. RIGHT.

RIGHT.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: SO MY

UNCLE HAD PEOPLE COME AND HELP

ME AND THEY TORE OFF THE ROOF TO

GET US OUT OF THE HOUSE. THEN WE

ALL GOT SEPARATED FROM THERE,

WHOEVER HAD TO GO TO THE

HOSPITAL.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: HOW DID

YOU GUYS END UP?

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: THE THING

IS, MY MOTHER HEARD THE NOISE,

SO SHE OPENED THE DOOR, THE

WATER CAME RIGHT IN THE HOUSE,

SUCKED ME RIGHT OUT TO THE

FRONT, AND THEN I MYSELF JUST

GAVE UP BECAUSE THE BOARDS WERE

ALL HITTING ME AND I DIDN'T HAVE

ANYBODY BY ME. SO I KIND OF

REMEMBER I WAS RECEDING OUT. AND

THIS MAN PICKED ME UP.

YOSHINOBU TERADA: THEN I FELT

THAT THE HOUSE WAS STARTING TO

SINK. AND I SAID, WELL, YOSHI IF

YOU'RE GONNA STAY HERE, THAT

HOUSE GOING TO COVER YOU WITH

THE ROOF AND THAT WILL BE THE

END OF YOU. SO I LOOKED IN THE

BACK AND I SAW MY BROTHER'S

SURFBOARD THAT HE BUILT IN HIGH

SCHOOL. AND WHEN I HOPPED ONTO

IT AND THE WAVES STARTED TO, OR

SHOULD I SAY THE WATER, AND ALL

THAT DEBRIS, SEEMED TO PUSH ME

TOWARDS THE SUGAR MILL.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE: SO YOU

FOLKS WAS SEPARATED. WE WERE ALL

SEPARATED. AND YOUR YOUR MOTHER?

YOUR BROTHER WAS?

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: MY MOTHER

WAS TRYING TO HANG ON TO HIM.

SUSAN YOSHIMI ROSETE & JOAN

GOODALL PUAKELA: HER BROTHER IS

THE ONE THAT WAS LOST IN A TIDAL

WAVE. NEVER FOUND.

AKIKO VO: THE TSUNAMI TOOK THE

LIVES OF 159 PEOPLE IN THE

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, OVER ONE

HUNDRED WERE KILLED IN HILO

ALONE, THIRTY-EIGHT FROM

SHINMACHI. IT WAS CLEAR RIGHT

AWAY THAT THE RECOVERY WOULD BE

LONG AND ARDUOUS FOR THE

THOUSANDS OF SURVIVORS WHO LOST

THEIR HOMES, BUSINESSES,

SAVINGS, HEIRLOOMS AND PEOPLE

THEY LOVED DEARLY. AS BEFORE

SHINMACHI RESIDENTS WORKED WITH

WHAT THEY HAD IN ORDER TO

REBUILD. THE SALVATION ARMY

HELPED MEET THE BASIC NEEDS OF

THOSE WHO HAD NOTHING BUT WHAT

THEY WERE WEARING. THE LOCAL BOY

SCOUTS HAD THE TERRIBLE TASK OF

LOOKING FOR BODIES. MOSTLY,

NEIGHBORS HELPED NEIGHBORS BY

TAKING TSUNAMI REFUGEES INTO

THEIR HOMES, WORKING TOGETHER TO

SALVAGE WHAT COULD BE SALVAGED

AND TO REBUILD AS QUICKLY AS

POSSIBLE.

AKIKO VO: THE ARMY AND NAVY WERE

PREPARING TO LEAVE THE ISLAND IN

JUST FIVE MONTHS, BUT THERE WERE

STILL ENOUGH SOLDIERS REMAINING

TO LEAD SEARCH AND RESCUE

EFFORTS. THE NAVAL AIR STATION

BARRACKS, LOCATED NEAR HILO'S

7

LYMAN AIRFIELD, BECAME THE NEW

HOME FOR HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES

WHO LOST EVERYTHING.

HILO MEISHOIN: (GONG)

AKIKO VO: THE CHURCHES PROVIDED

REFUGE IN THE WAKE OF THE

TSUNAMI, HOLDING THE COMMUNITY

TOGETHER AS THEY HAD SINCE

SHINMACHI'S FOUNDING.

AKIKO VO: THE 1946 TSUNAMI TOOK

EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE BUILDINGS

ON THE CORNER OF KAMEHAMEHA

AVENUE AND BISHOP STREET. THESE

BUILDINGS WERE SHIELDED BY THE

LUMBER AT HPM. GOYA BROTHERS WAS

HIT HARD, BUT THE FAMILY REBUILT

AND OPENED MAY'S FOUNTAIN IN

1946, BRINGING A SPARK OF LIFE

TO SHINMACHI, SERVING EVERYTHING

FROM HAM AND CHEESE AND ROOT

BEER FLOATS TO HILO'S HOMEMADE

DISH, LOCO MOCO.

AKIKO VO: A SECOND TSUNAMI IN

1960 KILLED 61 PEOPLE AND

DESTROYED 530 BUILDINGS,

INCLUDING THE LAST PHYSICAL

REMAINS OF SHINMACHI. AFTER

LOSING EVERYTHING TWICE IN 15

YEARS, MANY SHINMACHI FAMILIES

QUESTIONED THE WISDOM OF

REBUILDING. OTHERS SAW NEW

POSSIBILITIES.

MICHAEL TOKUNAGA: YOU KNOW MY

GRANDFATHER AFTER THE 1960 TIDAL

WAVE, HE WANTED TO CALL IT

QUITS. HE REALLY WANTED TO CALL

IT QUITS. BUT THEN MY MOM SAID,

"OH, I'LL RUN THE BUSINESS," YOU

KNOW? AND THEN FOR A FEMALE TO

BE RUNNING A FISHING TACKLE

BUSINESS IN THE 1960S, THAT WAS

PRETTY TOUGH. SHE KNEW HOW TO

FISH. SHE WAS A GOOD ANGLER,

ALSO, SHE PROVED HERSELF. IT

WASN'T A DRESS SHOP. IT WASN'T A

COSMETICS STORE. IT WASN'T A

FABRIC SHOP. IT WAS BASICALLY A

FISHING TACKLE SHOP THEN.

AKIKO VO: SHINMACHI WAS

ULTIMATELY DECLARED AN

INUNDATION ZONE WHERE REBUILDING

IS PROHIBITED. DISPLACED

RESIDENTS FORMED THE SHINMACHI

CLUB, WHICH HOSTED AN ANNUAL

REUNION TO BRING ALL NEIGHBORS

TOGETHER AND TO KEEP THE SPIRIT

OF MUTUAL SUPPORT AND SHARED

RESILIENCY ALIVE.

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA AND KENNETH

KAMEOKA: SEE WHERE YOUR BROTHER.

YEAH. YOUR BROTHER WAS BURIED.

AND WHAT YOU SAID WAS THAT ALL

THE PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY

GRAVES, RIGHT, WERE BURIED OVER

THERE?

AKIKO VO: FOR JOAN GOODALL,

SHINMACHI REMAINS A VAST TERRAIN

OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS,

ESPECIALLY ABOUT HER LOST

BROTHER FREDERICK.

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: BECAUSE I

SAW THE MOUNDS.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: AND SOMEBODY

TOLD YOU THAT WAS THE AREA?

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: YET THIS

WAS WHERE THE TIDAL WAVE

VICTIMS, BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T

FIND THE OWNERS, YOU KNOW, AND

MY BROTHER WAS SEVEN, I THINK AT

THAT TIME MY MOTHER EVEN CAME

OUT OF THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE SHE

HAD GASHES ON HER HEAD AND SHE

WAS BANGED UP. SO THEY TOLD THE

HOSPITAL SHE GOT OUT TO LOOK FOR

MY BROTHER.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: SO THAT TIME,

THEY NEVER FOUND HIM?

JOAN GOODALL PUAKELA: YOU KNOW,

MAYBE NOT. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

JOAN & KEN: AT LEAST HE'S IN THE

AREA. YEAH, SOMEWHERE IN THIS

AREA. YEAH, YEAH.

KENNETH KAMEOKA: YEAH, THAT'S

GOOD. OK, YEAH, HE WILL BE

HAPPY.

AKIKO VO: THE TSUNAMIS DID NOT

TAKE ALL OF SHINMACHI. AT HILO

DAIJINGU, A SINGULAR FEMALE

KOMAINU, A LION DOG STATUE, SITS

NEXT TO THE EMPTY BASE OF HER

MATE, WHICH WAS SWEPT AWAY IN

THE WAVE. TRACES OF SHINMACHI

STILL APPEAR IN THE S. TOKUNAGA

STORE'S ANNUAL ULUA CHALLENGE,

ON THE GROCERY STORE SHELVES,

AND IN THE TEMPLE SANCTUARIES,

AND ESPECIALLY IN THE STORIES OF

THOSE WHO REMEMBER THIS PLACE

BEFORE THE TSUNAMI.

AKIKO VO: OVER MANY DECADES,THE

MUTUAL SUPPORT THAT THE

SHINMACHI ASSOCIATION BROUGHT

INTO BEING IN 1913 REMAINS ALIVE

IN THE JAPANESE BUSINESS

COMMUNITY.

BRIAN KITAGAWA: YOU KNOW, WE CAN

GET MORE DONE TOGETHER THAN WE

CAN DO FIGHTING EACH OTHER. SO

WE WORK TOGETHER AS A GROUP TO

BETTER THE BUSINESS, YOU KNOW,

BETTER THE INDUSTRY. BUT THAT

STILL EXISTS TODAY.

MICHAEL FUJIMOTO: THERE IS NOT

THAT CLASS STRUCTURE THAT YOU

HAVE IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HERE JUST... I

THINK BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHERE

OUR ROOTS ARE. AND WE ALL CAME

FROM THE SAME PLACE. SOME OF US

WERE A LITTLE LUCKIER THAN

OTHERS. AND THAT'S WHERE THAT

FEELING OF THE KUMIAI IS VERY

STRONG IN HAWAII, BECAUSE YOU

ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR

COMMUNITY.

SADAKO HARA IWASAKI: MY FATHER

PASSED AWAY, SO THEY MADE A

SECTION FOR US TO STAY.

AKIKO VO: SHINMACHI FAMILIES

STILL CARRY FORWARD THEIR

ANCESTORS' TRADITIONS FROM THE

PAST AND THEIR DREAMS FOR THE

FUTURE.

DONALD IKEDA & KENNETH KAMEOKA:

IN THE OLD DAYS, I GUESS THE

PARENTS ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE

THEIR CHILDREN BETTER THAN WHO

THEY WERE.

DONALD IKEDA: WE TOLD THE

PARENTS, IF YOU SEND US TO

COLLEGE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME

BACK AND DO HARD LABOR.

AKIKO VO: THE SUGAR INDUSTRY

BROUGHT JAPANESE LABORERS TO

HAWAII. THE SUGAR COMPANY SET

THE RULES THAT THE SHINMACHI

ASSOCIATION HAD TO WORK BY,

USING THE SKILLS AND VALUES THEY

BROUGHT FROM PLANTATION LIFE AND

JAPANESE CULTURE. THE PEOPLE OF

SHINMACHI CREATED THEIR OWN

FERTILE GROUND OF OPPORTUNITY

AND STABILITY.

AKIKO VO: IN 2016, THE SUGAR

INDUSTRY MADE ITS FINAL EXIT

FROM HAWAII. THE DESCENDANTS OF

THE HILO SHINMACHI ASSOCIATION

ARE STILL HERE, AND THEY

CONTINUE ON.