TSUNAMIS REMEMBERED: Oral Histories of Survivors and Observers in Hawai'i
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TSUNAMIS REMEMBERED: Oral Histories of Survivors and Observers in Hawai'i Volutn.e I Center for Oral History Social Science Research Institute University of Hawai'i at Manoa April2000 Copyright © 2000 Center for Oral History Social Science Research Institute University of Hawai'i at Manoa These are slightly edited transcriptions of interviews conducted by the Center for Oral History, University of Hawai'i at Minoa. The reader should be aware that an oral history document portrays information as recalled by the interviewee. Because of the spontaneous nature of this kind of document, it may contain statements and impressions which are not factual. People are welcome to utilize, in unpublished works, short excerpts from any of the transcriptions without obtaining permission as long as proper credit is given to the interviewee, interviewer, and the Center for Oral History. Permission must be obtained from the Center for Oral History for published excerpts and extensive use of transcriptions and related materials. Transcripts and cassette tapes may not be duplicated or reproduced by any party without permission from the Center for Oral History, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. 2424 Maile Way, Social Sciences Building 724, Honolulu, Hawai 'i 96822. TSUNAMIS REMEMBERED: · Oral Histories of Survivors and Observers in Hawai'i Volutne II Center for Oral History Social Science Research Institute University of Hawai'i at Manoa Aprll2000 Copyright e 2000 Center for Oral History Social Science Research Institute University of Hawai'i at Manoa These are slightly edited transcriptions of interviews conducted by the Center for Oral History, University of Hawai'i at Minoa. The reader should be aware that an <nl history document portrays information as recalled by the interviewee. Because of the spontaneous nature of this kind of document, it may contain statements and impressions which are not facrual. People are welcome to utilize, in unpublished works, short excerpts from any of the transcriptions without obtaining permission as long as proper credit is given to the interviewee, interviewer, and the Center for Oral History. Permission must be obtained from the Center for Oral History for published excerpts and extensive use of transcriptions and related materials. Transcripts and cassette tapes may not be duplicated or reproduced by any party without permission from the Center for Oral History, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai'i at Minoa, 2424 Maile Way, Social Sciences Building 724, Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822. TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume I AClrn'OWLEOOMENTS . v RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION STAFF . vii PHO'l'OGRAPHS . ix INTRODUC'I'ION ................................................... x:xvii. TRANSCRIPI'S Robert Y.S. "Steamy" Chow . 1 Ronald "Square" Goya and May Goya . 61 Minerva Saiki Hayakawa . 147 Evelyn Lyn Kagawa . 197 Riichi Hatada . 223 James U.C. :Low . 257 Laura Yuen Chock .................... .. ............. ... ....... 299 Catherine Diama Campainha . 327 Masao Uchima . 351 Sadako Suzuki . 401 June Mitsuko Shigemasa ........................................ 439 Fusae Takaki . 4 73 APPENDIX Chronology .................................................... A-1 Select Bibliography . B-1 Glossary ...................................................... C-1 Index ...................................................... D-1 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume II AC~Ovr.LEIXJ~NTS ................................................ v RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION STAFF . vii PHOTOGRAPHS ...................................................... ix . INTRODUCTION ................................................... x::x:vii TRANSCRIPrS Josephine Nelson Todd . 495 Alexander M. Riviera . 525 Kimiko Kuwana Sakai . 551 Jeanne Branch Johnston. 615 Kapua Wall Heuer . 639 Leonore K VanGieson .................... ..................... 661 Eloise Ahuna Pung . 681 Masuo Kino . 711 Bunji Fujimoto . 731 Marsue McGinnis McShane ................. ·..................... 763 Herbert S. Nishimoto . 795 Albert L. Stanley ......................... _. 817 Richard Furtado . 841 Harold P. Luscomb, Jr. 877 Hayato Okino . 911 Violet and Tak.eshi Hirata . 945 James T. Ohashi . 977 APPENDIX Chronology .................................................... A-1 Select Bibliography . B-1 Glossary ...................................................... C-1 Index ...................................................... D-1 ill Acknowledgments In addition to the interviewees and their families, we would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals: Pacific Tsunami Museum Walter C. Dudley Carrie Luke-Knotts Donna Saiki Susan G. Tissot Lucille Chun May Bradley Cook Clarence Ferdun Barbara Fujimoto Juliette Furtado Roy Goya EikoHatada Naomi Hayakawa Frank Kanzaki Kiyoto Kohashi Wataru Kohashi Jack I. Miyashiro Ruth Nakamura Tom Kiyoshi Nakashima Glenn Okino Harold Okino Kiyoshi Okubo Josephine Quinones Christine Nakano Saiki Susumu Shigemasa John Stansfield Chidori Nishimoto Uchima Mildred Uchima v PROJECT STAFF Center for Oral History Social Science Research Institute Director and Principal Investigator Warren S. Nishimoto Research Coordinator Michl Kodama-Nishimoto Research Associate Holly J. Yamada Publications Specialist Cynthia A. Oshiro Transcript Editor and Indexer Karen Matsuda Student Transcribers Mirasol Budiao Jona Goong Randall K. Hironaka Audrey Kawaoka Stephanie Kuroda Karen Matsuda Lindsay Nishii Jennifer Yamamoto Student Assistants Charmaine Kwong Keaookalani Mattos vii Top left, Catherine Campainha; top right, Laura Chock; middle left, Robert Chow; bottom left, Bunji Fujimoto; bottom right, Richard Furtado ix xi Top left, May and Ronald Goya; top right, Riichi Hatada; middle left, Minerva Hayakawa; middle right, Kapua Heuer; bottom, Violet and Takeshi Hirata; bottom right, Jeanne Johnston xiii Top left, Lyn Kagawa; top right, Masuo Kino; middle Left, James Low with father's portrait (William Ing, Hawaii Tribune-Herald photo); bottom Left, Harold Luscomb; bottom right, Marsue McShane XV Top left, Herbert Nishimoto; top right, James Ohashi; middle left, Hayato Okino; middle right, Eloise Pung; bottom left, Alex Riviera; bottom right, Kimiko Sakai xvii Top left, June Shigemasa; top right, Albert Stanley; middle right, Sadako Suzuki; bottom left, Fusae Takaki; bottom right, Josephine Todd XIX Above left, Masao Uchima; above right, Lenore Van Gieson. All interviewee photos by COH unless otherwise noted. Below left, Kuwahara Store was one of the few structures on the makai side of Kamehameha Avenue in downtown Hilo to survive the 1946 tsunami. (Pacific Tsunami Museum) Above, Hatada Bakery rests on top of a railroad car, Hilo, 1946. (Hatada family) Above, Kamehameha Avenue, downtown Hilo, looking south. Hilo Ironworks is in background. What was once Shinmachi district is the area on the right, 1946. (Rod Mason) xxi Left, View from WaHi nuenue Avenue toward Kamehameha Avenue and the ocean, Hilo, 1946. Note approaching water engulf ing bus. (Pacific Tsunami Museum) Below left, Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, 1946. (Pa cific Tsunami Museum) Below right, Charles Mason home, Keaukaha district, 1946. (VanGieson family) Right, LaupAhoehoe Point, prior to 1946 tsunami. LaupA· hoehoe School ballfield is in right foreground. (Masuo Kino) Below left, LaupAhoehoe Point shoreline prior to receding, 1946. (Bunji Fujimoto) Below right, LaupAhoehoe Point shoreline receding just prior to arriving tsunami, 1946. (Bunji Fujimoto) XXIU Below, Damaged teachers' cottages, Laupahoehoe School, 1946. (Bunji Fujimoto) Above left, Laupahoehoe School grounds after 1946 tsunami. Main school building on the right side was not damaged. The open area is the school's ballfield. (Bunji Fujimoto). Left, Men await the waves at Suisan Company fish market, Hilo, 1960. (Pacific Tsunami Museum/Hawaii Tribune-Herald collection/ Larry Kadooka, photographer) Below left, The waves collapsed Skippers Cove Restaurant in Waiakea Town, 1960. (Pacific Tsunami Museum/Hawaii Tribune-Herald collection/Larry Kadooka, photographer) Below right, The tsunami deposited a boulder in a street in downtown Hilo near the dam aged Hobby House, 1960. (Pacific Tsunami Museum/Hawaii Tribune-Herald collection/ Larry Kadooka, photographer) XXV Far left, Parking meters near Hilo Theatre were flattened by the tsunami, May 1960. (NGDC, U.S. Army Corps of Engi neers) Left, Cars were stacked by the waves, 1960. (Pacific Tsunami Museum/Hawaii Tribune-Herald collection/Larry Kadooka, photographer) INTRODUCTION The Center for Oral History (COH), a unit of the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, was established in 1976. Its major function is to research, conduct, transcribe, edit, and disseminate oral history interviews with persons possessing knowledge about Hawai'i's past. COH seeks to provide present and future researchers with first-person, primary-source documents with which to write history from a diversity of perspectives. COH also produces educational materials (books, articles, newsletters, brochures, etc.) based on the interviews, presents lectures on local history, conducts classes and workshops on oral history methodology for individuals and community/educational groups, and serves as a clearinghouse for oral history research relating to Hawai'i. Tsunamis Remembered: Oral Histories of Survivors and Observers in Hawai 'i is a two-volume set featuring life history interviews with individuals who witnessed and survived tsunamis-particularly the 1946