Sadako Saito
In 2016, Andy Frazer conducted a brief oral history interview with Sadako Saito, with the focus of her memories based around the incredible family photos she had with her. As a Kibei, her perspective is highly unique and not usually heard, which is what makes this modest interview quite special. Born in 1918, Sadako was 98 at the time of the interview. She remembers what it was like to be a mother at the time of the war, with the added uncertainty and stress of expecting a child as the family was forced to leave San Jose and their successful farm behind.
Sadako passed away at the incredible age of 99 in 2018.
This is Andy Frazer I’m at the Japanese American Museum in San Jose. It’s November 5, 2016. Can you tell me your name?
Sadako Saito.
And can you tell me when you were born?
July 16, 1918, Long Beach.
Were you showing me some pictures, could you tell me what this is again?
This is before the war, before camp, we used to live in this house and the 30 acre ranch in Sunnyvale. 1317 Henderson Avenue. You go El Camino, almost Wolfe Road? Before that Henderson Avenue. The first one’s, Mr Ogata lived on the ranch. And we lived on the next 30 acres.
The Saito’s home in the 1940s.
And you said it was 30 acres?
We used to own 30 acres. At that time my family, we owned this ranch, this house. We used to own this land, this house. This old house, not the good house but it’s still a big house. At that time [for the] Japanese it’s okay. Right now, everybody lives in a nice house. But at that time, it’s okay for us.
What were you growing there?
I born in Long Beach but I married in San Jose. I came from Los Angeles to San Jose, 1939.
Why did you move to San Jose?
I was raised in Gardena, Japanese place. We farmed over there. I went to Japan and came back and I married to my husband. And married to San Jose, to this house for one or two years, and we had to move to camp.
Did you meet your husband in Los Angeles?
No husband lived in this house all the time here.
How did you meet your husband?
Introduce, that’s all. Family introduced.
Do you remember what year you moved to San Jose?
1940 I married to him. She shows Andy her wedding photo. It’s not good looking but [laughs].
So this was your husband’s family’s farm?
They lived in this house. They used to live in Mountain View and they bought the 30 acre ranch and they come to Santa Clara and we farmed over there for prunes. Prunes and walnut.
So you were living on Henderson property during Pearl Harbor. Do you remember what was going on when you heard about Pearl Harbor?
Pearl Harbor, I don’t remember the day.
So after Pearl Harbor, the government told you you had to move.
First we moved to Pomona. San Jose people, 10,000 people, almost go to Santa Anita horse camp. And only 500 people went to Pomona camp. My mother was at Santa Anita so I wanted to go over there. But San Jose us only went to Pomona.
The Saito’s San Jose orchard
Where did you have to pick up the bus?
I don’t remember those things, I’m a 22 or something, young. So I don’t remember. I just married and first kids were San Jose born. Second kids happened to Pomona -- we move. I was so sad. It’s supposed to be June, that baby born June. But then that night, May 30, they born. So I never forget, you know.
You were expecting your baby when they made you move?
Move was supposed to be June. But I was so sad, so baby born come fast. So May 30, we move into Pomona May 30, born, the baby. We were so sad that time.
Terrible.
Right [laughs].
Do you remember how long you were in Pomona?
Three months. We stayed three months, they build the big one to Heart Mountain. Us had to go to Heart Mountain. The coldest place. One day, 28. All that time, 10 or 15 degrees all the time. So cold. That time we don’t wear the pants -- skirts. Oh we had so terrible times, camp time.
Do you remember the train ride up to Heart Mountain?
Yeah, we went to train ride to Heart Mountain. The black curtain put it over, you can’t see nothing. It’s just a dark place. They put a curtain under so we can’t see the outside.
That must have been very stressful. So what month did you arrive at Heart Mountain?
Heart Mountain, I think September or something.
When you arrived there was the camp already built?
Almost 10,000 people went to Heart Mountain. I know San Francisco people come. Us go first, San Francisco go next. Somewhere in San Jose come too.
When you arrived to Heart Mountain they were still building more barracks?
Yeah. That’s okay, they didn’t bother us but I’m with a small baby.
It must have been very difficult with a baby in that sort of environment.
You know two babies -- first baby is two years old, and second one was just born.
So it was the four of you, you and your husband and the two kids?
Me and my husband and my father-in-law, and sister-in-law, and brother-in-law, too. We went to Heart Mountain, I think this is a Heart Mountain picture.
A Saito family picture at Heart Mountain taken in 1944. The two girls in front are Nancy and May. Second row, left to right: Shigeo Saito, Sadako Saito, sister Miyoko, Kakuichi Saito, Kasumi and Kamekichi Idemoto. Third row, left to right: Bob Idemoto, Bernice Saito, Jack Saito, Mary Saito, Jim Idemoto, Shigeo, Kasumi. (Jack and Mary are Kakuichi's children).
Did you see anybody that you knew from Santa Clara?
No, I was so young, so, I don’t know too much.
Do you know much about living in Heart Mountain day to day?
It’s a pretty -- they don’t bother us, they treat lunch good. Only thing is cold. So we washed the diapers, always ice in [laughs].
Do you remember the barrack you were in?
Block 8, and I live in 17-C. My father-in-law lived in D. And that’s all I know. This is our Block, I live in the middle.
Who took these pictures?
I don’t know. We used to have a small camera and we took a picture.
Sadako’s father-in-law, Kakuichi and Sadako’s daughter.
It must have been a problem with all the families and the noise. And it’s also very cold.
They gave us lots of coal, we had to pick up the coal everyday. And day and night burned the coal, day and night. They serve everything -- we didn’t complain for that. They gave us food, coal, everything.
I’m interested in this camera.
I think my husband’s small camera and so not too good picture but we kept it, I think.
It’s fantastic that you have that. So this is a wonderful picture of you.
That’s me. We find somebody taking picture and we asked for.
Sadako is in the third row, sixth from right holding her baby.
This is pretty good for camp.
10,000 lived in that camp. From Japan they sent us shoyu. 5 gallon shoyu. So everybody taking picture. This is Block 8 people.
Are you in this photograph?
Yeah, somewhere.
This is a wonderful photograph. Wow, a lot of children in there.
A lot of children.
Do you remember how long you were in Heart Mountain?
I think three years.
Sadako and her children in Heart Mountain
Do you remember how long you were in camp?
I think three years.
When you heard that you were be allowed to leave?
In November or December 1945, we come home from Heart Mountain to San Jose. This father-in-law, he’s a single, so he come home and find a house. He was at San Jose Buddhist Church and he walked to Sunnyvale where we used to live, eight miles. And we looking the house, well we don’t have no house. Campbell had a somebody’s house, one room house. So we rent that house for five people.
We lost the 30 acre and so we don’t have nothing, we have three baby. And we don’t have nothing. He [her son, Kelvin] was two years old. He played in wash tub at Mr. Campbell put it in the water in the bathtub everyday. So she said, “Cal play in my water all the time!” So he complained, complained. The old lady complained. So we have to buy some place to move out. We come out from camp, And we asked the lawyer to get a little bit more money and then we bought five acres again. We couldn’t stay in the Campbell house, everybody complained.
And old Campbell complained about the water he play -- we lost 30 acres and they gave us a little money. So we bought the five acre land and we farm again.
Can you explain how you lost the 30 acre land?
Lawyer was holding my place. But I don’t know, Japanese lost everything, so they don’t care, so he sold the place. So they gave us a little bit of money. And we bought the five acres and built a house. We had to sell this place, now we bought this place. We built this house ‘67. So we have to move. So we don’t have no house again. So church minister house, they had to build something so they gave us a little house, so we moved to San Jose. And we lived in a small house again. We lived in -- all the time, squeezing like this. And then now we build the big house.
The Sunnyvale home with five acres of farmland.
The Saito’s San Jose house, built in 1968.
Wow, looks like a very nice house. Nice and big and room to spread out.
Worked hard.
Yeah, sounds like you worked very hard and went through a lot.
And he died in ‘76. So I’m a widow for 50 years. ‘76 he died. He was a cancer, he died. He couldn’t work. So I had to drive the tractor, cannery, everyday I had to bring the berry to cannery. I worked very hard when I was young. I never worked before, but I had to work. But we did it, it’s okay.
Wow. Do you remember where the five acre farm was located?
1382 Reed Lane. We lived there about 15 years and we farmed blackberries. Everybody raised the strawberries but our family raised the blackberries.
Where in San Jose was your orchard?
Skyway and Snell.
The San Jose 22 acre farmland where the Saitos grew raspberries, olallieberries, blackberries, boysenberries, plums, dehydrated prunes, and walnuts.
Is the farm still there?
No, it’s all tract homes.
So you were you the only family growing blackberries?
Higuchi, one more family. Big family, two families, blackberry farm. And that time it was pretty popular and we sold pretty good.
Did you sell it directly yourself?
We have about ten years later, we bought the five acre. And we make a little money and same real estate guy came over and they tried to sell that land. So that time, it’s $2,000, which is pretty cheap.
And I have a six kids, and I have to raise the six kids. They all go to -- one graduated from San Jose State, so it’s pretty good. We are poor, we sent the kids to school anyway. Good thing we send the kids.
Interview and portraits by Andy Frazer. JAMsj thanks Andy for allowing the museum to archive and share these oral histories and photos.