Kiyo’s story: 1942

Mr. Hudson, the Oldsmobile salesman who sold Kiyo her first car and taught her to drive, had continued to check in with her every three years, and she loyally followed him to Plymouth when he changed companies. The Takahashis’ third car was a Dodge, bought from Mr. Hudson. In October of 1941, two months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the Takahashis bought an Oldsmobile, which had to be sold to the garbage man for $400 when the family had to “relocate” the following April.

In the late 1930s (probably after seeing the Ice Follies in 1936), Kiyo started taking ice skating lessons. Although she was not a “tomboy” like her sister Tomi, Kiyo had wanted to go skiing, but Bachan thought it was too dangerous — especially after running into Kiyo’s cousin Yuki on Post Street, limping along with crutches after a skiing mishap. So instead, Kiyo and her friends began ice skating lessons at Dreamland (which was eventually renamed “Winterland”), the ice-skating rink at Post and Steiner.  Bachan had seen the Ice Follies and thoroughly approved. Kiyo bought her first pair of ice skates, which she ended up throwing in the garbage when they had to “evacuate,” since they could bring only what they could carry and needed to prioritize bedding, clothes, and other necessities. She didn’t think she would be able to use them in the desert, and she couldn’t give them to any of her friends since all of her friends were in the same situation.

The biggest loss, of course, was the store. Because there was such short notice of the evacuation, Japanese-Americans were at the mercy of vultures looking for a good deal. Jichan’s store is pictured in the photo below, advertising its closing sale. Ultimately, the remaining inventory, estimated at $77,000, was sold for $6,000 — and at the age of 65 Jichan, after 45 years of hard work and sacrifice in the US, saw his American dream evaporate in a 15-minute transaction.

Kisen Company, Takahashi store, closing sale

Kiyo’s Story, part 8: Topaz

This post was originally published on August 26, 2018.
Image: Closing sale, National Archives. Public domain.