Mauna Kea Oral History Appendix - Office of Mauna Kea Management

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He’s not home. And when we expect him home, we ran into the “warehouse” we called it.
You know and here a big fat pig is hanging down. He’d catch a wild pig coming home.
[chuckling] Yes, yes. So, it was a good time when he came home, too!
Yes. It was so exciting for us, waiting for his return! [chuckles]
Yes. How many brothers and sisters did you have
Six boys.
Six boys
Yes.
Counting you
And three girls. Yes.
Nine all together
Nine all together.
What are their names from oldest to youngest
My oldest one is Masao, he was the one that…he’s frail, small, so he begged father to
send him to school in Hilo. He wants to continue. And my father says, “Sorry I can’t do it
because we don’t have financing. Can’t afford it.” And he still insists he wants to go. My
father said, “It’s almost impossible.” Then one day a neighbor farmer told my father that “I
saw your son walking with a pack and walking toward Hilo.” So my father saddled his
horse immediately and chased after him, and picked him up and brought him back. And
the story goes somehow he cried all the way home. He still wanted to go. So, that’s
where my second oldest one is, still living, he’s 97 years old. When he saw the sadness
between the father and son, one wants to go to the school, his father cannot afford it. He
wanted to runaway to school, he was walking to Hilo. He found his brother was so sad,
he told his father, “Let me go and work on the ranch and I can probably help finance his
school in Hilo.” That’s how my oldest brother, Masao, was able to go to Hilo to school.
And who is your second brother
Yutaka.
Yutaka.
That’s the one that… Actually through his hard work, his older brother was able to go to
school in Hilo.
Wow! That’s amazing!
Yes.
Real family love.
Family yes, helping one another.
Yes.
When Masao graduated from Hilo High School he was one of the top students, and
immediately the minister… He stayed, the interesting thing about a Christian Church had
a dormitory, a language Christian church from Japan. Outreach Program from Japan
sending out missionary’s to Hawai‘i. Because the influx of a lot of laborers from Japan
came to Hawai‘i to work on the sugar plantations. And naturally, the Christian Outreach
program from Japan felt that they needed some help as far as religion. They established
a church in Hilo. That’s where my older brother stayed, boarded over there. No cost, he
took care the church yard and all that, free house and boarding.
Mauna Kea– “Ka Piko Kaulana o ka ‘Äina”
Kumu Pono Associates LLC
A Collection of Oral History Interviews (HiMK67-050606) A:508