| An Interview with an American Family Deeply Related to Hitachi
City August, 2008 |
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| Hyotan Group had a special interview with an American family deeply related to Hitachi City for the past forty years. The family is the Minakawas who used to live at Aobadai and Bentencho in Hitachi in 1960fs and 1970fs. They are now making one month stay in Hitachi for family reunion. | |
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| 1. Mr. Paul Sherman, a GE Engineer stationed in Hitachi Works of Hitachi,
Ltd. almost for ten years from 1960fs to 70fs. He stayed in Hitachi as a liaison engineer for the turbine collaboration of GE and Hitachi, Ltd. The first stage was for steam turbines and the second was an extension to gas turbines. Mrs. Sherman enjoyed Japanese life with him and they had good tastes of Japanese culture with many Japanese friends. Suzy, their daughter, also had good memories as a young lady in Hitachi. 2. Shyuzo Minakawa of Bentenchou, Hitachi met Suzy in 1968. After a romantic encounter they got married in Hitachi. They built a house in Aobadai, Hitachi, and they had two children, Reina and Jyo. Reina went to Nakakoji Elementary School for six months for the first grade. They ran a coffee shop,hSuzeth in Bentencho for about a year. In 1980 they moved to Schenectady, NY. USA, where Mr & Mrs. Sherman lived. 3. Regret to say, Suzy Minakawa passed away of brain cancer in 2000. 4. Since they moved to the USA, they often made trips to Japan to see the family here in Japan. The purpose of the trip this time is to see the relatives again and to confirm the bonds among families so that they can overcome the sadness of Suzyfs death and besides to let Kiemon, Reinafs son and Jenny, Jyofs girl friend see Hitachi City where Suzy Minakawa had wonderful memories. 5. Shyuzo Minakawa works for a house management company, Reina is a psychiatrist at a care facility for physically and mentally disabled people in Schenectady. Jyo is now devoting himself to be a producer and a performer in show business, and Jenny is a music instructor for musical theaters. Peg and Paul Sherman enjoy their lives in the nineties. |
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| Remarks of the Family Members on Life in USA and Japan (1) Schenectady The symbol city of GE in USA has had quite a change in the business and industrial sectors. Downsizing of heavy electrical generating business in the world and relocation of manufacturing industries in global scale resulted sharp decrease of residents there. It is the same as in Hitachi. (2) The USA The USA is a country of independent core families. But once a crisis attacks the society, the country is united to one to face and overcome it. (3) Hitachi City used to be full of shops and activities on Ginza Street. Now the big shopping malls stand at station sites or off-city-center area. It might be the results of motorization here in Hitachi, too. (4) Old Japanese Families had bosses of the families (family center) and they got together quite often on occasions like New Year, festivals, and the Bon (Lantern) Festival and the Festival of the Dead. But now it looks like that families are getting apart and independent. (5) Japanese residents in a housing complex (DANCHI) and in residential areas clean the municipal centers by mowing the grass and pulling weeds on volunteer basis. It might be commonly done here in Japan but it looks a very unique activity. (5) At the house of the Shermans and the Minakawas in Schenectady, four generations live together, which is quite a unique and rate case in USA. |
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