【WORLD】
Everyone has some special memories of childhood.
Listen to the stories here, and please tell us your story.
※Speaking in JAPANESE
KONISHIKI / Former SUMO wrestler, Musician
http://konishiki.net
What was your childhood like?
When I was a child, I was living in a place called NANAKULI in Oahu, Hawaii. The place was so beautiful with mountains and blue ocean. I had many brothers and sisters living together. We did everything from cooking, doing laundry, and to cleaning the house. So I naturally got used to doing housework. By the time I became 18 years old,I developed a sense of responsibilities as a family member. In my typical childhood day, after all the domestic duties are done, I often went to the beach and played. My family liked having fun time together, going shopping, eating out, going to movies etc…
What sort of play did you enjoy most when you were a child?
I used to go to the beach and enjoyed surfing, running, doing football games.The beach was my training center and playground, but the beach could be a dangerous place for a small boy. I experienced a lot of dangerous situation there. Elder people would always come to help me when in trouble.Though the Hawaii residents were originally from various parts of the world, we were like one big happy family. So I felt safe and secure in that small area of Hawaii. I called my friends’ mother, “Mom,” older men & women, “brother & sister.” I felt most comfortable doing so. Everyone was my family.
Recently, Japanese family seems to be becoming smaller, because the young like to go to big cities wanting to pursue their dreams. It’s OK to do so, but I hope they go back to their hometown after fulfilling their dreams.
==========
Konishiki-san decided to become a professional sumo wrestler when he finished high school. A recruiter found Konishiki-san when he was enjoying surfing, and persuaded him to do sumo in Japan. Although Konishiki-san’s parents wanted him to be a pastor like his father, Konishiki-san chose to become a professional sumo wrestler. The story afterwards is the legend.
More talks about Memories of My Childhood (chara-rimpa.net)
