In this video clip, Dr. Ito says he didn’t wear his senninbari or show it to his fellow soldiers.
- Why do you think this is?
Susumu Ito video interview (July 8, 2015), Japanese American National Museum
Transcript
[ONLINE TEXT: Senninbari (Thousand Person Stitches) ]
[VISUALS: Dr. Susumi Ito unwrapping Seninbari, closeups of Senninbari showing stitches and tiger painting ]
Wow. It looks familiar. The stitches are French knots put on only by women, and there are 1000 of them. The tiger is a symbol of an animal that finds its way home when displaced. It’s supposed to be worn around your belly. But I never wore it, never, never did. In fact, I didn’t show it to any of my colleagues. I just kept it wrapped it up and in my pocket throughout the War and all my combat experiences as well. And, gosh, it feels— It gives me chills to hold it!
This object is part of the story A Soldier's Treasure, which is about Identity.