I wrote to my childhood hero, and said just come on up. So July 1959, I went to Tokyo for the first time. Internship, you can put it in the resume, but basically it’s shadowing a zookeeper everyday, and also in 1960, I thought was such a glorious job, seriously,… Read More
So what was your first zoo job?… Read More
It was an intern?… Read More
Internship, yes. Read More
Ordinary elementary school, junior high, high school, and agricultural college in town. And that was, graduating in 1961, 15 years later, back in Oklahoma, I went to one of the regional universities, Northeastern Oklahoma State, for my master’s degree. And you mentioned a person at the zoo that you looked… Read More
In school, did you have any teachers that had an effect on your life within the zoo world?… Read More
As far as zoo world, no. As far as biology, a professor who happened to be applied entomologist. Spelled N-A-K-A-J-I-M-A. Dr. Nakajima. Was the one who really taught me basics in biology. Read More
Ueno Zoo. U-E-N-O. Ueno Zoo, right. Read More
And what type of schooling did you have?… Read More
And did you then ultimately as a child get to Tokyo to see the zoo?… Read More
I was already in my early 20s when I got to see Tokyo, and looked up at my childhood hero, Dr. T-A-D-A-M-I-C-H-I. Tadamichi Koga. Koga is easier to pronounce. K-O-G-A. It was as if a little farm boy looking up at John Wayne. Read More
And he was the director of the?… Read More
What was the impression you got?… Read More
The town I grew up didn’t have a zoo. So it was in my dream, (coughs) excuse me, writing fan mail to the zoo director in Tokyo so forth and so forth. As a little child, I remember on the family vacation going to the next prefect, the next city,… Read More
Were animals part of your life?… Read More
It was unfortunate that the family had a history of dysfunctional family syndrome, and wildlife was sort of an escape, or a therapy to read about, and to look at. So if I grew up in an ordinary family, I may not have gotten into zoo business. Read More
As you were growing up, did you see zoos growing up?… Read More
And who were your parents, and what did they do?… Read More
Dad’s name was spelled C-H-I-Z-U-O. Chizuo. A physician. Mother’s name was C-H-I-Y-O-K-O, Chiyoko. A housewife. Read More
And could you tell us a little about your childhood, growing up?… Read More