~”Nikkei” in Palau~ Interview Series: Vol.#16 Mr. Susumu Mori

Mr. Susumu Mori, now 83 years old is a Palauan of Japanese descent. He was born in 1941 to a Palauan mother Shiomi Loitang Lemal and Mr. Yokichi Mori from Yokohama, Japan. He was adopted by his grandmother named Samoang of Peleliu. He has one son and three daughters from his first marriage. His son is named Mr. Yokichi Mori, same name as his father. Mr. Mori is now married to Mrs. Alice Mori and lives in Peleliu State.
 
School was not for Mr. Mori, and he says, “I’ve experienced a lot of challenges in life since I was young because I am different”. He was not able to complete his years at Emmaus High School. His mother who adopted him lived in Guam, so Mr. Mori lived in Guam for some time. He didn’t like his life in Guam and decided to move back to Palau and found a job as a stevedore for Pacific Islanders cargo ship (PM&O) that carried copra to Osaka, Yokohama and Kobe, Japan. On some of the trips they also stopped in Saipan on the way to Japan. During his trips to Japan, he was able to get off the ship and go shopping in stores near the port. He remembers buying different kinds of Japanese hair gel “pomado” in Japan.
 
On one trip, the cargo ship docked in Yokohama port. At that time his sister Ms. Yoshie Mori lived in Yokohama with her husband who was serving in the US military. His sister took him on a tour around Yokohama. Mr. Susumu Mori never met his father, but his sister was able to meet their biological father Mr. Yokichi Mori while she was living in Yokohama.   
 
Mr. Mori said “I hope that Japan and Palau continues to maintain its good relationship for many years to come.”