~”Nikkei” in Palau~ Interview Series: Vol.# 29 Ms. Sumiko Wasisang Yaw
2025/7/23


Ms. Sumiko Wasisang Yaw (85 years old) is a second-generation Japanese-Palauan. She was born in 1939 to her biological father, Mr. Seifuku Inamine, from Nakijin, Okinawa, Japan, and her biological mother, Ms. Ngebad Inamine, from Ngchesar. Mr. Inamine was repatriated to Japan after the war, so Ms. Sumiko does not remember her father being around during her childhood. She is one of seven siblings but was adopted and raised by Mr. Toshiwo Wasisang and Mrs. Telael Wasisang of Ngersuul, Ngchesar. She has been blessed with four children, and her family has grown to include four grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
She went to Ngchesar Elementary School after World War II, when she was 8 years old, and completed 5th grade. Ms. Sumiko recalls the difficult and dangerous route she had to take to get to school, which included hiking up hills, walking through jungles, and swimming across rivers.
Ms. Sumiko had wanted to continue her education by attending Bethania High School but was encouraged by her adopted mother to focus on being a homemaker, a sentiment that was common at the time. She followed her mother’s advice and said that although she was unable to continue her education, she was able to make a life for herself and is quite content.
In 1959, Ms. Sumiko got married to Mr. Natsuo Obak and had four children. After they separated, Ms. Sumiko moved to Guam and met her second husband, Mr. Edward Yaw, a U.S. Navy serviceman.
Due to her husband Mr. Yaw’s naval duties, Ms. Sumiko was stationed with him at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, where they lived for three years (1983-1985) before moving to China Lake Naval Base in California. When she was in Japan, she loved to eat tempura and greatly admired Japan’s convenient transportation system, especially the shinkansen (bullet train), which she said has such comfortable seats and good service.
Ms. Sumiko also had the opportunity to meet her biological father, Mr. Inamine, who flew from Okinawa to visit her. Having begun studying Japanese after arriving in Yokosuka, Ms. Sumiko was able to communicate with her father in Japanese. She was also able to meet her sister’s, Ms. Fujiko and Ms. Tomiko. It was a heartwarming and memorable reunion.
Ms. Sumiko has lived in California and Virginia and visited a relative in Yokosuka after she had already moved to America. She loves traveling and has visited Canada, Germany, Italy, France, and Israel. She wishes to visit Russia and China in the near future with her son.
At the end of our interview, we asked Ms. Sumiko about her thoughts on the diplomatic relationship between Japan and Palau. She said that the diplomatic relationship between the two countries is going very well, and she wants both countries to continue to help each other.