What do Elderly Japanese and Japanese Americans Have in Common

A group of six Japanese and Japanese American elderly (age 83–102) living in a retirement community experienced 6 one-hour group sessions sharing reminiscences. Experiences of World War II, war concentration camp, being bilingual/bicultural, Japanese Saturday school, were shared and discussed. Clear evidence of inheritance of Japanese traditional virtues such as doryoku, enryo, gaman and shikataganai was observed despite the differences of their birthplace. Japanese folk songs with English phonetic translation were introduced and enjoyed. Sharing their life stories through activities such as reminiscence and songs positively influenced elders' enthusiasm in more active participation and resulted in extending their meeting hours.