Social and recreational activities

Japanese Americans found ways to fill the long days created by the enforced idleness of camp life. They made jewelry from shells found in the desert, built furniture for their rooms using scrap lumber and renovated the exteriors of their barracks. People also played cards, chess, checkers, mahjongg, and the Japanese games 'go' and 'shogi.' Camp inmates held dances, concerts, plays, and arts and crafts exhibitions. In Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho, they even held a beauty contest to select the "Sweetheart of Minidoka."

World War II (231)
Concentration camps (1434)
Social and recreational activities (1155)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Arts and crafts in camp, Music in camp

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1155 items

img Kids dressed as Native Americans (ddr-manz-7-68)

Caption on reverse: "Arthur Yamada, Hideo Kawaguchi, George Hikiji, Bob Komura, Duchie Nagai, Kenji Nakamichi."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-68/

img Children playing with a ball in camp (ddr-manz-7-20)

Caption on reverse: "Naomi, Milly."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-20/

img Woman holding a snowball next to a sign (ddr-manz-7-101)

Caption on reverse: "Melva Nielsen, Tues., Feb. 22, 1944. After the blizzard, still snowing."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-101/

img Kids dressed in "Mexican" outfits (ddr-manz-7-66)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-66/

img Group of women eating watermelon (ddr-manz-7-40)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-40/

img Children playing recorders (ddr-manz-7-48)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-48/

img Women in the snow (ddr-manz-7-92)

Caption on reverse: "Martha Shoaf, Feb. 22, 1944, Manzanar after the blizzard."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-92/

img Boys dressed in costumes (ddr-manz-7-69)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-69/

img Students at dance practice (ddr-manz-7-67)

Caption on reverse: "Pageant '44."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-67/

img Group of children dressed as pirates (ddr-manz-7-7)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-7/

img Women on a hiking trip (ddr-manz-7-93)

Caption on reverse: "Lucy Gratch, Mt. Whitney, Sept. '43."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-93/

img Three people playing in the snow (ddr-manz-7-77)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-7-77/

doc Letter to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (October 6, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-29)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (October 6, 1942).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-29/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Mollie Wilson from Lillian (Nobie) Igasaki (March 31, 1944) (ddr-janm-1-51)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Lillian (Nobie) Igasaki (March 31, 1944). Envelope is postmarked April 1, 1944 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-51/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (April 3, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-15)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (April 3, 1943). Envelope is postmarked April 5, 1943 from the Granada (Amache) Incarceration Camp in Amache, Colorado.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-15/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Miyeko Imamura (December 16, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-64)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Miyeko Imamura (December 16, 1942). Envelope is postmarked February 20, 1943 from the Heart Mountain Incarceration Camp in Cody, Wyoming.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-64/

doc Greeting card (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (July 1, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-34)

Greeting card to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (July 1, 1943). White card with illustration in green of a sign and cacti. The sign reads "Greetings from Poston" on the front of card. Envelope is postmarked July 2, 1943 from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-34/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (November 15, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-13)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (November 15, 1942). Envelope is postmarked November 18, 1942 from the Granada (Amache) Incarceration Camp in Amache, Colorado.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-13/

doc Letter to Molly Wilson from Yuri Shimobochi (August 1, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-56)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Yuri Shimobochi (August 1, 1942). Letter is from the Heart Mountain Incarceration Camp in Cody, Wyoming.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-56/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (December 26, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-104)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (December 26, 1942). Envelope is postmarked December 30, 1942 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-104/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (July 17, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-16)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (July 17, 1943). Envelope (addressed "The 'Flea' ") is postmarked July 19, 1943 from the Granada (Amache) Incarceration Camp in Amache, Colorado.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-16/

img Jewelry made in camp (ddr-densho-2-49)

This corsage pin was made by Peggie Yorita, a Japanese American at the Tule Lake concentration camp. The flowers and leaves are composed of shells found at the camp. Tule Lake was drained in the early 1900s. The camp was located on the old lake bed, where people found shells for making jewelry to sell to …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-2-49/

img Japanese American and friend digging for shells (ddr-densho-2-60)

Jimmie Yorita (right) digs for shells used by people in camp to make jewelry. His sister, Patsy (left), and Neal Frost, son of one of the camp's teachers, sift the dirt. Tule Lake was drained in the early 1900s. The camp was located on the old lake bed, where camp inmates found shells for making jewelry …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-2-60/

img Corsage made of shells (ddr-densho-2-4)

This corsage pin was made by a Japanese American in camp. The flower petals and leaves are made from various types of shells found at the camp. She used toothbrush bristles dipped in cornmeal for stamens and wound the stems by hand with fine green thread. Wire from screen windows was used to put the pin …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-2-4/

img Japanese American and friend sifting for shells (ddr-densho-2-59)

Patsy Yorita (left) and Neal Frost, (son of a teacher at the Tule Lake concentration camp), sift dirt for shells. The shells were used by people in the camp to make jewelry. Tule Lake was drained in the early 1900s. The camp was located on the old lake bed, where people found shells for making jewelry …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-2-59/