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 Baby (ddr-hmwf-1-249)

"Woman holding baby"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-hmwf-1-249/

img Girls posing (ddr-hmwf-1-314)

"June Minato, Yasuko Ideishi, Ayako Inouye, Ruby Inouye, May 31 1944"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-hmwf-1-314/

img Group Picture (ddr-hmwf-1-430)

Group of men and women posing together

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-hmwf-1-430/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Mollie Wilson from Lillian (Nobie) Igasaki (July 9, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-49)

Handwritten letter to Mollie Wilson from Lillian (Nobie) Igasaki (July 9, 1943). Envelope is postmarked July 10, 1943 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-49/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Mollie Wilson from Lillian (Nobie) Igasaki (April 14, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-47)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Lillian (Nobie) Igasaki (April 14, 1943). Envelope is postmarked April 20, 1943 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-47/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (July 14, 1944) (ddr-janm-1-113)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (July 14, 1944). Envelope is postmarked July 19, 1944 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-113/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (June 7, 1944) (ddr-janm-1-21)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (June 7, 1944). Envelope is postmarked June 7, 1944 from Chicago, Illinois.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-21/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (May 14, 1944) (ddr-janm-1-111)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (May 14, 1944). Envelope is postmarked May 15, 1944 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-111/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (March 21, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-82)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (March 21, 1943). Envelope is postmarked March 22, 1943 from the Gila River Incarceration Camp in Rivers, Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-82/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (January 19, 1945) (ddr-janm-1-116)

Handwritten letter to Mollie Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (January 19, 1945). Envelope is postmarked January 20, 1945 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-116/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Mollie Wilson from Sadae (Lillian) Nishioka (July 7, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-97)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sadae (Lillian) Nishioka (July 7, 1942). Envelope is postmarked July 9, 1942 from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-97/

doc Letter to Mollie Wilson from Sadae (Lillian) Nishioka (c. 1942) (ddr-janm-1-95)

Handwritten letter to Mollie Wilson from Sadae (Lillian) Nishioka (c. 1942) from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-95/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Violet Saito (February 16, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-72)

Handwritten letter to Mollie Wilson from Violet Saito (February 16, 1943). Envelope is postmarked February 17, 1943 from the Granada (Amache) Incarceration Camp in Amache, Colorado.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-72/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Yuri Shimokochi (July 5, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-59)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Yuri Shimokochi (July 5, 1943). Envelope is postmarked July 6, 1943 from the Heart Mountain Incarceration Camp in Cody, Wyoming.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-59/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (December 27, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-110)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (December 27, 1943). Envelope is postmarked December 31, 1943 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-110/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Violet Saito (July 1, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-75)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Violet Saito (July 1, 1943). Envelope is postmarked July 14, 1943 from the Granada (Amache) Incarceration Camp in Amache, Colorado.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-75/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Miyeko Imamura (March 2, 1944) (ddr-janm-1-66)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Miyeko Imamura (March 2, 1944). Envelope is postmarked March 2, 1944 from the Heart Mountain Incarceration Camp in Cody, Wyoming.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-66/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (August 14, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-106)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (August 14, 1943). Envelope is postmarked August 17, 1943 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-106/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (June 28, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-28)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (June 28, 1942). Envelope is postmarked June 29, 1942 from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-28/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (November 27, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-108)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (November 27, 1943). Envelope is postmarked November 29, 1943 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-108/

img Group photo (ddr-densho-258-135)

A large group of women gathered in Minidoka, with a few more women looking on from a doorway in the background. Caption below: "Minidoka Camp, Idaho."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-258-135/

img Girl wearing majorette uniform (ddr-densho-28-11)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-28-11/

doc The Harmonaires (ddr-densho-280-8)

This document outlines the history of the musical group, "The Harmonaires," starting in 1939 and following them through the war. A complete list of musicians is included.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-280-8/

doc Song lists (ddr-densho-280-13)

Two typed pages of popular song lyrics, including Christmas songs.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-280-13/

doc Co-Op News, Vol II. No. 4 (September 16, 1943) (ddr-densho-288-14)

Selected article titles: "24 Co-Op Workers to Transfer to Tule Lake" (p. 1), "Operating Statement for July Released" (p. 1), "Photo Studio to Close, Move to 2-12-EF" (p. 1).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-288-14/