1. Topics

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 (283)
Concentration camps (2384)
Social and recreational activities (1262)

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

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1262 items
Y. B. Council (ddr-densho-37-1513)
img Y. B. Council (ddr-densho-37-1513)
Included annotation: C-604.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1513/
Tule Lake band (ddr-densho-37-132)
img Tule Lake band (ddr-densho-37-132)
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-132/
Japanese Americans climbing Castle Rock (ddr-densho-37-178)
img Japanese Americans climbing Castle Rock (ddr-densho-37-178)
Original WRA caption: Tule Lake Relocation Center, Newell, California. A pleasant Sunday afternoon's recreation is spent by evacuee winter sports enthusiasts, on the slopes of Castle Mountain. Homemade sleds and various other homemade pieces of equipment were used by these young people.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-178/
Japanese Americans swimming in irrigation canal (ddr-densho-37-326)
img Japanese Americans swimming in irrigation canal (ddr-densho-37-326)
Original WRA caption: Swimming hole located south of warehouse area adjacent to the North Side Irrigation Canal which may be seen at upper right. Water flows from canal into pool and out again. The average depth of the pool is 6 feet.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-326/
Majorette at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1255)
img Majorette at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1255)
Included annotation: X-202, Hospital Silver Tea Party 12/5, Majorette Rosy Takeshita.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1255/
Serving tea at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1253)
img Serving tea at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1253)
Included annotation: W-208. Hospital Silver Tea Party 12/5, Serving Tea.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1253/
Boy Scout Headquarters (ddr-densho-37-773)
img Boy Scout Headquarters (ddr-densho-37-773)
Original WRA caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. "Amache District Headquarters, Boy Scouts of America, Granada Relocation Center."
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-773/
Queen of Hunt High School (ddr-densho-37-4)
img Queen of Hunt High School (ddr-densho-37-4)
Original WRA caption: Queen of Hunt High School May Day Festival being crowned by Richard A. Pomeroy, Supt. of Education, is shown with her attendants. The court was chosen by popular vote in a contest sponsored by the student body. Left to right: Pri[n]ce Victor Fujioka, Princess Dorothy Sugawara, Mr. Pomeroy, Queen Betty Aoki, Princess Sue …
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-4/
Japanese American making jewelry (ddr-densho-37-547)
img Japanese American making jewelry (ddr-densho-37-547)
Original WRA caption: Rohwer Relocation Center, McGehee, Arkansas. Among the unusual hobbies to be found in the relocation center, whose residents are former west coast persons of Japanese ancestry, is this former Californian's semi-precious stone cutting. He has prepared much interesting jewelry from bits of unusual stone picked up on the center grounds.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-547/
Art class (ddr-densho-37-509)
img Art class (ddr-densho-37-509)
Original WRA caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. An adult art class under the direction of Tokio Ueyama, working in pencil sketch charcoals and oils. Adult art classes are extremely popular at the Amache Center.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-509/
Camp band performance (ddr-densho-37-681)
img Camp band performance (ddr-densho-37-681)
Original WRA caption: Norakuro band. This is called a harmonica band although harmonicas are augmented by an equal number of other instruments. The organization including the name is patterned after Borrah Minnevitch's Harmonica Rascals. The band plays for center dances and is very popular. They play both American and Japanese music, often putting Japanese lyrics to …
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-681/
Objects on display (ddr-densho-37-1228)
img Objects on display (ddr-densho-37-1228)
Included annotation: S-204, Exhibits.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1228/
USO exhibit (ddr-densho-37-1230)
img USO exhibit (ddr-densho-37-1230)
Included annotation: S-206, Exhibits.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1230/
Japanese Americans climbing Castle Rock (ddr-densho-37-177)
img Japanese Americans climbing Castle Rock (ddr-densho-37-177)
Original WRA caption: A pleasant Sunday afternoon's recreation is spent by evacuee winter sports enthusiasts, on the slopes of Castle Mountain. Home made sleds and various other home made pieces of equipment were used by these young people.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-177/
Shrine on display (ddr-densho-37-1231)
img Shrine on display (ddr-densho-37-1231)
Included annotation: S-207, Exhibits.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1231/
Sweetheart of Minidoka and attendants (ddr-densho-37-674)
img Sweetheart of Minidoka and attendants (ddr-densho-37-674)
Original WRA caption: Sweetheart of Minidoka and her attendants chosen by popular vote in St. Valentine's Day contest sponsored by the Minidoka Irrigator, center newspaper. Standing left to right: Kiyoka Kumagai, Amy Hidaka, Mona Saito, Chickie Ishihara. Seated left to right: Misao Hayashida, Ise Inozuka, Mary Jane Kinoshita.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-674/
Dietitian aids walking to a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1258)
img Dietitian aids walking to a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1258)
Included annotation: X-205, Hospital Silver Tea Party.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1258/
Art on exhibit (ddr-densho-37-1227)
img Art on exhibit (ddr-densho-37-1227)
Included annotation: S-203, Exhibits.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1227/
Actors seated on a stage (ddr-densho-37-1234)
img Actors seated on a stage (ddr-densho-37-1234)
Included annotation: T-202, Play.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1234/
Carolers at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1252)
img Carolers at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1252)
Included annotation: W-207, Hospital Silver Tea Party, 12/5, Christmas carol choirs.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1252/
Camp flower garden (ddr-densho-37-323)
img Camp flower garden (ddr-densho-37-323)
Original WRA caption: Evacuee flower garden.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-323/
Musicians at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1256)
img Musicians at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1256)
Included annotation: X-203, Hospital Silver Tea Party 12/5, Mr. Yagura Violinist, Mrs. Yagura Piano accompanist.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1256/
Japanese American and handmade cabinet (ddr-densho-37-357)
img Japanese American and handmade cabinet (ddr-densho-37-357)
Original caption: Shinkichi Kiyono, 56, evacuee from Longview, Washington, exhibits the cabinet which won him first prize (a carpenter's plane) in a furniture building contest. All pieces of furniture were made from scrap lumber.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-357/
Canal inductees outside building (ddr-densho-37-1498)
img Canal inductees outside building (ddr-densho-37-1498)
Included annotation: A-608, Canal Inductee, 6/7.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1498/
Tule Lake symphony (ddr-densho-37-133)
img Tule Lake symphony (ddr-densho-37-133)
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-133/
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