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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 (2078)
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
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/
Tule Lake band (ddr-densho-37-132)
img Tule Lake band (ddr-densho-37-132)
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-132/
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/
Japanese American ice skating (ddr-densho-37-677)
img Japanese American ice skating (ddr-densho-37-677)
Original WRA caption: Girl skating on a frozen pond in the center.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-677/
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/
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/
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/
Block 60 exhibit (ddr-densho-37-1226)
img Block 60 exhibit (ddr-densho-37-1226)
Included annotation: S-202, Exhibits.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1226/
Canal inductees (ddr-densho-37-1491)
img Canal inductees (ddr-densho-37-1491)
Included annotation: A-607, Canal Inductee 6/7.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1491/
Dietitian aids at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1250)
img Dietitian aids at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1250)
Included annotation: W-205, Hospital Silver Tea Party, 12/5, Dietician [sic] Aides.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1250/
King of Hunt High School (ddr-densho-37-3)
img King of Hunt High School (ddr-densho-37-3)
Original WRA caption: King of Hunt High School May Day festival being crowned by Richard A. Pomeroy, Supt. of Education, is shown with his attendants. The court was chosen by popular vote in a contest sponsored by the student body. Left to right: Prince Victor Fujioka, princess Dorothy Sugawara, Mr. Pomeroy, King Johnny Okamoto, Princess Sue …
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-3/
Japanese American playing a board game (ddr-densho-37-428)
img Japanese American playing a board game (ddr-densho-37-428)
Original WRA caption: Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Heart Mountain, Wyoming. An early immigrant from Japan, now residing at Heart Mountain, after evacuation from West Coast areas, reaches for a pawn in a game of Shogi, similar in characters and playing to chess. Although previously mumbling in Japanese, startled by the camera flas, the old gent let …
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-428/
Knitting class (ddr-densho-37-134)
img Knitting class (ddr-densho-37-134)
This camp knitting class was taught by a camp inmate.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-134/
Hospital tea party guests (ddr-densho-37-1248)
img Hospital tea party guests (ddr-densho-37-1248)
Included annotation: W-203, Hospital Tea Party guests.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1248/
Japanese American carpenters (ddr-densho-37-41)
img Japanese American carpenters (ddr-densho-37-41)
Original WRA caption: Carpenters at work on the high school gym.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-41/
Drum and bugle corps (ddr-densho-37-432)
img Drum and bugle corps (ddr-densho-37-432)
Original WRA caption: Topaz, Utah. A drum and bugle corp, formerly a boy scout unit in Los Angeles, performs at the dedication of the new hospital at Topaz.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-432/
Pianist performs at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1249)
img Pianist performs at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1249)
Included annotation: W-204, Hospital Silver Tea Party, 12/5, Christmas carol choirs.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1249/
Ship model on display (ddr-densho-37-1237)
img Ship model on display (ddr-densho-37-1237)
Included annotation: T-205, Exhibit.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1237/
Children playing marbles (ddr-densho-37-831)
img Children playing marbles (ddr-densho-37-831)
Original WRA caption: Rohwer Relocation Center, McGehee, Arkansas. Three small boys compete in a staff marble game on a Sunday afternoon in Block 8.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-831/
Japanese American drama club (ddr-densho-37-135)
img Japanese American drama club (ddr-densho-37-135)
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-135/
U.S.O. show (ddr-densho-37-625)
img U.S.O. show (ddr-densho-37-625)
Original WRA caption: Jerome Relocation Center, Dermott, Arkansas. First U.S.O. [United Services Organizations] show held in the M.P.P.X. [Military Police Post Exchange].
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-625/
Japanese American making plans for a model ship (ddr-densho-37-596)
img Japanese American making plans for a model ship (ddr-densho-37-596)
Original WRA caption: Gila River Relocation Center, Rivers, Arizona. Tadao Kawate, former drafting student from Los Angeles City College, at work on plans for model ships. Blueprints, drawn to the scale of 50 feet to the inch, are supplied by the Navy but must be redrawn to the scale of 60 feet to the inch before …
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-596/
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