Religion

Japanese Americans used religion as one way to handle the stress of the incarceration experience. Church served as both a spiritual comfort and a place for community gatherings. On Sundays, Buddhist and Christian services and Sunday schools were held in the recreation halls. State Shintoism was another popular religion within the Japanese American community but was banned by the U.S. government on the grounds that it included "Emperor worship." Church services initially were given in both Japanese and English, but camp authorities later banned the use of Japanese at all group gatherings (although translation into Japanese was later permitted at some religious services).

World War II (283)
Concentration camps (2078)
Religion (282)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Paul M. Nagano

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282 items

img Group photograph in front of barracks (ddr-fom-1-80)

This group was involved in church activities at Minidoka.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-80/

img The Kinoshita Family meeting visitors at the Minidoka main gate (ddr-fom-1-429)

Left to right: Chuck Kinoshita, Fred Suyekichi Kinoshita, Mary Kinoshita, Akino Kinoshita, unknown, unknown, Father Leopold Tibesar.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-429/

img Group photograph inside a camp building (ddr-fom-1-109)

This group was involved in church activities at Minidoka.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-109/

img Group gathered in front of an outdoor cross in camp (ddr-fom-1-99)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-99/

img Christian choir at Minidoka (ddr-fom-1-420)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-420/

img Church choir members (ddr-fom-1-93)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-93/

img Buddhist service in camp (ddr-fom-1-95)

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

img Group photograph in front of barracks (ddr-fom-1-79)

This group was involved in church activities at Minidoka.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-79/

img Buddhist service in camp (ddr-fom-1-88)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-88/

img Four women posing for a photograph (ddr-fom-1-74)

These women were involved in church activities at Minidoka.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-74/

img Group photograph inside a camp church (ddr-fom-1-83)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-83/

img Christian choir at Minidoka (ddr-fom-1-421)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-421/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Mollie Wilson from Mary Murakami (December 25, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-32)

Handwritten letter to Mollie Wilson from Mary Murakami (December 25, 1942). Envelope is postmarked December 20, 1942 from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-32/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (February 26, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-33)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (February 26, 1943). Envelope is postmarked February 27, 1943 from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-33/

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 Mary Murakami (June 2, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-30)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (June 2, 1942). Envelope is postmarked June 4, 1942 from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-30/

img Concentration camp church (ddr-densho-28-15)

United Christian Church of Tule Lake.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-28-15/

img Cross made by Japanese Americans at Tule Lake (ddr-densho-28-5)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-28-5/

img Buddhist funeral (ddr-densho-39-19)

The elaborate floral wreaths and arrangements for this Buddhist funeral service were probably fashioned from paper by the camp inmates, since they did not have easy access to fresh flowers.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-39-19/

img Japanese Americans with Christian missionaries (ddr-densho-35-202)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-35-202/

img Women outside Buddhist Church (ddr-densho-402-29)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-402-29/

img Rev. L. H. Tibesar posing with the Kinoshita family at gates of Camp Minidoka, Idaho (ddr-densho-403-8)

Rev. L. H. Tibesar, Maryknoll and pastor of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Seattle posed at Minidoka Concentration Camp near Hunt, Idaho. (L to R) Y. M. McLaughlin, Charles Kinoshita, Fred Kinoshita, Mary Kinoshita, Akino Kinoshita, Jean Alexander, Rev. L. H. Tibesar. This content is copyright restricted. Densho and its partners have received permission from the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-403-8/