Meriko Maida Collection

ddr-densho-494

A memorial website to Meriko Maida's life. Includes biographical essays and photographs from Meriko's life. Meriko was born in Richmond, California to Torayoshi (Muraki) Maida and Kane Maida in 1920. She grew up in Richmond, traveling to Japan in 1937 to receive additional education. She returned to California in 1939. She and her family were incarcerated at Topaz. In 1953, Meriko traveled to Japan again to visit with friends and family.

1913-2017

1913-1919; 1937-1939; 1953-1954; 2002; 2017

48 photographs, 5 webpages

Densho

Courtesy of Meriko Miada Collection, Densho

54 Objects

M.S. Chichibu Maru (ddr-densho-494-1)
doc M.S. Chichibu Maru (ddr-densho-494-1)
Postcard of the M.S. Chichibu Maru. Caption reads, "N.Y.K. Line, M.S. Chichibu Maru 17,500 Gross Tons." Caption on webpage: "Leaving San Francisco \ Meriko traveled second class" and "The Chichibu Maru was in service 1930-1943. Was sunk by US forces en route to Singapore."
Group photograph on deck of the M.S. Chichibu Maru (ddr-densho-494-2)
img Group photograph on deck of the M.S. Chichibu Maru (ddr-densho-494-2)
Names of passengers written on photograph in Japanese and English. Caption on webpage: "Leaving San Francisco \ Meriko traveled second class" and "Among the other second-class passengers was Mitsuko Neeno (later Nishimoto) (1920-2015), with whom Meriko became friends."
Two women on the deck of a ship (ddr-densho-494-3)
img Two women on the deck of a ship (ddr-densho-494-3)
Caption on webpage: "Meriko's ocean-going conveyance for the return trip was the Tatuta Maru. Evidently, Japan's war preparations already included using female personnel on civilian ships. The subject is identified as 'Tarkie'. The ship was torpedoed by the US Navy in early 1943." and "Here, Tarkie [an officer on the ship Tatuta Maru] stands with Miss …
Portrait of Kimiko Uchita (ddr-densho-494-4)
img Portrait of Kimiko Uchita (ddr-densho-494-4)
Caption on webpage: "Kokawa Girls High School, Wakayama Prefecture, 1937-38" and "A student in Meriko's class was also an American: Kimiko Uchita, Seattle, WA."
Class photograph from Kokawa Girls High School (ddr-densho-494-5)
img Class photograph from Kokawa Girls High School (ddr-densho-494-5)
Girl on far left center circled in red is Meriko Maida. Caption on webpage: "Kokawa Girls High School, Wakayama Prefecture, 1937-38" and "Meriko said she was allowed certain privileges as a foreigner. For example, she had a permanent, strictly forbidden to native Japanese."
Photograph of ship port at Yokohama (ddr-densho-494-6)
img Photograph of ship port at Yokohama (ddr-densho-494-6)
Passengers and onlookers watch a ship from the port. Caption on webpage: "On to Tokyo" and "The evidence is that Meriko left the Wakayama area after the girls' school, and went to a kind of finishing school in the Tokyo area"
Portrait of two women in kimonos (ddr-densho-494-7)
img Portrait of two women in kimonos (ddr-densho-494-7)
Memiko (Nagase) Kato (left) and Meriko Maida (right). Caption on webpage: "Family matters, 1938" and "Meriko was asked to escort the daughter of a family friend back to the United States where both had been born: Memiko Nagase (later Kato)."
Portrait of Meriko in a kimono (ddr-densho-494-8)
img Portrait of Meriko in a kimono (ddr-densho-494-8)
Caption on webpage: "On to Tokyo" and "It is possible that Meriko was shopped around for marriage possibilities, hence the traditional dress."
Group photograph at a picnic hosted in honor of Eleanor Roosevelt's visit (ddr-densho-494-9)
img Group photograph at a picnic hosted in honor of Eleanor Roosevelt's visit (ddr-densho-494-9)
Photograph of former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt meeting with people at a garden party held in her honor. Caption on webpage: "In Tokyo \ The album begins in Tokyo with pictures with the Fukushima family. As with many other pictures in this album, Meriko's sister-in-law Haru Tokuno Fukushima appears often in travels by the two (sometimes …
Two women in front of a Torii at Yasukuni Shrine (ddr-densho-494-10)
img Two women in front of a Torii at Yasukuni Shrine (ddr-densho-494-10)
Haru (Tokuno) Fukushima (left) and Meriko Maida (right). Caption on webpage: "In Tokyo \ The album begins in Tokyo with pictures with the Fukushima family. As with many other pictures in this album, Meriko's sister-in-law Haru Tokuno Fukushima appears often in travels by the two (sometimes three, with Kozo)." and "Among their travel destinations, Haru and …

See all objects

API