Densho

Densho documents the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II before their memories are extinguished. Densho offers these irreplaceable firsthand accounts, coupled with historical images, historical documents, and teacher resources, to explore principles of democracy and promote equal justice for all.

Densho's collections contain oral histories and primary sources that document the Japanese American experience from immigration starting in the late 1800s through redress in the 1980s, with a strong focus on World War II incarceration. The archives are growing as Densho continues to record oral histories and digitize historical materials.

419 Collections

Collection Tsutomu "Tom" Fukuyama Collection (ddr-densho-462)

Acc 1: Documents containing an autobiography of Rev. Tom Fukuyama's time at Minidoka and his work as a Reverend at First Congregational Church. Also included is two newspaper clippings. One clipping contains information about the Reynolds Hotel in Seattle. Two photographs showing Betty Marie Adkins with boys and girls at Minidoka and one photograph of workers …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-462/

Collection James Komoto Collection (ddr-densho-463)

The James Komoto Collection consists of one photograph album with photographs primarily of James' friends and family at Heart Mountain and other concentration camps. The collection also includes a few photographs from before World War II and outside of the concentration camps.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-463/

Collection Frank and Kimi (Kuwahara) Komoto Collection (ddr-densho-464)

Two photo albums containing photos from Heart Mountain and immediately after returning home, primarily of the staff of the mess hall and fire department at Heart Mountain.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-464/

Collection Kim Muramoto Collection (ddr-densho-466)

Collection consists of three photo album, primarily of Kimitomo Muromoto's military service in WWII as part of the 442nd. Includes photos from training, posting in Europe and return home to the Northwest, and photos from reunions and commemorations.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-466/

Collection Murakami Family Collection (ddr-densho-467)

Collection consists of selected items from family photo album of the Mitsuko Murakami/Seigo Otani families, including several photos from Minidoka and the Otani family's relocation to Cleveland after the war.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-467/

Collection Joseph Ishikawa Collection (ddr-densho-468)

The Joseph Ishikawa collection, c.1942-2012, consists of the personal papers of Joseph Bunichi Ishikawa. Contained are unfinished drafts of stories and poems, correspondence, photograph albums, newspaper clippings, essays, diary entries, and other documents pertaining to Ishikawa’s life before, during, and after World War II. Also included are correspondence and newspaper clippings relating to Ishikawa’s work on …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-468/

Collection Kazuo Otani Collection (ddr-densho-469)

The Kazuo Otani Collection includes some of the Otani family's documents from Gila River and booklets published by the Gila News-Courier summarizing the first and second years of the time spent by inmates at Gila River. The Otani Collection also includes the 1997 memory book from the Gila River Relocation Camp reunion and booklets related to …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-469/

Collection Koji Shinsako Family Collection (ddr-densho-470)

Collection consists of 10 photos taken at Amache camp, primarily of Eiko Nancy Shinsako as a child in camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-470/

Collection Toshiyuki Robert Kubota Family Collection (ddr-densho-471)

A family photo album containing 201 pictures in total. Includes personal photos and photos gifted to the Kubota family, many of which show the family's life in Tule Lake and Rohwer.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-471/

Collection C. Moxley Featherston Collection (ddr-densho-472)

This collection contains a photograph of the Featherston family at Minidoka and the autobiographical writings of C. Moxley Featherston. Featherston was an attorney with the War Relocation Authority from 1942-1945. He served as a Project Attorney in several camps including Minidoka, Gila River, and Amache (Granada). His autobiographical writing explores the war years, how he got …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-472/

Collection Makoto Otsu Collection (ddr-densho-473)

Four photos from Makoto Otsu and family

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-473/

Collection Hashiguchi and Urakawa Family Collection (ddr-densho-474)

The Hashiguchi and Urakawa Family Collection, c. 1908-1977, consists of photographs, periodicals, and commemorative books belonging to the Hashiguchi and Urakawa family. Included are photographs of numerous Japanese-American societies, including the the Seattle Progressive Citizen League, the Tacoma Sectional YPCC, Seattle Domeki Bai, Nikkei Kai, and the JACL conventions in 1930 and 1967. The collection includes …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-474/

Collection Frank Miwa Collection (ddr-densho-475)

The collection is comprised of photographs primarily taken by Frank Miwa of family and friends before the war in the San Francisco Bay Area in California and at Poston in Arizona.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-475/

Collection Masaru Horiuchi Collection (ddr-densho-476)

Collection is comprised of three legal briefs filed in San Francisco and Los Angeles by the Japanese American Citizens League concerning Alien and Citizen civil rights, in particular related to property and immigration status, and one transcript of hearings held on Washington, D.C.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-476/

Collection Takeo and Mitsuko (Nakahara) Isoshima Family Collection (ddr-densho-477)

The Isoshima and Nakahara Family Collection is a large genealogical photo album detailing the lives of Takeo Isoshima and Mitsuko "Mitzi" (Nakahara) Isoshima, and their extended families. The album spans beyond the Issei generation in Japan, to the early 2000s. The album details the each generation of the family and their lives, with a primary focus …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-477/

Collection Warren Higa Family Collection (ddr-densho-478)

The Higa collection includes two portraits of members of the Moriguchi family and a 1973 edition of Boys' Life that includes an illustration celebrating a heroic act by 16-year-old Warren Higa. The Higa collection also includes Orville C. Shirey's book Americans: The story of the 442nd Combat Team and one of the editions of the World …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-478/

Collection Toru Miyoshi Family Collection (ddr-densho-480)

The Toru Miyoshi Family Collection includes negatives retrieved from the basement of the family’s drug store in Santa Maria, California. The collection also includes the 1934-1935 Southern California Nisei Directory, which includes information on Japanese Americans living and working in Southern California, and the 1940-1941 Commemorative Issue 2600th anniversary Yearbook and Directory, primarily for Japanese Americans …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-480/

Collection Watanabe & Kimura Family Collection (ddr-densho-481)

The Kimura collection includes a pamphlet for the dedication of the Watanabe-Kimura Apartment. The back of the pamplet depicts Paul Watanabe and Grace Watanabe's degrees in Bachelor of Arts from Hardin-Simmons University (formerly Simmons University). The collection also includes photographs of the Watanabe-Kimura apartments, the apartment building sign showing the name of the apartments, the apartment’s …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-481/

Collection Fukuda and Ikemoto Family Collection (ddr-densho-482)

The Fukuda and Ikemoto Family Collections consists of nine photographs from the familys' time incarcerated at Heart Mountain concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-482/

Collection Kenji Ima Family Collection (ddr-densho-483)

The Kenji Ima collection, c. 1919-1990, consists of the personal papers of Kenji "Ken" Ima (Imayanagita) and Mary (Fukuyama) Ima. Contains photographs, photo albums, drawings, mementos, newspaper clippings, academic records, and personal records for Kenji Ima, Paul Akira Ima, Mary (Fukuyama) Ima, Tsutomu "Tom" Fukuyama, and the Ima-Fukuyama family. Also includes several publications relating to Japanese …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-483/

Collection Ruby (Sato) Yamasaki Collection (ddr-densho-484)

Collections consists of two yearbooks from Topaz High School from 1944 and 1945 with material inserted between the pages. Inserted material includes copies of the school newspaper, correspondence, report cards, miscellaneous documents

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-484/

Collection Betty Lou Brittenham Collection (ddr-densho-485)

The Betty Lou Brittenham Collection consists of two objects pertaining to employment and residence at the Tule Lake concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-485/

Collection Mary Mon Toy Family Collection (ddr-densho-488)

Collection primarily comprised of letters and sympathy cards sent to Mary Mon Toy and Frank Watanabe at the time of the death of their mother, Mon Watanabe. Includes Mon Watanabe's will, and family photographs.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-488/

Collection Toru Araki and Umeko (Sasaki) Araki Collection (ddr-densho-490)

Two photographs of the wedding of Toru Araki and Umeko (Sasaki) Araki.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-490/

Collection Fremont JACL Collection (ddr-densho-491)

The collection consists of documents collected by the Fremont JACL (then the Washington Township JACL) with information on property ownership and agricultural work of Japanese Americans in the area in advance of the population's removal. Also included are nine scrapbooks with photos, documents, meeting notes for Fremont and South Alameda County JACL from 1949-1980.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-491/