Densho
Site: https://densho.org
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 Densho offers these irreplaceable firsthand accounts, coupled with historical images, historical documents, and teacher resources, to explore principles of democracy and promote equal justice for all.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
Tadashi Ishida Collection (ddr-densho-535)
The bulk of the collections consists of letters written by Tadashi Ishida to his parents from his time in the military during WWII. Includes descriptions of his training, posting overseas to Italy during the final year of the war, and his post-war service in Italy. Several letters are from friends or family of the Ishida's written …
Collection
Lordsburg Times Collection (ddr-densho-536)
The Lordsburg Times or Lordsburg Jiho is a periodical published at the Lordsburg detention facility, written primarily in Japanese. Physical copies are held at the University of California, Los Angeles Library Special Collections.
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Satomi (Koga) Ishida Collection (ddr-densho-537)
The Satomi (Koga) Ishida Collection contains materials related to the Crystal City Association and Satomi's time at Crystal City concentration camp. The collection is primarily comprised of newsletters and letters written by Sumi Utsushigawa-Shimatsu, keeping Crystal City Association members updated on reunions, redress, fundraising efforts, and more.
Collection
Kamekichi Joseph Tokita and Haruko Ann (Suzuki) Tokita Family Collection (ddr-densho-538)
Biography documenting the life of Haruko Ann (Suzuki) Tokita from her birth to her death. The biography primarily focuses on her time as a wife, mother, and widow.
Collection
Saburo and Yoriko Kitagawa Collection (ddr-densho-539)
Collection consists primarily of photographs, documents, clippings and objects related to Saburo Kitagawa's military service with the 442nd during WWII, images of shell artwork created by Misao Kitagawa while incarcerated at Topaz Relocation Center.
Collection
Tada Family Collection (ddr-densho-540)
The Tada Family collection consists of documents, correspondence, a photo album, and a scrapbook that together chronicle the lives of the Tada family--and the Kodama family--in Seattle. These detail the family members' business at Pike Place Market, activities with school groups, social life in Seattle, military service in WWII, and their incarceration at Camp Harmony and …
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Hirota Family Collection (ddr-densho-543)
Nine photos of children and class photos taken at Minidoka Camp
Collection
Koura and Kubota Family Collection (ddr-densho-544)
The Kubota Family collection contains images documenting the family's history, including their development of the Kubota garden following their incarceration at Minidoka.
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Shimose Family Collection (ddr-densho-545)
The Shimose Family collection consists of photographs documenting life at the Jerome concentration camp as well as military training service during WWII.
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Robert Tadashi Ishii Family Collection (ddr-densho-546)
Collection of family photographs and correspondence from the Ishii family discovered in the family store El Amigo after it's sale in the 1970s.
Collection
The Japanese in Hawaii under War Conditions (ddr-densho-547)
In 1942, at the request of the Institute of Pacific Relations, Andrew Lind created the report, "The Japanese in Hawaii under War Conditions." In it, Lind noted that despite the attack on Pearl Harbor and the institution of martial law in Hawai'i, Japanese Americans had been largely spared official repression and discrimination. This was not only …
Collection
Lois (Bennett) Scholl Collection (ddr-densho-549)
The Lois (Bennett) Scholl Collection includes diaries, correspondence, and ephemera documenting Scholl's experience as a social worker assisting with the forced removal of Japanese Americans.
Collection
Mitsuye Takemiya Collection (ddr-densho-550)
The Mitsuye Takemiya Collection includes photo albums, photographs, government paperwork, correspondence, koseki, and an autograph book. These items detail Takemiya's life, including her incarceration at Manzanar and Tule Lake as well as her repatriation to Japan after World War II. During the post-war occupation of Japan, she worked for the United States government where she met …
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Masahachi Nakata Collection (ddr-densho-551)
Collection contains a portrait of Issei businessman Masahachi Nakata
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Kawauchi-Hall Family Collection (ddr-densho-553)
Collection contains photographs and written memory of a family pilgrimage to the site of Gila River in 1993 where they discovered a home base plate at the site of the old baseball field. Additionally, it contains letters regarding the display of the home plate at the Ellis-Shackelford House in 1997 and the donation of the plate …
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Shigekichi Kajiwara Collection (ddr-densho-554)
Biography of Shigekichi Kajiwara's life, with a focus on his incarceration during World War II at Fort Missoula, Lordsburg, and Santa Fe.
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Eleanor (Spainer) Fitzgerald Collection (ddr-densho-556)
A collection of 21 photographs from Eleanor (Spainer) Fitzgerald, an obstetrics nurse at Rohwar from 1944-1945.
Collection
Kuwada Family Colletion (ddr-densho-560)
Collection consists primarily of a report with personal narratives and associated documents from the Kuwada family experiences at Assembly Centers and Minidoka and Tule Lake Camps, including 1942 Minidoka yearbook and program from Tule Lake Pilgrimage.
Collection
Hiroshi and Lillie (Yamato) Komai Collection (ddr-densho-562)
The Hiroshi and Lillie (Yamato) Komai Collection consists of the couple's wedding scrapbook, which contains ephemera from their bridal shower, wedding, and first anniversary. Mainly consisting of cards to the couple in celebration of their union. Additionally, the scrapbook contained the couple's vows and photographs from their honeymoon, a road trip in California. Finally, there are …
Collection
Ben Mayewaki Collection (ddr-densho-563)
The collection contains materials from and related to Ben Mayewaki time serving the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) at Fort Snelling in Minnesota, with the 5th Air Force Headquarters in Brisbane, Australia, and in the New Guinea campaign. In 1944 Ben was reassigned to Military Intelligence in Washington DC and attached to the Pentagon. While in D.C. …
Collection
National Archives and Records Administration: Sailing Lists of Repatriates and Persons Returning to Hawaii (ddr-densho-564)
Lists of Japanese civilians repatriated to Japan or returned to Hawaii
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Rutaro and Katsu (Yokobori) Fujii Family Collection (ddr-densho-578)
Collection consists of academic work on textiles by Sally Katsuyo (Fujii) Domoto from 1938-1940. Documents related to the death, funeral and estate of Katsu Fujii.
Collection
Vanessa Kanamoto Collection (ddr-densho-585)
A recording of a dance performance entitled "Shikata ga nai" choreographed by Vanessa Kanamoto.
Collection
Densho Visual History Collection (ddr-densho-1000)
This collection consists of a diverse set of interviews conducted by Densho starting in 1996. The interviews focus on many aspects of Japanese American history, from early U.S. immigration to present-day issues. The collection also includes interviews with non-Japanese American individuals who have in some way been involved in or impacted by the Japanese American experience. …
Collection
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community Collection (ddr-densho-1001)
This collection consists of interviews conducted by the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community (BIJAC). BIJAC's mission is to share with the wider community the history and culture of Japanese Americans, and to promote the safeguarding of civil and constitutional rights for all. Japanese Americans living on Bainbridge Island were the first of more than 120,000 forced …