Densho Digital Archive
Oregon Nikkei Endowment Collection
Title: Kenji J. Yaguchi Interview
Narrator: Kenji J. Yaguchi
Interviewer: Linda Tamura
Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Date: April 20, 2014
Densho ID: denshovh-ykenji-01-0009

<Begin Segment 9>

LT: Well, in August of 1942, your family moved to Minidoka, which was one of the camps prepared for Japanese Americans. You actually stayed longer at Puyallup.

KY: I stayed two months longer to tear down the barracks. Because I didn't want to go right away, I wanted to stay in Puyallup as long as I can. So we were there for two extra months, and, you know, we had to tear down a lot of barracks. Took two months to tear down all the barracks. When we got through, they took us to the train, and they drew all the curtains. All the curtains were drawn down, you couldn't see outside. That's how we came to Minidoka.

LT: Why was it that you were not able to see outside?

KY: How did it feel like? Well, kind of felt like you were a prisoner, because you couldn't see outside. Even when we got into Idaho, before we got to Minidoka, curtains were still drawn. And soldiers with fixed bayonets were walking back and forth on the aisle. And I don't think there was a single instance of any trouble, at least in... I never heard of any problems, did you? No.

LT: When you finally stopped, when the train finally stopped and you were able to look outside, you were at Twin Falls.

KY: Yeah, Eden.

LT: What did you see?

KY: Desert. [Laughs] I said, "What kind of place are we?" It was desert, sagebrush, hot and dusty.

LT: And you were taken to your living quarters at Minidoka.

KY: Yes, by trucks. Packed us in the trucks and took us into, where my family was staying. And by that time my family was staying in Block 42. And after we were there in 42 for a couple months, they moved us to 44, that's the end barracks of Minidoka, 44, where, right next to the barbed wire fence.

LT: And why was that?

KY: Why? I don't know why, 'cause we were the last to move in. And people from Tacoma, and some of the people from Portland were in Block 44.

LT: What did your living quarter look like at Minidoka?

KY: It was quite improved. The barracks were double wall, the ceiling, it would close, so we had two rooms. And if you talked in your barrack, your neighbor couldn't hear you. There was quite an improvement in the building, and all the wall was covered with a black building paper, you've probably seen the... have you ever seen the barracks? Yeah. It's covered with, it was double walled, but the outside was covered with black paper.

LT: And what about your bedding?

KY: No, we had mattresses, and we had army cots.

LT: Well, what was your daily routine at Minidoka?

KY: Okay. First thing I volunteered for, haul coal, (from the) spur, Eden, into camp, which is about six miles away, (...) I mean, coal to all the restaurants, all the kitchens. And that was a lot of fun.

LT: Well, it sounds like dirty work.

KY: Oh, yeah, it was dirty work, but you know, we enjoyed doing that because we'd get out of the camp, six miles out of the camp. There were no guards, so that was good. They left us on our own honor.

LT: And where did you deliver the coal?

KY: To the kitchens. All the kitchens in the forty-four blocks, that's what we did. Then... you don't do that all day, so I was bored, so Willie Tahara and I formed the Boy Scouts. You probably saw my card? Assistant Scoutmaster, Hunt, Idaho, 1943.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.