Topics
Facilities
Format
Genre
Usage

Use <Ctrl> or (⌘) keys to select multiple terms

4981 items

Narrator Fumiko Hayashida

Nisei female. Born January 21, 1911, in Winslow, Washington. Grew up in Japan and the Fletcher's Bay area of Bainbridge Island, Washington. Member of the first group of Japanese Americans to be forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated. Incarcerated at Manzanar concentration camp, California, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho, while pregnant and caring for two …

Narrator Ruth Y. Okimoto

Nisei female. Born April 15, 1936, in Tokyo, Japan. Brought to the United States with parents at the age of one, and grew up in San Diego, California, where father was a minister. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After the war, forged connections …

Narrator Yasu Koyamatsu Momii

Nisei female. Born October 23, 1921, in Seattle, Washington. Moved to Los Angeles, California, with family around age six. Had graduated from high school and was attending a trade school in dressmaking when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Gila River concentration camp, Arizona. …

Narrator Hisaji Q. Sakai

Nisei male. Born February 28, 1925, in San Francisco, California. Grew up in San Francisco, where parents had a grocery store business. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, moved to Iowa to attend college and avoid the mass incarceration. Attended college in Nebraska and Michigan. Drafted into the Military Intelligence Service and served in Japan during …

Narrator John Y. Hayakawa

Nisei male. Born April 2, 1918, in San Francisco, California. Grew up in San Jose, California, where father ran a farm. Was an active member of the Japanese American Citizens League and helped to run the San Jose office after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly …

Narrator Yoshimitsu Suyematsu

Nisei male. Born May 30, 1927, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Grew up on Bainbridge, where parents ran a strawberry farm. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California, then transferred to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, returned to Bainbridge for a time and then volunteered for the military, serving in …

Narrator Mae Kanazawa Hara

Nisei female. Born May 21, 1913, in Seattle, Washington. Spent childhood in Seattle before moving to Chicago, Illinois, for three years to study music. Taught music in Japan for four years before returning to Seattle. After the outbreak of World War II, removed to Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp with …

Narrator Wally Yonamine

Nisei-han male. Born June 24, 1925, in Maui, Hawaii. Grew up in a small village on a sugar plantation. Played football in high school, transferring to Honolulu. Signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 1947, but ended football career with an injury. In 1951, signed with the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, the first American to play in …

Narrator Hikoji Takeuchi

Nisei male. Born December 18, 1921, in Los Angeles, California. Parents owned and operated a restaurant. Father passed away prior to the onset of World War II, so mother was responsible for preparing the family to move to camp. Removed to Manzanar concentration camp, California, and in 1942, was shot by a military police officer while …

Narrator Joe Ishikawa

Nisei male. Born July 29, 1919, in Los Angeles, California. Went to live in Japan as a college student, returning just prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Granada concentration camp, Colorado, before leaving to attend the University of Nebraska. Worked as a curator in the …

Narrator James A. Nakano

Nisei male. Born November 12, 1933, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Grew up in Honolulu, and was nine years old when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Father was arrested by the FBI, and family went to the concentration camp at Jerome, Arkansas, to reunite with him. Transferred to Tule Lake, California, following the so-called "loyalty questionnaire." After the war, …

Narrator Misako Shigekawa

Nisei female. Born January 2, 1909, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in California, attending the University of Southern California before World War II and graduating with a degree in pharmacy. Married and was living in Terminal Island, California, when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After being removed from Terminal Island, moved to …

Narrator Art Okuno

Nisei male. Born September 15, 1921, in San Francisco, California. Grew up in San Francisco, and was attending the University of California at Berkeley when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Removed with family to the Pomona Assembly Center, California, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. While in Heart Mountain, served as scoutmaster …

Narrator Harry K. Yoshikawa

Nisei male. Born June 26, 1922, in Montebello, California. Grew up in California, spending a short time in Japan prior to World War II. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, moved to Denver, Colorado, during the "voluntary evacuation" period designated by the U.S. government. Arrested after refusing to report for military service after being drafted. Tried …

Narrator Aiko Tengan Tokunaga

Nisei female. Born September 8, 1943, in Naha, Okinawa, to a Nisei mother born in Hawaii and father from mainland Japan. Father was killed during World War II while serving in Okinawa in Japan's medical corps. Aiko barely survived infancy due to the devastation in Okinawa during the war. Moved to Los Angeles at the age …

Narrator Yutaka Inokuchi

Nisei male. Born August 25, 1924, in Waipahu, Hawaii. Grew up on the Waipahu sugar plantation where parents worked. Was attending Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Father was picked up by the FBI and eventually interned in the Honouliuli POW camp. Mr. Inokuchi got a job in the …

Narrator Frank K. Omatsu

Nisei male. Born March 31, 1924, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles where father worked as a produce buyer. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. Left camp to work in Chicago, and was drafted into the military. Served with the Military …

Narrator Miyoko Kaneta

Nisei female. Born December 16, 1926, in El Centro, California. Grew up in various places in California, where parents owned a barbershop. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed with her family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, resettled in Hazelton, Idaho, and Oakland, California, before moving to Seattle, Washington. After the war, …

Narrator Ben Takeshita

Nisei male. Born August 2, 1930, in San Mateo, California. During World War II, removed with family to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. Due to parents' answers on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire," transferred to Tule Lake when it was designated a segregation center. After leaving camp, returned to San Mateo, …
Tetsuo Nomiyama Interview Segment 3 (ddr-densho-1000-279-3)
vh Tetsuo Nomiyama Interview Segment 3 (ddr-densho-1000-279-3)
Returning to the United States after avoiding military conscription in Japan

Participating in this interview is Mr. Paul Minerich, who is Mr. Nomiyama's son-in-law. An attorney, Mr. Minerich headed the effort to clear his father-in-law's name regarding his wartime court martial conviction. This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of …

Letter from Kamekichi and Sueno Nakano to Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine, June [9?] 1948 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-251)
doc Letter from Kamekichi and Sueno Nakano to Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine, June [9?] 1948 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-251)
A letter from Kamekichi and Sueno Nakano in Hiroshima, Japan to Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. The letter is singed by both Kamekichi and Sueno, but it appears that it is written by Sueno Nakano. In the letter, Sueno notes that her requested items have arrived and thanks the Okines for them. She has shared tobacco and …
Letter from Kamekichi Nakano to Mr. S. Okine, [February?], 1948 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-255)
doc Letter from Kamekichi Nakano to Mr. S. Okine, [February?], 1948 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-255)
A letter from Sueno Nakano in Hiroshima, Japan to her sister, Tomeyo Okine. The letter is mailed under her husband's name, Kamekichi Nakano. In the letter, Sueno laments her struggles and grieves for the losses of Sunada family members [Tomeyo and Sueno's parent's family]. In losing their four brothers, Sueno takes over the responsibilities for the …

Narrator Hideo Hoshide

Nisei male. Born September 25, 1917, in Tacoma, Washington. Grew up in Tacoma except for living in Japan for several years at age four. Attended the University of Washington in Seattle, majoring in Political Science, Far Eastern Studies, with a minor in journalism. Prior to World War II, worked as sports editor for community newspaper, The …
Photograph and article regarding Kocho Otani and others (ddr-njpa-4-1900)
doc Photograph and article regarding Kocho Otani and others (ddr-njpa-4-1900)
Article [translation]: "Anxious about ship employees on strike. 300 Japanese Americans come back to Hawaii. Head of Higashi Honganji and his wife call at port. Arrival of the ship Wilson in port. The Wilson, which carries 781 passengers, entered pier 8 at 10 a.m. this morning. The vessel arrived at the pier two hours behind schedule. …
Shiro Otsuji posing next to a display case of dolls (ddr-njpa-4-1701)
img Shiro Otsuji posing next to a display case of dolls (ddr-njpa-4-1701)
Caption on reverse [translation]: "To [?] College in Oakland. Shiro Otsuji presents dolls displayed at Girls Festival. Shiro Otsuji said that he sent dolls from the Girls Festival and their display stand to [?] College in Oakland in the U.S. He spoke about this through Ambassador [?]. These dolls were made by Toku Yoshi, a doll …
API