Michael Doi was born on May 25, 1920, in Camarillo, CA. Later the family moved to Oxnard, CA, when Michael was five years old. On December 7, Michael went to Los Angeles to watch a movie, and news of Pearl Harbor was announced. During this time,…
Yoshisuke Jack Kunitomi begins the interview by giving background information about his family. Next, he discusses his father's occupation and going to picnics with his mother. Lastly, he talks about the sorts of activities that Issei and Nisei…
Tom Shigetoki Umeda was born on August 25, 1916, in Los Angeles, CA. Tom's parents met through an arranged marriage in Japan. Previously, Tom's father worked on a farm in Hiroshima, Japan. After moving to the United States, he started a fruit stand…
Taira Fukushima discusses the importance of family. For example, when he is a student, he gets a paper route job, and with the money earned, he shares it with the family. In the 1930s, there was a notion that tuberculosis was hereditary. By getting…
Shiosaki begins the interview giving an introduction of himself and his family and how they came from Japan and ended up in Idaho. His father would work on the railroads and the family would live in railroad housing in Fort Hall and in Blackfoot. He…
In October 1949, Ray Mayeda worked at the Civil Censorship until it was dissolved. Then Ray worked at Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS) as a translator. He translated classified documents into English for a year.
Oishi continues his recollection of his time arriving in Japan during the military occupation. He would arrive in Yokosuka and head to Camp Zama, where he would see the devastation of Tokyo and the conditions for the Japanese civilians. Next, he…
Chiye (Hayashi) Watanabe, Seiichi Nakawatase, and Henry Hayashi recall celebrating New Year during their childhood. The families would get together and make mochi. New Year is like a social event.
Fujimoto begins his interview with a short introduction of himself and speaking about his family background. He would grow up in southern California on various farms that his father would work on. Unfortunately, his father would pass away at a young…
Nagano begins the interview talking about his family background and his grandfather immigrating from Japan to Canada. The family would enjoy success there but Nagano's father decided he wanted to pursue opportunities in California. He would move to…
Minoru Miyasaki recalls the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. When President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, Minoru and his family went to Tanforan on a Greyhound Bus. The Miyasaki family left their belongings with Mr. Driscoll. However, in 1946…
Robert "Bob" Takashi Sugimoto is from the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). He is born on November 28, 1919, in Watsonville, California. In 1906, his parents immigrated to the United States from Japan. Robert has four sisters and three…
Kimura would graduate from high school at the young age of 16 and would move out on his own to Waimea in Kauai. He would continue playing baseball and football, but would also work as a carpenter. Next, while practicing for an upcoming baseball game,…
Leo Morishita is born December 24, 1923, in Shelley, Idaho. Leo's parents are from Hiroshima, Japan, and immigrates to the United States for a better life. When Leo's father arrives in the United States, he works on the railroad and later becomes a…
Shigeo Iwamasa is born November 12, 1923, in Waihee-Waiehu, Maui. Shigeo's father is an Issei from Yamaguchi Prefecture Japan, and his mother is from Hilo, Hawaii. Shigeo has five brothers and a sister.
Fujimoto talks about moving to a different house after high school, discusses his siblings, and talks about how his sister helped him with school work. He then talks about food he ate during his childhood, his family’s religion, attending Japanese…
Kawanishi begins the interview with an introduction and talking about his family that immigrated from Japan to Los Angeles. He would briefly go back to Japan and then return where he would fish with his father and get involved with various sports…
Yoroku Ito is born on January 31, 1922, in Puunene, an island of Maui. Yoroku and his family live in camp five on a sugar plantation. The house is comfortable for five children and two adults. Yoroku explains the camps are segregated and sectioned by…
Miyamoto begins the interview speaking about his background and his life growing up in Hilo, Hawaii. He would help his grandfather run a bathhouse and spend his free time going down to the beach to catch crabs. Next, he talks about his family…
William Yoshito Thompson discusses going to Schofield and going overseas to the Mainland to Camp Shelby. At Camp Shelby, William is assigned to the 2nd Battalion Head Quarters and later to the Antitank Company.
William Yoshito Thompson is a World War Two veteran who volunteered for the 442nd (Head Quarters 2nd Battalion). He is born March 15, 1924, in Hilo, Hawaii. His father is from Scotland, Ireland, and moved to Hawaii. He remains a British subject and…
Thomas Ukichi Wozumi is born July 24, 1918, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father Utaro Wozumi, and mother, Otsuru Yamamoto Wozumi are Issei from Japan. He has two older siblings, Mildred and James.
James Murata stopped attending Japanese Language School in high school to help his parents in the fields harvesting carrots. He discusses his obligation to help his parents in farming. If there were any family outings, the family would pay. Unlike…
Don Miyada is born on May 21, 1925, in Oceanside, California. Don's parents are Raiju Miyada and Masu Miyada, who both emigrated to the United States from Japan. Don shares his childhood memories working on the farm, school, holiday, and morals and…
Kiyoji "Jonah" Morimoto discusses his home life and childhood in Hawaii. His family is Buddhist and goes to church on the weekends. Coming from a fisherman family, his meals at home consist of fish. At an early age, he learns not to eat fishes with…
Masato Eddy Kurushima records his childhood through his drawings. He shows an illustration about his home life. During Christmas and New Year's time, the family makes mochi. Making mochi on special occasions is a Japanese tradition that Eddy's…
Masato Yamashita's interview is with Lloyd Fujitani.
Masato Mauch Yamashita is born on December 27, 1924, in Lodi, CA. Lloyd Katsuto Fujitani is born January 1, 1917, in Lodi, CA. Both Masato and Lloyd are with 442nd Company I. Masato, and Lloyd's…
George Mitsuru Matsunaga was born on May 28, 1925, in Wailuku, Maui. George had many positive influences that shaped him during his informal educational years. At home, his parents taught him filial piety and to study hard. In English school and…
Ida talks more about his experiences at Camp Shelby, eating fried chicken and catfish at the local restaurants. Shortly after, they would be sent overseas in a convoy, first landing in Oran before arriving in Naples. They would head up to…
Ida continues to talk about what it was like to grow up in Hawaii, including purchasing a home after high school. He also talks about living in a small town and knowing everybody, while he would attend both english and Japanese school. He talks about…
Kawagoye begins the interview talking about his family and how they immigrated from Kagoshima to Los Angeles. It was in Santa Monica that his father would first open a restaurant, followed by becoming a gardener in the West LA area. Mitsunori would…
Inada talks more about his family background, including his mother's interests and discipline as a housewife and the languages they spoke in their household. He would grow up in the Great Depression, but still enjoy going to the movies and joining…
Kenneth Inada begins the interview talking about his childhood home and what it was like to grow up in Honolulu. He would be immersed in Japanese culture and ethics, watching Japanese movies and attending Japanese language school after his normal…
Matsushita begins the interview talk about his childhood and growing up in Idaho. He would work on his family's farm while attending school and doing a large variety of chores. He talks about his high school years and then about his whereabouts…
Oye discusses the music and dance that she was involved with, traveling all the way down to Long Beach to perform. Next, she talks about her childhood home and the various things she was involved with as a kid, which included such things as skating,…
Oda talks about his career work after graduating from University of Hawaii with Pan-American Airlines. Next, he talks about the recreational activities he did as a child, including fishing and going to the movies. After getting married, he would…
Nakamura discusses life in Hawaii during the war time, including martial law and heavy food rations. He talks about the various restrictions that the civilians had, and the few things that they would do for fun, such as going to the movies. He then…
Oshita talks about the sports she was involved with and the recreational activities during her childhood, where she was intrigued with basketball and swimming and her family would have picnics to "talk stories". She would also correspond with her…
Takahashi begins the interview speaking about his family background and how his parents came to settle in Gresham, Oregon and then moved to Vancouver, Washington. Next, he talks about what it was like to grow up in Washington during the Great…
Saito discusses home life, living conditions, and farming lifestyle. Saito helps his Father in the Farm Trucking and describes how Japanese Merchant deals with payment and trade. He socializes more with the Japanese Community more due to work and…
At Camp Savage, Yoshio Izumi is assigned to Headquarter Company and does clerical work. He is tasked with morning reports and supplies inventory. Yoshio recalls being inducted at the same time as John Aiso and seeing him at basic training at Fort…
Ken Nihei was born in 1925 in Sacramento, CA. Ken grew up in Sacramento until he was seven years old and moved to Hayward (Bay Area) during the Great Depression.
Ken's father immigrated to the United States from Fukushima-ken, Japan, to help his…
Umeda continues to talk about his language training at Fort Snelling with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), talking about the living conditions of the barracks and being classified as a translator. After this, he would be sent overseas, first…
Hashisaka begins the interview talking about his life, growing up on Kauai and moving to Honolulu and attending McKinley High School. He then talks about his family background, his parents came from Yamaguchi prefecture in Japan and would settle in…
Toke Yonekawa describes his childhood growing up with his mother, stepfather, and siblings in a multiracial neighborhood in Guadalupe, California. He talks about what it was like growing up in the Depression and how everyone he knew were in a similar…
After arriving in Germany, Sakamoto would begin his time with occupational forces, where he would end up going to clerical school, being a typist in Heidelberg. After this, he talks about meeting his wife, while working as a typist. They would court…
Sakamoto continues talking about his time in High School, growing up with very few Japanese Americans and taking an interest in astronomy and gymnastics. Next, he talks about his whereabouts during the attacks on Pearl Harbor, not believing it at…
Kimura discusses how he came to get the nickname "Rusty" and his sports career during high school, winning a championship for the C Team. He talks about the Great Depression and having the chance to attend college in Los Angeles, but deciding against…
Sachio Takata was born on March 14, 1923, in Southern California. Sachio's father, Kizo, was from Kagoshima, Japan, and immigrated to the United States. He met Sachio’s mother, Hatsumi, from Hawaii, and they married. Sachio is the oldest of ten…
Yamashita talks more about his time at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. There, he see segregation of races for the first time and talks about some of the experiences he had there. He also talks about meeting Earl Finch and how generous he was towards the…
In this video clip, Tets Asato describes going to Japanese language school as a child. He also talks about the relationship with his siblings and family, and going to the movies with his father. He describes what his life was like when the war broke…
Since the war had ended in Europe, Akaki writes to his sister about the work he has been doing in the occupied military areas in Germany. His time has been spent in basic training, travels to some of Germany’s cities, and movie watching. He received…
In this letter to his sister, Akaki writes that he is glad to hear that she received the perfume he sent to her, as well as the news that his family was planning to move to St. Paul. He goes on to talk more about the camera that he asked to be sent…
Akaki writes from “Somewhere in Italy” – he is not allowed to disclose their location due to military regulation. He describes the weather in Italy, and about the Italian natives who try to barter with the American soldiers for cigarettes and…
