Interviews
Life in the Philippines
The community of nearly 2,000 people – by the – the Pacific War started, I think many return to Japan, but still, quite a few numbers were there. And there were baseball group, judo group, small group, kendo, odori, and there were festivals – obon festivals, and parade. There’s a – a movie theater, a – a lot shops, a lot was going on.
Civilians were welcomed, but when the war became very difficult, I think that there were a lot of incidences that were negative, being, you know, like natives were attacked as well as civilian Japanese who were attacked and forced to do something they didn’t want to do, like giving up the food, and they – at the end, they did not have a good feeling toward – but during the time we left, I think the relationship was good.
Date: July 12, 2017
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Mitsue Watanabe, Yoko Nishimura, Leighton Okada
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Hearing anti-American war propaganda from a teacher
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
The hardships of life in Japan during World War II
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Neighbor took care of hotel business during the World War II
(1918-2023) Nisei Japanese kabuki dancer
Anti-Japanese sentiment at the time of World War II
(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada
Lack of political power led to camps
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Choice to move east or go to Japan
(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto
Institutionalization as a bad aspect of camp
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
State Department records show concern for treatment of Japanese American internees
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
The Kona Island community
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Remembering December 7, 1941
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Meeting Japanese Americans from the mainland in MIS
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Awareness of concentration camps as a Japanese American
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Manhunt
(1919 - 2005) Challenged the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066.