Interviews
His parents had little hope that he had survived the atomic bomb
My parents were in Poston, Arizona as I mentioned. When the A Bomb was dropped, evidently they got hold of a newspaper, which had the aerial view of…totality of [the] Hiroshima area. And within that aerial view, there were rings of destruction. Like the center painted in red would be the area of total destruction. Then maybe...quarter miles later it would be 75%. I'm kind of making up the percentage, then it kind of expands out. But the problem was that we were in the first ring of total destruction. And they could pinpoint where we were exactly, because it’s a junction of two major rivers. And they'd say whoa, that's where we were living, so they had little hope that we had survived.
However, they did initiate a search through various organization to find us. And it was through the American Red Cross, several months later, it wasn’t immediate, they told us that it took them quite a bit of time. I never found out exactly what quite a bit of time is, but I would think it’s measured in months, before they found out that we have survived.
Date: September 3, 2019
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Masako Miki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Evacuation
(b.1909) Nisei from Washington. Incarcerated at Tule Lake and Minidoka during WWII. Resettled in Chicago after WWII
Conditions at Pinedale Assembly Center
(b.1909) Nisei from Washington. Incarcerated at Tule Lake and Minidoka during WWII. Resettled in Chicago after WWII
Making craft items from shells found at Tule Lake
(b.1909) Nisei from Washington. Incarcerated at Tule Lake and Minidoka during WWII. Resettled in Chicago after WWII
Working at a first aid station on Oahu after December 7
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
442 soldiers visiting U.S. concentration camps
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Teaching at the military language school during World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Devastation in Tokyo after World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Change in attitudes after World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Family's deportation from Peru to U.S. after the bombing of Pearl Harbor
(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.
Conditions aboard U.S. transport ship while being deported from Peru
(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.
Ransacking of family home by FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Witnessing father's arrest through a child's eyes
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Witnessing the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Participating in military drills in school in Japan during the war
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.