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Camouflage Net Weaving in Manzanar

The first job that I got was the weaving of camouflage nets and immediately managed to get ourselves into trouble. A lot of criticism from people assigned by the military to check the nets after we had woven it. We had the patterns underneath and there were two things that if you weren’t very good at it, which I wasn’t, that you did—one was to weave through both nets, the pattern net/reference net and the one you were weaving so they wouldn’t come apart once you were finished, and the other was to make mistakes. I could see them take the net we worked on and put it on the ground and these men would stride around and look at it, finding mistakes all over the place. That was my first job.


California camouflage concentration camps Manzanar concentration camp United States World War II World War II camps

Date: August 6, 1998

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Janice Tanaka

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio
Iwao Takamoto (April 29, 1925 – January 8, 2007) was a legendary animator for Walt Disney and Hanna Barbera, most famously designing Scooby Doo in the late sixties. Incarcerated at Manzanar after graduating high school, Iwao leveraged his art skills into a job at Disney upon returning to Los Angeles, working on classic animated films like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. He would go on to mentor other Japanese American animators such as Willie Ito, who worked with him on Lady and the Tramp. After leaving Disney for Hanna-Barbera in 1962, Iwao continued animating, as well as producing and directing films like Charlotte's Web (1973) until his retirement. (June 2021)
Archie Miyatake
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Miyatake,Archie

His father describes the importance of photographing camp life

(1924-2016) Photographer and businessman.

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Impact of Pearl Harbor on her family

(b. 1934) Writer

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Initial impact on life at camp

(b. 1934) Writer

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

The birth of a novel through a conversation with her nephew

(b. 1934) Writer

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George Abe
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Abe,George

Realizing Importance of Birthplace

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

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Roy H. Matsumoto
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Matsumoto,Roy H.

Mixed emotions after declaration of war on Japan

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

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George Abe
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Abe,George

Honing Artistic Talent at Camp

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

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Roy H. Matsumoto
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Matsumoto,Roy H.

Train ride to Jerome Relocation Center

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

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Roy H. Matsumoto
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Matsumoto,Roy H.

Atmosphere in his Merrill’s Marauders unit when surrounded by Japanese soldiers

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Not a "camp story" but a human story

(b. 1934) Writer

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Grace Aiko Nakamura
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Nakamura,Grace Aiko

Larry designing chairs in the camp

Sister of automotive designer Larry Shinoda

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Richard Kosaki
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Kosaki,Richard

Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

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Art Shibayama
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Shibayama,Art

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.

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Art Shibayama
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Shibayama,Art

Conditions aboard U.S. transport ship while being deported from Peru

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

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Roger Shimomura
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Shimomura,Roger

Receiving a negative reaction from father upon asking about World War II experience

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor

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