Ireicho room book and sotobas

Special Display

Ireichō

Stories

The Power of Irei

The Power of Irei is a series of articles written by Sharon Yamato for JANM’s Discover Nikkei website related to the Irei: The National Monument for the World War II Japanese American Incarceration. This series will honor those individuals that are listed by interviewing people personally connected to the incarceration and offer insights into the impact this project has made on their lives.

Please check back for additional stories!

Stories

October 11, 2022 - September 24, 2023

Japanese American National Museum

100 North Central Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Reservations are required at the RSVP link above.

Stories

Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration is a multi-faceted project to address the erasure of the identities of individuals of Japanese ancestry who experienced wartime incarceration and to expand the concept of what monument is through three distinct, interlinking elements: a sacred book of names as a monument (Ireichō), a website as a monument (Ireizō), and light sculptures as monuments (Ireihi).

The project is funded by the Mellon Foundation and led by Duncan Ryuken Williams, co-curator of Sutra and Bible: Faith and the Japanese American World War II Incarceration at JANM, professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, chair of the USC School of Religion, and director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture, and Project Creative Director, Sunyoung Lee. 

The Ireichō contains the first comprehensive listing of over 125,000 persons of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated in US Army, Department of Justice, Wartime Civil Control Administration, and War Relocation Authority camps. Embedded into the very materiality of the Ireichō are special ceramic pieces made from soil collected by the project from seventy-five former incarceration sites from Alaska to Hawai‘i, Arkansas to California, and from almost every other region of the United States.

The Ireizō lists those names online at ireizo.com. Visitors can search for the person’s name by name, birth year, or camp. 

Stamping of the Ireichō will require a reservation. All visitors are welcome to stamp the Ireichō. Each group may stamp up a total of up to six names per reservation. You do not have to be a former incarceree, a relative, or a descendant of a former incarceree to stamp the book. 

When filling out the reservation, please provide the names and dates of birth for the people you are stamping so that JANM can prepare for your visit. If you do not have six specific individuals, please type “NA” in the name fields. 

Camp survivors and those with special circumstances can contact the Development office at 213.830.5646 or email development@janm.org to arrange a time to stamp your name.

Visit the Stamping Instructions page for information on how to make a reservation to stamp the Ireicho book.

Reservations are required at the RSVP link above.

#Ireicho

Stories

RSVP NOW

October 11, 2022 - September 24, 2023

Japanese American National Museum

100 North Central Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Reservations are required at the RSVP link above.

Stories

Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration is a multi-faceted project to address the erasure of the identities of individuals of Japanese ancestry who experienced wartime incarceration and to expand the concept of what monument is through three distinct, interlinking elements: a sacred book of names as a monument (Ireichō), a website as a monument (Ireizō), and light sculptures as monuments (Ireihi).

The project is funded by the Mellon Foundation and led by Duncan Ryuken Williams, co-curator of Sutra and Bible: Faith and the Japanese American World War II Incarceration at JANM, professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, chair of the USC School of Religion, and director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture, and Project Creative Director, Sunyoung Lee. 

The Ireichō contains the first comprehensive listing of over 125,000 persons of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated in US Army, Department of Justice, Wartime Civil Control Administration, and War Relocation Authority camps. Embedded into the very materiality of the Ireichō are special ceramic pieces made from soil collected by the project from seventy-five former incarceration sites from Alaska to Hawai‘i, Arkansas to California, and from almost every other region of the United States.

The Ireizō lists those names online at ireizo.com. Visitors can search for the person’s name by name, birth year, or camp. 

Stamping of the Ireichō will require a reservation. All visitors are welcome to stamp the Ireichō. Each group may stamp up a total of up to six names per reservation. You do not have to be a former incarceree, a relative, or a descendant of a former incarceree to stamp the book. 

When filling out the reservation, please provide the names and dates of birth for the people you are stamping so that JANM can prepare for your visit. If you do not have six specific individuals, please type “NA” in the name fields. 

Camp survivors and those with special circumstances can contact the Development office at 213.830.5646 or email development@janm.org to arrange a time to stamp your name.

Visit the Stamping Instructions page for information on how to make a reservation to stamp the Ireicho book.

Reservations are required at the RSVP link above.

#Ireicho

The Power of Irei

Duncan and wife Ireicho

Ireichō, Kintsugi, and the Transformation of Karma: A Conversation with Project Founder Duncan Ryuken Williams

Interview with Duncan Ryuken Williams about how he conceived of the project and of the significance and choices that went into the creation of the Ireichō.

READ NOW

Kyoko Oda stamping the Ireicho with Duncan Williams

Digging up Ways to Honor Her Ancestors—Kyoko Oda and Ireichō

Interview with Kyoko Oda about her role in collecting soil for the Ireichō project from four former World War II detention sites—Griffith Park Detention Camp, Kilauea Military Center, Mayer Assembly Center, and Tuna Canyon Detention Station.

READ NOW

brian tsuchiya group in the ireicho room

Remembering Them—Tsuchiya Family Honors Elders Through Ireichō

Interview with the Tsuchiya family who who decided to fly all the way from Minneapolis to Los Angeles for the sole purpose of marking their ancestors’ names in Ireichō.

READ NOW

alan nishio and family stamp ireicho

Living, Dying, and Passing It On—Alan Nishio Family at Ireichō

Interview with Alan Nishio who brought three generations of the Nishio family to stamp the Ireichō.

READ NOW

hirota family gather at ireicho

A Miraculous Family Gathering: Wasuke Hirota’s Mixed-Race Descendants Celebrate at Ireichō

On April 27, 2023, some 50 family members of Hispanic, Native American, and Japanese descent gathered for the 150th birthday celebration of their Issei ancestor, Wasuke Hirota. Adults and children of all ages arrived from as nearby as Azusa, California, and as far away as Osaka, Japan, to pay their respects by stamping Ireichō.

READ NOW

Body 1

Share Your Family’s Story!

Read these The Power of Irei stories and then share your own on DiscoverNikkei.org, JANM’s website archive of community stories that promote connections and understanding among the global Japanese diaspora.

You can share stories about:

  • Your own or your family’s World War II camp experiences
  • Ireichō pilgrimages and intergenerational Nikkei family reunions
  • US history, education, and/or repairing the historical record
  • The power of place
  • Other Ireichō stories related to the Nikkei community

Submit Your Story

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