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 - December 01, 2024
Japanese American National Museum
100 North Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Reservations are required at the RSVP link above.
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!
Reservations are required at the RSVP link above.
Stories
October 11, 2022 - December 01, 2024
Japanese American National Museum
100 North Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Reservations are required at the RSVP link above.
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!
Reservations are required at the RSVP link above.
The Power of Irei
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Humble Man: 442nd Veteran Hiroshi Kunimura Honored at Ireichō
When Dennis Kunimura suggested to his father, 98-year-old former 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) artilleryman Hiroshi Kunimura, that they drive from their home in Ogden, Utah, to Los Angeles, to mark the names in Ireichō of family members held at both the Salinas Assembly Center and the Poston Concentration Camp, the elder Kunimura did not expect the overwhelming reception that awaited him.
Coming Home: My Family’s Journey to Ireichō
“It was like coming home when 17 sisters, cousins, grandchildren, and spouses, some who had traveled from different parts of the globe, met on the day after a large family reunion—this time to honor living and dead family members by placing hanko stamps on the names of those reverenced in Ireichō.”
Author Sharon Yamato shares her own family’s Ireichō story.
The Legacy of Resistance: Nimura/Kashiwagi Family at Ireichō
The family of playwright/writer/poet/actor Hiroshi Kashiwagi came together to stamp the Ireichō in memory of his and other family members. In his works, Kashiwagi raised awareness of the plight of those incarcerated at the often-maligned Tule Lake Segregation Center. “Ireichō has brought many Tule Lake families and others out of the shadows to mark their ancestors’ names and pay tribute to the hardships they endured.”
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
Support the understanding and appreciation of the Japanese American experience.