Ireicho room book and sotobas

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Ireichō

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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!

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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.

Social Media Share Button

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.

#Ireicho
Social Media Share Button

Stories

WAITLIST

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.

Social Media Share Button

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.

#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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Hiroshi Kunimura and son Dennis Kunimura.

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.

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yamato family gathering at ireicho at janm

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.

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Hiroshi Kashiwagi placing hanko stamp with his mother Sadako.

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.”

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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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