His widow, Fusa Takahashi, an Amache survivor, would live another 45 years, running the business and raising four children. She would be one of the three Japanese American women who fought for 15 years to get the Nisei Soldier stamp approved and issued by the U.S. Post Office.
Because Kaz died so young, his children did not have time to ask all the questions that would arise when the stories of World War II began to come out.
But he kept that Tanforan exit sign–a treasured token of his 17-year-old self and his displaced but resilient community of friends who, by signing their names, sent a message for the ages: “We were here.”
If you knew and remember Kaz, please share your memories in the “comments” section below; his family would love to hear them!
Here is a partial list of people who signed Kaz’s “Exit” sign, with approximate location. Signatures that were illegible or written in Japanese are not included:
- Akio (Kimura?) (bottom left corner)
- Bob Kato (bottom left corner, upside down)
- Dorothy Okada (top edge, center)
- “Fido” Obayashi (under “I”)
- Frank Kami (under the “E”, upside down: “Lots of luck, Kaz — Frank Kami”)
- Geo. Katsumi Hashimoto (superimposed on the “I”)
- Grace Iida (top edge, to right of “T”)
- Grace Shioya (?) (Shioga?) (upper left corner: “To Kaz, Very sincerely, Grace Shioga”)
- Gus Horita (below Grace Iida)
- Harriet Kimura (under “E”)
- Haru Kaneko (over “X”)
- Hideko Maruyama (sideways along left side of “T”)
- Hiroshi Ehi….?? (bottom right)
- Ichiro Ota (left of “E”, between bottom 2 lines)
- Irene Kikuchi (under “E”)
- Ish Isokawa (over “E”)
- J. Furuzawa? (left side, top 3 lines)
- Jack (upside down, right, between bottom 2 lines)
- Jim Michio Matsuno (along right side of “X”, sideways)
- Joe Igarashi under “E”)
- Joe Yamagishi (?) (Yamanashi? Yamauchi?) (sideways, along left side of “I”)
- Jun Kitamura
- Kazue Imamura (?) (upside down, bottom right)
- Kelly Koma(tsu?) (upside down, along bottom of top left stroke of “X”)
- Ken Kitamura (left side, below bottom line)
- Kimiyo Kiuchi (within “E”, between bottom and middle strokes)
- Kiyoshi Tatehara (under “T”)
- Leah Tokunaga (bottom edge, under “X”)
- Marian Iida (under “T”)
- Mary (Migami?) (top edge, over “T”)
- Mary (Nakashige?) (bottom right, right under bottom line)
- Masu Komatsu (between “E” and “X”)
- Messmate Walt (over “E”)
- Mits N. (between two strokes of X, top)
- N. Hashiguchi (?)
- N. Hata (to right of “T”)
- Noboru (on second stroke of “X”)
- Philip Igarashi (over “I”)
- Roy Kaneko (left side, bottom 3 lines)
- Rusty Kimura (superimposed on the “T”)
- S. (Haki? Isaki?) (over “T”)
- Sachi Takano (under “T”)
- “SETSU” (between the top and middle horizontal bars of the “E”)
- Sheen (?) Sakada (upper right)
- Shizue Kato (Top, between “E” and “X”)
- Spider (along left side of bottom left stroke of “X”)
- (Suenobu?) Yamasaki (sideways, superimposed on back of “E”)
- Tad Yoshida (superimposed on bottom right leg of “X”)
- Takashi (Nakagawa?) (left edge, diagonal, first 3 lines)
- Tadashi Tanaka (sideways between “I” and “T”)
- Tom Oishi (inside “E”, between top and middle strokes)
- (Tony?) Kimura (sideways, left edge, bottom line)
- Yoshi Teramichi (Terumichi?) (bottom left corner)
If your / your family member’s name is on this list, let us know! You can “comment” below or use the “Contact” page to get in touch.
About the contributor: Diane Takahashi Yuen was born in San Francisco after the War, along with her siblings Steve, Lynn and Todd. They were raised in Richmond, CA, near the pharmacy in San Pablo that their dad, Kazuo Takahashi, purchased. They all live in the East Bay or Sacramento area and are retired: Steve, from his job as head of estimating & sales for a commercial mechanical construction company in Lafayette; Diane from her job of 20 years as an elementary school secretary in Roseville; Lynn from executive special assistant/marketing for the Sacramento Kings after supporting Steve Jobs at General Magic, NeXT, and Apple; and Todd from 40 years as a pharmacist at Kaiser Roseville.
Copyright 2022, Diane Yuen. All rights reserved.