Feb. 24, 2024: Remembering Through Storytelling

The San Mateo Buddhist Temple hosted a special Day of Remembrance program on February 18, featuring a short film recently completed by San Jose lecturer Reiko Kataoka. Dr. Kataoka interviewed Topaz and Tule Lake Survivor Michi Takeshita Mukai with her sons and granddaughter.

Three smiling Japanese American seniors pose for a group photo: A woman wearing black and royal blue, a man in a blue raincoat with arms on the shoulders of both women, and a woman in a cheerful red knit cap and patterned knitted vest. — *^{Michi Takeshita Mukai, brother Ben Takeshita, and Ben’s wife Fumiko at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple Day of Remembrance program. Courtesy of Ruth Sasaki.}*

The Takeshita family lived in San Mateo before the War. After about a year in Topaz, they were transferred to Tule Lake, as the two eldest sons in the family, who were Kibei, answered “no-no” to Questions 27 and 28 of the loyalty questionnaire and their parents wanted the family not to be separated.

1) Japanese American woman dressed in black with microphone speaks next to a slide presentation showing photos from Topaz Stories. 2) Another woman in a white sweater speaks into the microphone. 3) A woman in her 90s, wearing a blue-green jacket speaks into a microphone. 4) A man in his 90s, wearing a blue jacket speaks into the mic. 5) a woman dressed in black speaks into the mic. — ^{Ruth Sasaki, Topaz Stories editor; Kay Yatabe, Friends of Topaz; and Topaz Stories contributors Kaz Iwahashi, Ben Takeshita and Emiko Katsumoto present their stories at Sakura Kai. Photos courtesy of Susan Nishizaka.}

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Feb. 17, Sakura Kai in Richmond, CA had its Day of Remembrance program. Ruth Sasaki, Topaz Stories editor, talked about how the project got started; Kay Yatabe gave a brief history of the Topaz Museum in Delta, UT. And three Sakura Kai members and Topaz Stories contributors–Kaz Iwahashi, Ben Takeshita, and Emiko Katsumoto, shared their stories.

Read Michi’s story, “A Topaz Childhood”; Ben’s story, “A Star is Born“; and Emiko’s story, “Mystery at Topaz.” (Kaz’s story is coming soon.)

The Topaz Stories Team

Media Coverage:
Read Internee’s story told with ‘Topaz Collages’ (Wheel of Dharma, Vol. 5, Issue 3, March 2023).
Watch Topaz survivors tell their stories (abc4 news, 4/22/2022)
Listen to the “In the Hive” podcast with interviews with Ann Dion, Jonathan Hirabayashi, and Topaz survivors Jeanie Kashima and Joseph Nishimura (KCPW, 4/28/2022)
Read How a Utah exhibit about Topaz Camp looks to find empathy in ‘an ugly stain on American history (ksl.com, 4/22/2022)
Read “Topaz Stories rise from the dust,” (Department of Culture & Community Engagement, 4/2022)
Listen to KQED Forum, Day of Remembrance interview with Ruth Sasaki, 2/15/2022
Listen to Max Chang and Ruth Sasaki interviewed (KRCL RadioActive, 2/9/2022
Read On Topaz Stories and ‘Authentic Voice’, the Discover Nikkei interview with Ruth Sasaki (10/14/2022)
Listen to Remembering the Japanese American Incarceration, the Topaz Stories podcast with Ruth Sasaki and Jonathan Hirabayashi (6/2/2021)

Feb. 24, 2024: Remembering Through Storytelling

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply