Bill Sugaya, Topaz Museum board member, hangs out with three Yonsei women: Laurel Fujii, Dana Shew and Patricia Wakida at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, May 1, 2026. Photo credit: Kimi Hill. (M): A scale model of present-day Japantown (Salt Lake Buddhist Temple and Japanese Church of Christ are in red). (R): A model of future, proposed Japantown, with significant development. Models by Utah Japantown Advocates. Photo credit: Ruth Sasaki.
One of the most remarkable moments for me, personally, occurred during the visit to Block 4 of the Topaz site. Two other pilgrims, Douglas Yoshida and his sister, Karen Yoshida Leib, were the descendants of the family who lived next door to my mom’s family in Block 4! Every little connection discovered makes my family’s experience in WWII more real–even though Doug and Karen’s dad and my mom are no longer around to ask if/how well the families knew each other.
Closing ceremony at the Topaz site led by Rev. Duncan Ryuken Williams. Photo credit: Ruth Sasaki. (R): Block 4 neighbors: Karen Yoshida Leib, Ruth Sasaki, Doug Yoshida, and Susan Kinoshita at the site of Block 4. Photo credit: Ruth Sasaki.
