The days following the notice of evacuation were hectic ones. We had to immediately decide what we were to bring and what we were to leave behind. It was decided that the church—the Headquarters of the Buddhist Mission of North America in San Francisco, where my father was Executive Secretary—was to be used for storage. The church had a large gymnasium and many classrooms, so it was ideally suited for that purpose. I remember using a large balloon-tired wagon to carry our luggage and those of our friends to the church for storage. At first I was not too pleased at the idea of pulling and pushing a loaded wagon up the hilly streets of San Francisco, but one of the ladies whose luggage my brother Hakusho and I were carting gave us a 50-cent tip. In those days a dime was a fortune, so we were thrilled to receive 25 cents each.
My name is Keisho Okayama. I was born in Japan, but I remember little or nothing of my life in Japan. When I was two years old, the family decided to move to the United States. This was in September, 1936.
We arrived in San Francisco, California in October. Just as we departed from the ship, we were whisked to a banquet put on by the Buddhist church held at a very fashionable Italian restaurant.
My father, Rev. Zenkai Okayama, was assigned to a church in Watsonville, California, and the day after arrival to San Francisco, we moved to Watsonville.
I am immeasurably pleased to see Topaz collecting details, stories and memorabilia about its former detainees. Keisho Okayama has always been a bright light in our family and community with his brand of grace, artistry, wisdom and love. He and his wife Lauren have been stalwarts in our family as they lived life to the fullest extent following their dreams. Keisho is able to breathe his light and life into hundreds of fantastic and intricate paintings that evoke the surroundings and his feelings over the years. What a rare treat you are providing with this story and Keisho’s and other folks’ artwork.
I enjoyed, deeply, your note on Keisho and Lauren. Having been dear friends
since the ‘Jefferson Blvd” days, I often felt as one of the family as Keisho and I had the deepest regard for each other’s artworks.
I believe you may be Lauren’s sister, sharing Lauren’s maiden name.
So, Hello, and thank you for your thoughtful note.