by Mia Kodani
Koho Yamamoto belonged to the Topaz Poppy Poetry Club (tanka poetry or short poem). Koho’s father was a master calligrapher and poet. At age 20, she was one of the youngest members in the club, which was predominantly men.
Koho and her family were eventually sent from Topaz, Utah to Tule Lake, California, and on August 27, 1943, the other members signed their names to commemorate her membership in the club and wish her good luck in the tradition of yosegaki, or sideways writing.
About the contributors: Artist and poet Koho Yamamoto was born in San Francisco. She was introduced to sumi-e (Japanese brush painting) by Professor Chiura Obata at Topaz Art School—“one of her most memorable experiences.” Her art name “Koho” means Red Harbor and is derived from Obata’s art name in recognition of her talent and spiritual succession to teach the art of sumi-e. She continues to teach and create art in New York at age 99. In 2021, an exhibition of her works (Koho Yamamoto: Under a Dark Moon) appeared at the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in New York.
Textile artist Mia Kodani, Obata’s granddaughter, and other Obata relatives visit Koho whenever they are in New York City. Mia attended UC Berkeley and Cranbrook Academy of Art for an MFA. Her large commissioned art works can be seen at many public places in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mia is a founding member of the Friends of Topaz Committee.
Copyright 2016, Mia Kodani. All rights reserved.
Another interesting and personal story to come out of the camps.