Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1361/

Paintings reflecting on camp

In a lot of ways it all came back to me again. Because not only was it just about making a documentary but the paintings were very emotional. They really depicted...and I really saw things visually now. I saw how...where the main painting, or the main title of the painting, which is used with the logo now, is, is a boy of me looking out among the wall of fences and sort of gate thing. Fence. And looking beyond Castle Rock at the sunset. 'Cause I always remember the sunset. At Tule Lake, they were just magnificent, you know. And, uh, you just never see anything like it. You know, even the other day, yester... when I was out there I saw the sunset and the it was just so beautiful. And just this boy's just looking out and it's wonderful as I said, and on the other half a painting, was a reverse. I'm looking out with these barracks in the background with a dark black gray barracks with the watchtower in the distance. Watchtowers you know and the fence. I mean not a fence but just like, the light..the way the fence was in the foreground in front of them, you know. And that was uh... that painting was the first painting that was sold. It just.. they saw this, this kid. Who was me. You, you know in this thing. You know I did one of the train and the one of the seagulls and the one in the train when my father was ill and I was sitting in the seat. And in the back he was in bed with my mother who was watching him, looking at him. And I remember just about every one of them. I did the snake. Well these were all watercolors. I did these in watercolors that was sold...

And I did one when we were in the camp and awaiting the cue, a line rather, you know, to...for breakfast, you know. I mean I drew all, all four of us, I think my sister, my dad, and that's why they did us, you know...And the, uh, the chef they would, you know how they would do their eggs, you know 'cause they have to feed seventy five people...how many people in one block that they, they'd get boxes of dozens of eggs throw it into this vat. The whole thing, shell and all. You know and you get this p-p- this fork and just crush all the egg shells and mix it around - scramble it - shell and all. You know. And then come with a screen and then come pick them up. Take the shells out, you know. But geez that screen was not taking all the shells out. It left the small ones. And as you were eating you'd always...I remember always as a kid I'd take the shells out. But, but without complaining because this is normal. This is the way you eat eggs, I thought. Take the shells off.


barracks California concentration camps food graphic arts painting Tule Lake concentration camp United States World War II camps

Date: June 29, 2012

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Chris Komai, John Esaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Jimmy Murakami (1933 – 2014) was inspired as a child to become a film animator by watching the Disney cartoons that were shown to Japanese Americans confined at the Tule Lake concentration camp during WWII. After attending Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, he worked as an animator for UPA. He later founded Murakami Wolf—a company that produced many well-known commercials in the 1960s and 70s—and became a feature film director of When the Wind Blows and The Snowman. After establishing residence in Ireland in recent years, he passed away in February of 2014 at age 80.  (June 2014)

Ochi,Rose

“A Low Tolerance For Injustice…”

(1938-2020) Japanese American attorney and civil rights activist

Biller,Francesca Yukari

What Nikkei means to her

Jewish Japanese American journalist

Biller,Francesca Yukari

Culture is an important part of one's identity

Jewish Japanese American journalist

Takei,George

Father's Influence

(b. 1937) Actor, Activist

Fukuhara,Jimmy Ko

The riot in Manzanar

(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan

Ito,Willie

Father making shell brooches at Topaz

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

Toyoshima,Toshiaki

Difficulty of spreading authentic sushi (Japanese)

(b. 1949) Sushi chef. Owner of Sushi Gen restaurant in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo.

Toyoshima,Toshiaki

Teaching how to eat sushi (Japanese)

(b. 1949) Sushi chef. Owner of Sushi Gen restaurant in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo.

Wasserman,Fumiko Hachiya

The lack of discussion about family’s incarceration in Amache

Sansei judge for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California

Fischer,Takayo

Passing Time in the Camps with Baton Twirling

(b. 1932) Nisei American stage, film, and TV actress

Takamoto,Iwao

Loss When Leaving for Manzanar

Japanese American animator for Walt Disney and Hanna Barbera (1925-2007)

Teisher,Monica

Stories of Grandfather at a concentration camp in Fusagasuga

(b.1974) Japanese Colombian who currently resides in the United States

Teisher,Monica

Her grandfather in a concentration camp in Fusagasuga (Spanish)

(b.1974) Japanese Colombian who currently resides in the United States

Naganuma,Jimmy

First meal at Crystal City

(b. 1936) Japanese Peruvian incarcerated in Crystal City

Yamamoto,Mia

Impact of her father

(b. 1943) Japanese American transgender attorney