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Visiting Hiroshima

I went to Hiroshima and I told my folks that I was going to go there before I came home. And so they sent me the address of my mother and father’s relatives. And I got to Hiroshima and before you come into Hiroshima, it’s just flat. I went there and I got off the train. And it was, there was no station. Nothing there. Just a place to stop. That was it. This was the Hiroshima station.

And when I was there, the Australian, the Australian forces had jurisdiction over Hiroshima. And he says, “Yes you can get out, walk around if you like.” He says, “We’re not going to come after you if it’s dark, so you’re out there alone.” So as soon as I get off, there was freshly built store out of wood, freshly built out of timber. Who would you think, I went over there to talk. Said, “Hello.” And the girl answered me in perfect English. She said, “Yes, I was in Tule Lake. I came back in Japan.” She said, “What is it you wanted to do?” I said, “I want to find my folks’ relatives.” She says, “The best thing you can do is, go around this here structure over here and there’s a police officer there.” So in a little - like a telephone - booth was a police officer. As soon as I showed him the address, he said, “There’s no such place out here any more.” And that was it, so I left.

Here’s the real start about the story is. Oh, it was within a month. The reception at our office building says, “Jimmy, there’s someone here looking for you.” “Alright. Bring them in the office.” Here comes this gentleman walking in. In everyday clothes. And he says, “I’m Tokutaro Fukuhara.” Oh my gosh. This is the man I was looking for! In Hiroshima. 


Hiroshima (city) Hiroshima Prefecture Japan

Date: February 6, 2015

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

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

Interviewee Bio

Jimmy Ko Fukuhara was born on September 21, 1921 in Los Angeles, California to Japanese immigrants, Ume and Ichisuke Fukuhara. In 1927, his father moved the family to Santa Monica, California, and got started in the nursery business. After graduating from Santa Monica High School, Jimmy worked at the nursery, until 1942, when he and his family were sent to the Manzanar concentration camp.

Jimmy was able to leave camp early, and moved to Pennsylvania with his younger brother, George. Within sixty days, Jimmy was drafted into the army, and volunteered to serve in the Military Intelligence school. After going through basic training, Jimmy was sent to Tokyo, Japan. There he worked for the labor department in General MacArthur’s headquarters. Before leaving Japan, he visited Hiroshima in hopes of connecting with his parents’ relatives. After being discharged, Jimmy returned to Santa Monica and the family nursery business. Jimmy continued to work in the nursery with his four brothers, until he retired in 1986. (May 2016)

Willie Ito
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Willie Ito

Parents

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

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Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
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Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura

Family was shipped back to Japan after the war

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

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