A true story “Brides in America”
This series traces back the life stories of women in a wide range of generations from a Japanese woman who became a wife of an American officer after WWII to a Japanese lady who got together with a GI in the 1980s. They all married American soldiers and moved to the U.S.
Stories from this series
Junko Quest, who moved to the U.S. in 2006 and lives near Sacramento, California
June 18, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
A chance encounter at Yokota Air Base Junko, who was born and raised in Hachioji, Tokyo, recalls, "Even when I was in kindergarten, I would cry loudly, and my teachers would say, 'You're a child who speaks your mind.'" She vaguely dreamed of becoming an anime voice actor or a police dog trainer in the future. Wanting to get out into society as soon as possible, Junko dropped out of high school and started working at Yokota Air Base in …
Kaoru Holiday, who moved to the U.S. in 1996 and currently lives in Yorktown, Virginia
April 4, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Became a dental hygienist at Yokota Air Base and eloped with her husband Kaoru, who currently works as an esthetician in Virginia, was born in Tachikawa, a suburb of Tokyo, in 1964, the year of the last Tokyo Olympics. "Every morning, I would watch travel programs on TV before going to school. In my elementary school graduation album, I wrote that I wanted to become a journalist. I dreamed of traveling the world and making a name for myself." After …
Hiromi Budej, who moved to the U.S. in 1981 and lives in Irvine, California
July 29, 2016 • Keiko Fukuda
The encounter took place near the Futenma base. The environment surrounding Japanese women who move to America to marry American soldiers changes greatly with the times. Budei Hiromi, who lives in Orange County in Southern California, was born in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, and was 56 years old at the time of this interview in May 2016. She met Steve, who was one year older than her, when she was 20 and attending junior college, and married him at 21. …
Moved to the U.S. in 1956 and currently resides in Ontario, California: Fumiko Lopez - Part 2
July 1, 2016 • Keiko Fukuda
Read Part 1 >> Returning Home to Japan—and Her Father’s Rice Balls—for the First Time In 1956, Fumiko Lopez and her husband, Luis, arrived in San Francisco. They got on a Greyhound bus heading to Southern California and started living in a renovated garage at Luis’ sister’s house in the city of Los Angeles. “We didn’t have a house, a car, or money. We had nothing. We started our life with just one suitcase. Our garage room had no kitchen …
Moved to the U.S. in 1956 and currently resides in Ontario, California: Fumiko Lopez - Part 1
June 30, 2016 • Keiko Fukuda
“He’s an honest person” was my first impression Thirty years ago I read a book titled Brides in America. I was greatly inspired by the lives of Japanese women who married American officers after the war and went across the ocean. I wanted to hear their stories in their own voices. There wasn’t much time left. I sent emails to some people to see if they knew anyone, and soon one of them told me about a woman named Fumiko …
