Story of the Shonien
Joy R. Kusumoto – Shonien Founder
&
Another Shonien in China
By adopted daughter Yasuko Kusumoto
Research and written by Mikko Arimoto Henson.
September 2017
1937 Shonien staff members and children.
Back low center Joy Kusumoto, Harry Matsumoto left and Lillian Iida right of him
Back low left end Mrs. Yokota and Mr. Yokota who were cooks for over 15 years
Second from right Yasuko Kusumoto
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part I Chronological History of Shonien founder Joy R. Kusumoto and Shonien from 1973 to 2000
Part II Collection of Pictorial History and Appendix
1. 1912 Start of Los Angeles Jindokai, Original Board members.
2. 1914 First House
3. 1915 Second House
4. 1916 Move to Inglewood
5. Three Directors from1914 to 1940
6. Los Angeles Times article November 9, 1916
7. 1919 Silver Lake facility under construction. And Shonien 1927
8. 1926 Shonien children & staff. 1932 Christmas Party
9. VIP Visits to Shonien 1931and 1934
10. 1936 New addition of Girls Dormitory
11. Nisei Board creation in1934 and Lillian Iida employment at Shonien
12. Establishment of Chinese Shonien
13. 1941 Chinese Shonien opening article by S.F Japanese News paper
14. 1958 New Shonien Open
15. 1984 Japanese Newspaper article about Chinese orphan looking for Japanese woman who cared him in Quinsan during the war.
16. 1985 Rafu Shimpo article about Yasuko’s reunion in Shanghai.
17. 2017 Documentary book about Shonien published in Japan.
Source of Information
Joy R. Kusumoto – Shonien
Founder & History of Shonien Chronology
From 1873 to 2000
1873 Born on April 15th in Yokkaichi, Usa-shi, Oita-ken (Kyushu) as 6th son of Gunpei Kusumoto
1895 Went to Osaka area, worked at Hakuaisha (Episcopal Benevolent Children’s Home). Hakuaisha is started in 1890 by Katsunosuke Kobashi. It still exists and active at this present time as the oldest successful private nonprofit social welfare
facility in Osaka today.
When he started to work at Hakuaisha, Mr. Kobashi passed away and Ms. Utako Hayashi came to run Hakuaisha (she later became a head of the Japanese Women’s Christian Temperance Union). Utako gave him great influence and both kept life long relationship even then the Pacific Ocean separated them. He was nine years younger than Utako. Joy died in Feb.1945, just before WWII ended and Utako died a year later in 1946.
He stated in 1930 US census that he first came to the United States 1986 (possibly Vancouver B.C.) He had a mission to find and secure some land in America for Hakuaisha for the purpose of making a colony for orphans to make living after they grown up. But he failed in this mission as anti Japanese sentiments growing in America.
1904 Hakuaisha’s monthly publication reported that Hakuaisha’s member Rokuichi Kusumoto and Tadashi Hayashi (Utako Hayashi’s adopted son) went to America arrived at Vancouver on 5/23 by SS Athenian. Rokuichi collected donation for Hakuaisha in Seattle and Vancouver by showing film. There was a record of his residency in 1904 by Japanese Consulate in Vancouver.
1905 When Utako Hayashi visited the United States he came to greet her in Vancouver B.C. He accompanied her to San Francisco and helped showing films of Hakuaisha at various places on the way. He went back to Japan and married one from the original group of orphans Utako raised when she started Hakuaisha in Osaka. Her name is Ryo and she was a helper at Hakuaisha at that time. He was 32 years old and Ryo was 25 years old when they married.
1906 2/19 Arrived in Vancouver by SS Athenian, destination stated Seattle. He stated that he was in San Francisco for 5 months in 1905; Utako Hayashi went back to Japan via Seattle in November 1906. Assumed he went back to Japan with her.
1908 3/19 Arrived in Seattle by SS Tango Maru, destination stated as M. E. Mission, 321 9th Street, South Seattle. He worked as a houseboy, studied English at the Mission, he attended business school. He named himself Joy R. Kusumoto.
1910 3/31 Kusumoto’s wife Ryo arrived by SS Tanba Maru to join her husband at 1039 Main Street, Seattle. Mr. Kusumoto founded Jindokai (The Seattle Humane Society) to help solve problems which resulted from Picture Bride.
1912 They moved to Los Angeles and Kusumoto started the Rafu Jindokai with Rev. John Misao Yamazaki of the Episcopal Church, Rev. Magojiro Furuya of the Congregation Church, Mr. Seitaro Fukuda and Mr. Katsutaro Tanigoshi of Nihonjinkai (became Japanese Chamber of Commerce). Jindokai try to solve many problem caused by Picture Brides and educate Japanese immigrants to assimilate to American society. Joy was working as an interpreter for US immigration office. He wrote an article in Japanese YWCA publication for need to educate picture bride before they set sail to US.
1914 Soon family problem extended to the need of childcare. Jindokai rented a house at 1120 Alvarado Street to start the first Japanese Children’s Home with 6 kids. This was operated as an auxiliary home of Jindokai.
1915 7 more children added. Moved to 822 South Flower Street. Then it was incorporated as “The Japanese Humane Society Children’s Home.” President-Rev. Magojiro Furuya, Vice President-Rev. John Yamazaki, Treasurer-Katsutaro Tanikoshi, Director-Joy Kusumoto.
1916 Bought a house and 2 acres in Inglewood for $600. This money came from Kusumoto and his friends. Mr. & Mrs. Seitaro Fukuda resided there to staff the operation. They farmed to raise vegetables to make it be self-sustaining. It needed to be licensed by the State Department of Social Welfare (SDSW). Ms. Shimeko Hashidate who was the first Japanese to graduate nursing school became a head nurse. There were 18 children by this time. Financial report this year showed that only the cook was paid and payment from parent covered only 1/3 of expenses.
This year, Joy Kusumoto took in an abandoned maimed orphan child born in 1915 and gave her his name and a birthday. He named her Yasuko (Grace) Kusumoto.
1917 The Inglewood house location was not suited to Joy’s health. He had bad asthma. They moved to 1121 Santee Street and purchased 5 lots in Silver Lake for $800. This came from sale of the Inglewood property. Then planning started to build a facility and community wide fund raising effort began.
1918 Spanish Flu epidemic started. The Japanese Benevolent Society of Southern California (Nanka Jikeikai) called on to a Japanese nurse Mrs. Minori Mukaida to start a triage to care for Japanese patients at 6th Street Market place in Little Tokyo. Then Mrs. Mukaida fallen victim of this flu then Ms. Shimeko Hashidate took over the triage. This Spanish Flu created more need for child care.
1919 Joy was hospitalized at sanitarium in Imperial Valley. He resigned as the director as he expected to be hospitalized for a long time. Rev. Magojiro Furuya became the head of Jindokai and Shonien. Ms. Shimeko Hashidate married became Mrs. Ogawa. She became the Superintendent of Shonien which followed the wish of Joy and she appealed to Mr. Rinpei Tsuchiya who was the President of the Nanka Jikeikai to help continue Shonien. Meanwhile because of the staffing shortage newly wed wife of Magojiro Furuya came to help Shonien but died suddenly from the flu. Disheartened Rev. Furuya went back to Japan. Jikeikai took responsibility for continuation of Shonien and reorganized the fund raising effort. Mr. Inose Inosuke, The Rafu Simpo’s publisher owner became fund raising chairman. This project original goal was to raise $23,000. However due to many thousand dollars budget overrun made it very difficult and hard to accomplish this task. Mrs. Ogawa traveled as far as to Japanese Community in Santa Barbara and Imperial Valley to seek support of Shonien.
1920 The new facility was completed in June by the efforts of Mr. Rinpei Tsuchiya, (the Secretary of Japanese Chamber of Commerce and the President of Nanka Jikeikai). Nanka Jikeikai-The Japanese Benevolent Society took responsibility of running the facility Mrs. Shimeko Ogawa as Superintendent. The official name was changed to “Japanese Children’s Home of Southern California” and “Nanka Shonien” in Japanese. Very difficult times followed Mrs. Ogawa’s sudden demise. Mrs. Minori Mukaida became the Superintendent of Shonien, Mrs. Fukuko Toyama became the Chairman of the Board. Management of the facility became very difficult as time went by. It faced closing of the facility many times and different organizations such as Mrs. Aimee MacPherson of the Angeles Temple tried to run the facility.
1923 San Francisco Salvation Army became in charge of the facility but debts accumulated and loose management caused the license to be suspended at times.
1925 Joy recovered from illness. He returned to rebuilt Shonien. Shonien was loaded with debt. He gave $500 of his own money and asked the board members to contribute. They all put $50 each. He worked with no pay until all the debt was retired so all the staff members kept working with minimal wages. He retired this debt in less than two years. Shonien became a charter member of The Community Chest (predecessor of The United Way) and in time it became a shining example of Japanese Community’s social establishment.
1930 According to the 1930 US census he was divorced. 1920 US census does not record Joy Kusumoto in Los Angeles because he was in hospital. However in 1918 the US military registration showed that he is still a citizen of Japan and reside at 1121 Santee St. Los Angeles, he is a Secretary of Japanese Children’s Home and his nearest relative was Magojiro Furuya. He was classified as physically disqualified (lung disease). It is assumed that his wife Ryo went back to Japan soon after they moved to Los Angeles. He never remarried.
His assistant and the chief financial officer Mr. Nisuke Mitsumori stated in his memoire published in Kashu Mainichi said that Mr. Kusumoto worked with no pay. He lived in a small house on the back of the hilltop of Shonien. He ate with children. He fund raised by showing movies at different churches. And organized Christmas plays by the students at Shonien and invited public and collected donations. He issued thank you report to all the contributors annually.
Even after he received salary, when the balance was in red many times then he always return his salary back. When Mr. Mitsumori said that he would record it as his donation, he insisted to make it anonymous. He declined a donation of new
automobile for his use saying that Shonien exists because of the goodwill of people, so if he accepted this and drove around in shiny new car he would lose the good will of people. He could not harm Shonien. He was that kind of person.
1931 Prince and princes Takamatsu visited Shonien.
Because of the Great Depression the need for caring children increased.
1934 Duke Iesato Tokugawa visited Shonien. Yasuko graduated from two year Nursing School.
Created a Nisei Board for new fund raising effort (Nisei Board President Dr. T. G. Ishimaru).
Prince and princes Kayo visited Shonien and gave money from the Emperor of Japan. A Memorial Hall was built in the facility from this money.
1935 Yasuko (Grace) came back from one-year of studies in Japan on the SS Asama Maru, arrived at San Pedro. She became a head nurse (matron) at Shonien.
Ms. Lillian Yuriko Iida, Uta born Nisei, UC Berkeley graduate was employed at Shonien. Lillian Iida was the first Japanese American accredited social worker. She had difficulty finding a job as a Japanese American woman. This year the State welfare department mandated that the facility had to hire a social worker so it was good for Lillian and to Shonien both. But she did not speak Japanese so Joy and Lilian had a difficult time to understand each other. Joy was an old fashion Japanese and kept Japanese values and had difficulty understanding American authoritarian approach in caring for children.
1938 Lillian Iida took a leave of absence and visited Japan to study Japanese culture and visited her parental home and came back the following year. The record showed that she made a report to Japanese Governmental agency about Shonien. Rokuichi Kusumoto was invited to Japan to participate in big Japan’s National 2600 years Anniversary Ceremony in 1940 and received Japanese Government awards.
1939 Shonien celebrated 25th Anniversary. Rev. Magojiro Furuya arrived in March from China. He visited many churches in LA and explained the situation in China and persuaded Kusumoto to expand his work in China to help Chinese orphans who became victims of the war. Rev. Furuya stayed in Shonien from March to May. Joy Kusumoto persuaded Yasuko to do the job in China for him, as he is too old. Yasuko left Shonien in May to go to China with Rev. Furuya to establish an orphanage facility for Chinese orphans. Joy and Mr. Mitsumori started campaign to raise funds and collect goods for future Shonien in China among southern California Christian community. Mr. Mitsumori established the Chinese Orphan Funds Organization.
1940 Mr. Kusumoto named Ms. Lillan Iida to Superintendent and took a year of absence to attend Japan’s National 2,600 Year Anniversary Event; also went to China to attend the official opening of Chunichi(Sino-Japan) Shonien run by Yasuko and returned to LA in October. The Chunichi Shonien was funded by money from Southern California Japanese Christians. However, due to the war in Asia one could no longer send money from US by the end of this year. Yasuko was on her own to run the facility in China.
1941 December 7th Pearl Harbor was attacked. Joy was arrested by FBI on the same night and sent to federal prison in Missoula, Montana.
1942 Executive Order 9066 was signed on February 19. Lillian Iida married to Harry Matsumoto (one of the Nisei Board Members) and took complete responsibility of Shonien. Forced relocation to Manzanar Camp at the “Children’s Village” was completed under care of Lillian and Harry Matsumoto. The Children’s Village was composed from the children of the Shonien, Maryknoll Catholic Home and the Japanese Salvation Army Home of San Francisco. Because of Nisei Board president Dr. Ishimaru’s strong protest to government and to military, Shonien did not have to go to the Assembly center while the Children’s Village was constructed in Manzanar. However during this time Shonien children and stuff members were confined in the area and could not go out unless escorted by military. June 23 Shonien children and staff members altogether 62 children move to Manzanar.
Shonien facility was entrusted to Approved Properties Inc. run by Evangelist Dr. P. E. Roland who spent 30 years in Japan and was a good friend to Japanese people. He managed the property during the war.
1943 Joy went back to Japan on the 2nd Repatriation Boat arriving in Japan in December. Lillian and Henry Matsumoto went to Santa Fe (where Mr. Kusumoto was held before being sent to New York to board the ship) in September to report their marriage and say goodbye to him. Mr. Kusumoto board the ship in October and arrived in Yokohama in the end of the year.
Yasuko turned over the Sino-Japan Shonien to Chinese hands. During 3 years the number of children under her care had grown to 50. She moved to Shanghai and took over an orphanage facility after the European operator evacuated from Shanghai and run it until she left to Japan by the last evacuating boat.
Manzanar’s Children’s Village had grown to care for 105 children.
1944 Joy visited Yasuko in Shanghai. Yasuko married a Japanese national in Shanghai and her husband Kenji Wada took the surname of Kusumoto.
Lillian and Harry Matmoto ad0pt an orphan girl, Karyl and move to San Francisco area. The Children’s Village was closed the following year when the war ended. Children were taken back by parent or adopted out to different families.
1945 Joy Kusumoto passed away on February 7th at the home of his brother Koichi in Kyushu. The war ended in October.
The Shonien facility was returned in May to the Shonien Board President Dr. Ishimaru with $912. It was used as a temporary housing for camp returnees for the following 10 years.
1946 Yasuko returned to Japan just in time to give birth to a daughter, Taeko in Kyushu; She stayed with the Kusumoto family in Kyushu and later moved to Kyoto and worked for the American Occupation Army.
1947 Dr. Ishimaru passed way. Mr. Nobu Kawai became Shonien Board President
1948 Yasuko gave birth to a son Yoichi Gene in Kyoto.
1953 Yasuko returned from Japan with husband and two children on the MS Tosho-maru which arrived at San Francisco in January. They resided back of Shonien at 1841 Redcliff St., Silver Lake area of Los Angeles where Mr. Kusumoto had once lived.
1956 The reopening of Shonien required a new building. New fund raising started under Nobu Kawai. Original five lots and buildings were sold to raise funds. After a difficult two years, Judge John Aiso got involved and helped raise enough funds to rebuild a new facility. The new facility was built next to the girls dormitory. It was a newer building on additional 3 lots Shonien bought to expand in 1934. When Yasuko returned from Japan she was living at Joy’s house on the top of the hill which belonged to Joy. This property and original 5 lots property were sold to developer and became new subdivision. The girl’s dormitory became Yasuko’s residence in an exchange of property.
1957 Yasuko gave birth to third child, a daughter she named Joy.
1958 The new facility finally finished in March and May 5th they celebrated reopening of Shonien.
By this time State Social Welfare Department shifted the service focus from orphanage institution to foster children system and toward more for total child care welfare program. Japanese community was divided into two camps. One is to support out of the home institution like before and its supporters were old Shonien supporters mainly Issei and Nisei. Other camp is to change Shonien into service agency to provide network and out reach support to wider Japanese community. New director Mike Suzuki changed the name of the Shonien to “Japanese Children’s Home and Child Welfare Center” to satisfy two camps.
Meanwhile the social climate changed and the problems that communities faced also changed such as unwed pregnancy and juvenile delinquency etc. First two years the new Shonien housed a total of 14 children for a short time stay, much of the time there were only one or two children. It was not cost effective and further more the Community Chest denied membership to Shonien based on racial discrimination.
Mr. Suzuki was a board member of the Japanese American Youth Organization (JAY) and he provided juvenile delinquency prevention project, family counseling and child guidance at Shonien facility. This was the base for the formation of he Japanese American Community Services (JACS).
1963 Shonien accumulated debt and had no hope for financial aid from the Community Chest. The Shonien Board made the decision to close. The facility and property were sold for $100,000 and the proceeds placed in a trust fund. The newly built facility became The Boy’s Republic facility (founded in 1907 a private nonprofit treatment community and school for troubled youth): Yasuko continued to work with them. Shonien organization changed the name to the Japanese American Community Services, Inc. (J.A.C.S.) and continues to this present time.
J.A.C.S. provided funding to many Asian social work programs including providing seed money to start the Little Tokyo Service Center (L.T.S.C.) in 1979.
1985 Sino-Japan Shonien
orphans wrote letters to a Japanese politician to find their mother who had
raised them. As a result Yasuko had a reunion with these children in Shanghai
in April.
1996 J.A.C.S. celebrated 80th Anniversary and honored Kusumoto, Suzuki and Kawai.
2000 Kenji Kusumoto passed away in October 26th; Yasuko passed away December 14th
1912 Start of the Los Angeles Jindo-kai (Humane Society)
Original Board Members
Top left Rev. Magojiro Furuya, top right Rev. John Misao Yamazaki
Center Founder Rokuichi Joy Kusumoto
Bottom left Seitaro Fukuda, bottom right Katsutaro Tanikoshi
1914 Shonien (Japanese Children’s Home) started as an auxiliary home of Los Angeles Jindo-kai
with 6 children at 1120 So. Alvarado Street, LA
1915 Second House at 822 South Flower Street, LA
Seven more children added
It was incorporated as The Japanese Humane Society Children’s Home
President-Rev. Magojiro Furuya
Vice President-Rev. John Yamazaki
Treasurer-Katsutaro Tanikoshi
Director-Joy Kusumoto
1916 Move to Inglewood
Bought a house and two acres for $600
It is licensed by the State Department of Social Welfare (SDSW)
Mr. and Mrs. Seitaro Fukuda resided and farm the land to be self-sustaining.
Ms. Shimeko Hashidate became the head nurse.
There were 18 children at this time.
But it did not work out as planned. The location was not suited Kusumoto’s health and too far from Los Angeles. In 1917 moved to 1121 Santee Street. LA and purchased 5 lots property in Silver Lake Area for $800 and started community wide fundraising to build a new facility.
Shonien Three Directors (Superintendent)
From 1914 to 1940
Top Joy Kusumoto
Center Shimeko Ogawa
Bottom Minori Mukaeda
Los Angeles Times Article, November 9, 1916
Joy Kusumoto saved orphan baby and named her Yasuko Grace Kusumoto
1919 Shonien at Silver Lake under construction
Shonien 1927
1926 Shonien children and staff
1932 Shonien Christmas Party
VIP Visits to Shonien and Emperor Gave Money to Shonien
1931 Prince and Princess Takamatsu visitation
1934 Prince and Princess Kaya visitation
1936 New Addition of Girl’s Dormitory
1934, new state regulation required providing of a separate building for girls. Nisei Board was created for new fund raising (Nisei Board President Dr. T. G. Ishimaru) to purchase adjacent 3 lots and build a girls dormitory.
This girls building is the only currently remaining building of the original Shonien at present time. This building was designated as California Historic Site as Shonien.
According to financial report of 1936, Shonien had 44 children under its care:
Age one month to 16 years old, 20 boys and 24 girls. School age children attended the local public school and after school Japanese language school was provided on the Shonien campus. Total expenses were $ 12,394.00. Parent fees and Government payment covered only half of the annual expenses. The Community Chest grant was $3,937.00 ( one-third of the Shonien income was from Community Chest), donations and fundraising events covered the rest of expenses. The Shonien took care of any Japanese children, regardless of religion. Records showed that the parent’s religion was 32 Buddhist, 8 Christian and 4 unknown.
The Shonien property was expanded to cover a total of 11 lots in 1936.
1939 Lillian Iida became Superintendent. Nisei Board created in 1934
Lillian (Yuriko) started work at Shonien in 1935. Lillian married Harry Matsumoto in
1942. Lillian and Harry became in charge of the Children’s Village in Manzanar from 1942-1944.
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1939 Executive Board Members
Top from left
Mr. Fukui (Vice President) Mr. Tsuchiya (President) Mrs. Kawamura (Vice President)
Center Mr. Kusumoto (Secretary)
Bottom from left
Mr. Iwataki (Treasurer) Mr. Mitsumori (Auditor) Mr. Hori (Auditor)
Establishment of Chinese Shonien
1939 Yasuko left the Shonien and went alone to Shanghai to establish the Sino-Japan Shonien. It was funded by members of the Southern California Japanese Christian community in the beginning.
1940 Chinese Shonien Opening day at Quinsan (suburb of Shanghai)
From left Yasuko Kusumoto, Utako Hayashi, far right Joy Kusumoto
1943 Yasuko Kusumoto’s Farewell Party at Chinese Shonien
1941 Article About Chinese Shonien Opening in Japanese American San Francisco Newspaper
1958 New Shonien Opens
1945, When WW II ended, the Shonien facility was returned to the Shonien Board President Dr. Ishimaru with $912. Then it was used as temporary housing for Japanese internment camp returnees for the following 10 years.
1947, Dr. Ishimaru passed away from Valley Fever he got while in the camp. Nobu Kawai became the Board President. He started fundraising for the reopening of the Shonien in 1956. However, after one year, he could not raise the funds needed for the new facility building cost of $55,000. Judge John Aiso got involved and raised $45,000 in six months, enough funds to build a new facility. Nobu Kawai retired from being President in 1958.
Mr. Mike Suzuki became the director of new Shonien. He specialized in family counseling and came from Jewish family service Agency in New York.
New Shonien opened in March, 1958 and had a Grand Opening Ceremony in May 5th Children’s Day. Artist Arnold Fujita designed the Koi logo for the new Shonien.
5 years later in 1963, the new Shonien was permanently closed and property was sold.
1984 Japanese Newspaper (Mainichi Shinbun) dated October 15
This article said that a Chinese man who was an orphan wrote a letter to a Japanese politician to help find two Japanese ladies who took care of him in an orphanage in Quinsan, China 41 years prior. After a three-month search this orphanage operator and assistant were found. One is living in Los Angeles and the other is in Kyoto.
The orphanage, Quinsan Shonien was established in 1940 by Yasuko Kusumoto and funded by Southern California Japanese American Christian Community. Yasuko was Nisei and herself an orphan who was adopted by Rokuichi Kusumoto who established the Los Angeles Shonien in 1914. She was called Oka-san (mother) and her assistant Michiko Rokushima was called Onei-san (sister) by 35 Chinese orphans.
The one who wrote the letter is a schoolteacher now and has two children. He is planning a reunion of the Quinsan Shonien children in Shanghai next year by inviting their Oka-san and Onei-san. He was very happy to get an opportunity to say thank you to them.
1985 Rafu Shimpo Article about Yasuko’ s Reunion Story
May 20, 1985 by Naomi Hirahara
2017 Documentary Book about the Shonien Published in Japan
based on research by Mikko Arimoto Henson
Title of the book: “Shonien” Established by Rokuichi (Joy) and Yasuko (Grace)
Sub title: Story of a father and a daughter who saved orphans in Japan, United States and China
Author; Choku Ohkura
Publisher: Gendai Shinsho
This 213-page book is a reveling history and at the same time tells a moving and powerful human drama of two human beings. The author created an inspiring documentary drama worthy of being made into a movie. The book starts with the history of early Japanese welfare development when Rokuichi Kusumoto’s life work started in the early 1900’s. By following his journey readers will learn the history of Japanese immigration to the U.S. and the problems that came along with it. In Los Angeles he founded the Shonien (which means “children’s garden”) to help poor immigrant children. His personality and character come through in this book. He saved and adopted an abandoned abused and maimed little girl then named Yasuko. As a young adult, this Nisei girl bravely ventured into China alone to establish another Shonien there. Her struggle and miraculous success story is told. World War ll brought a sad ending to both Shonien programs.
However, the book ends with a joyful Shanghai reunion of the former Chinese Shonien children and Yasuko in 1985. It is proof that real life is more interesting than fiction. 
SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Japanese Source
A. 70 years History of Southern California Japanese Americans. Published in 1960
B. 85th Anniversary book of North America Christian Evangelical History
C. Los Angeles Jindokai record from1912 to 1916 (UCLA archive)
D. Nisuke Mitsumori ”Memory of Shonien 1-8” Kashu Mainichi newspaper dated 10/15/1963, 10/18/63, 10/24/63, 10/29/63, 12/7/63, 12/15/63, 12/26/63, 12/29/63
E. Hakuaisha monthly journals from 1904 to 1908
F. Shonien 25th Anniversary booklet
G. Magojiro Furuya “My Faith and Evangelical Journey” published in 1967
H. Monthly Magazine “Shufu no Tomo” from 1940 to 1942
I. National registry of Japan Oita ken Kyushu
J. Rokuichi Kusumoto ”Our Sisters in West Coast US” Japanese TWCA monthly journals. July of 1914
K. “History of Hakuaisha” Commemorative book of Hakuaisha
L. “God Led My Hand” Michiko Rokushima’s testimony
M. “Repatriation Boat” Shunsuke Tsurumi
English Source
A. “History of Shonien 1912 to1970” Ford Kuramoto
B. “Memory of Manzanar” Lillian Matsumoto
C. “Twice Orphaned Voice from the Children’s Village of Manzanar” Catherine Irwin
D. United States National Census 1920, 1930
E. 1918 US Military Registration
F. U.S. Ship Records 1906, 1908, 1910, 1935, 1953
List of Interviewees
Mitsu Yamazaki (Shonien resident), Lilian Matsumoto, Yasuo Furuya (Magojiro Furuya’s son) Michiko Rokushima (Yasuko’s assistant in Quinsan Shonien) Shosuke Wada (Yasuko’s husband’s brother) Taeko Yanagi (Yasuko’s daughter) Gene Kusumoto (Yasuko’s son), Joy Lee (Yasuko’s daughter) Miyako Kusumoto (One of Kusumoto family in Kyushu) Dr. Yasuo Murota (Hakuaisha specialist scholar)
Photo provided by Gene Kusumoto and Taeko Yanagi
Is there an English translation of this book?