Bunro Sakaino Concentration Camp Diary

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July 4 (Saturday)

Today is the Fourth of July, the Independence Day of the U.S. According to the newspaper, the Independence Day synonymous fireworks are strictly forbidden, and not many speeches are to be made either. It is understandable when the defeat of the war is coming so close. We heard tens of gun salutes around noon, reminding us that we are in a military facility.

It came to be a good time to introduce the facade of our sixth barrack mates. There are a total of 14 barrack mates after Mr. Sato went back to Japan, and the majority of them are different from the barrack mates in the 26th barrack in Missoula. I believe that I have some ideas about who the barrack mates really are through observing them while they are totally used to this restricted life within barbed wire. I encounter many occasions where the personalities of each person are revealed while living with them, some respectable some not, and it is naturally getting more interesting.

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Mr. Gen [Hajime/Moto/Tsukasa/Motoshi] Sata [Sada] [1] (from Nagasaki Prefecture) The first one is our own Mr. Sata [Sada], who occupies the bed on the right in the space connected to the right side of the entrance. He is no different from when he was running a restaurant in Po City [2] before the war started. He was one of the group of people sent to Missoula later and staying in the 11th barrack, and he does not show any signs of sorrow or depression. With his babyface and well-built body, he is the healthiest of all in the barrack. Eloquent old philosopher. His vocabulary and speaking pace all reminds us of old students in the Meiji period. He also does not seem worried at all, physically active, and it looks as if he was on a vacation. He is the only reader in the barracks too and closely reads newspapers and magazines, and he seems enthusiastic about getting information about the current situation. He is not hung up with a lot of details, good at working with other people and is a likable person.

Mr. Wataru Takahashi. From Hiroshima Prefecture. Grocery store owner.

Mr. Takahashi is the second youngest in the barracks but still is 40 years old this year. His wife and child [children] left in the assembly center in Po City [3] area still young as well, and he is another very cheerful person who never complains about the current situation. He is healthy and active at his young age. He is working hard for us as a mail delivery person for the 6th barrack. He is not sarcastic and very kind and naturally liked by everyone with his mild personality.

[1] Various name pronunciation options

[2] Portland?

[3] Portland?

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However, he is one of the people who are expected to make a big leap to recover from the sufferings after the war, and I would like to see him further learning to gain more knowledge.

Asakichi Tanbara [Nihara] [Tanhara] [4] From Okayama Prefecture. Owner of a Japanese and Chinese restaurant. He once had health issues due to scorching heat at the beginning. He is extremely energetic but not physically the healthiest. He is used to his carefree life, and it probably is also because of his old age. He is pretty chatty, but he is a businessman in his bones and never makes any offensive remarks to anyone. I have never heard him complain about the current situation. He is very cheerful. He works on his correspondence with his family members almost every day, with a dictionary and a notepad in front of his face. He seems largely interested in his future life in the States after the war, and I can see that he is having many thoughts about it. He is also a very thoughtful person. He is stable and does not worry about too many details, and I believe this personality contributes to his business success in Po City [5].

(Mr. Shinonome)

He was my barrack mate in the 2th barrack in Missoula. It is said that he is one of the successful farmers in Wapato. He often seems to miss the point, yet he is talkative. As we left Hirosuke [6] Ito behind, there is unspoken consensus among us that he took over Ito’s position, and he is the only chatty person in the Northwest group. He is also very loud, and it is sort of funny. I heard his wife and two daughters are waiting for him in his hometown.

[4] Last name has a few reading options

[5] Portland?

[6] The first name could be different

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He is one of the people waiting to be on an exchange boat, and he is another one who does not seem worried and appears pretty comfortable. He slams doors every time he opens one as if no one was around him. I think it should be forgiven, along with his loud voice, as he has formed this habit while living on a farm for such a long time with neighbors’ houses far away from his. He is in good health and physically active in spite of the heat, as his body has been trained with farming for so many years. You can tell that he is what he looks like without any malicious thoughts inside. He is likable. He is from Ibaraki Prefecture.

Mr. Masayoshi Sasaki, from Hiroshima, hotel owner

He is 60 years old and the oldest of us. He is small but extremely fit. He is well-known as a Buddhist, and rather known as a fanatic among all the fellow Po City [7] people. We hear him repeatedly chanting Buddhist mantras in the bed when he wakes up. He is a simple old man and behaves and speaks quietly. I am sorry for him as he is always asked to help and is working hard. When we were making a silly garden, all the hands were required to participate in the project in scorching heat. He hesitated first when he was asked but went out and worked hard with sweat pouring down. I could not help My anger fuming when he later talked about it and said, “It was very hard”. I have decided to be totally respectful and protective to him ever since. He is a Japanese chess champion in the camp.

[7] Portland?

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He is not an excellent player but very enthusiastic. It is pretty impressive to see him motionlessly sitting in front of the game board with Mr. Uesugi in an evening shower. He sometimes talks about the miseries the war brings and thoughts about his life in the States after the war, but nothing sounds too serious, indicating his mild personality. I have no idea why such an old man is considered as dangerous and arrested by the F.B.I.

Mr. Shunji Sasaki, from Hiroshima, laundromat owner

He is truly mild-mannered and kind. He limps, and it seems to make everything difficult for him. He is considered as one of the elders and very agreeable. He is a totally honest person as you can tell from the fact that he has been serving as a treasurer for the Buddhist association in Po City [8]. He never takes off his shirts no matter how baking hot it gets. His philosophy against scorching heat is that once you take off your shirts, it is hard to get cooler. That makes you always be shirtless, and there will be nothing left for you to do against the heat. I am in total agreement with him and doing the same. He makes thongs for geta clogs, mends clothes and pressing garments for others. It is hard to watch him sweating so much, but he silently works indoors under 100 degrees to show us his sincere care for us. His son is currently serving the military, and the son paid a visit while we were in Fort Sill. I cannot help feeling sorry for him as the current living conditions must be harder for him than the rest of us. However, it is a blessing that he does not have to worry about his family just like Masayoshi [9].

[8] Portland?

[9] Could be a different name

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Mr. Kosaku Sakaki, from Shiga Prefecture, farmer

Mr. Sasaki is a likable fellow in good mental and physical health still in his 40’s. He is extremely quiet and ever frivolous. He could almost be viewed as sluggish. He speaks in a low voice even when he jokes, he is not bothered with anything, seems somewhat carefree and appears to be truly manly. I would imagine this is the type of guy diligent women would fall in love with. He recently remarried, and I have no doubt that he went through a number of family issues. He never talked about any of them though and us silently working. His attitude to know the limits and thoughtfully behave is respectable, compared to others who tend to get carried away. A lot of us do not recognize what is exactly happening in the current situation, are forced to work against our own will and complain but still try to please the boss. We need to be aware that we are currently detained unfairly by the enemy nation as enemy aliens. It is kind. He is another good one who would shoulder our future after the war, and I hope he is doing a lot of learning.

Mr. Masaichi [10] Sakimura, from Kumamoto Prefecture, grocery business (Yakima)

Mr. Sakimura had been the chairperson and the vice chair for a total of 25 years and a prominent figure among the fellow residents in the region. He has been working hard to take care of this and that for us after being elected as the leader of our sixth barrack upon recommendation by a few members.

[10] Could be Seiichi or others

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However, it is deeply regrettable that there are definite doubts that he might be trying to figure out how the U.S. administration is moving instead of working to improve the camp life situation for us as the barrack leader. One of our Northwest leaders got deeply offended with his attitude without cooperating with the group, and we were sharply accused as if that was our fault. However, Mr. Sakimura is mild-mannered and would not do or say anything to offend others. I imagine it is such an honor to be the “captain” for him and he is excessively proud of it. It would be more appropriate to call him Mrs. Sakimura than Mr. Sakimura if you ask me. He is paying way too much attention to all the tiny details and doing enormous work to take care of frivolous things, and has a tendency to collect junk every time he lays his hand on it. He is like a good housewife rather than a man when I observe it from a short distance. I am guessing that His wife is having a hard time with his behavior, but maybe he just needs to work hard to do chores as his wife does not. I don’t think he would earn respect as our leader from many of us unless he throws away his old-school bureaucratic philosophy. However, I assume he has been socially trained, and he has a bright future ahead of him if he reflects on himself and works harder to improve himself. He is a great senryu poetry writer and senior to me in this field.

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What I am most surprised about is that he received a letter from his only daughter while detained in Fort Sill, and she said in the letter, “we need to defeat Jap [11] in this war. I don’t like Japanese people and would like to leave them and move somewhere in Oklahoma to be closer to my father” and so on. I can tell what kind of education he offers to his family, and at the same time, I think we need to reevaluate Mr. Sakimura to determine if he is a trustworthy Japanese.

Mr. Zenichi Ono, from Okayama Prefecture, agriculture

He also has been my barrack mate since we stayed in a tent in Fort Sill. He has a strong sense of responsibility and is also a pious Christian. I have already described his character in the previous page and will skip details, but he has some health issues these days and is not able to move around as he would like to. He feels as if that was his own fault and very sorry for that. However, there is a saying that goes: a family in good behavior will be blessed. He does not need to worry about anything. We are all wishing him regaining his health from the bottom of our heart. We would like him to take care of himself and hope plenty of rest will bring back his health although we do not know how long this living situation will last.

Mr. Shigeo [Nobuo [12]] Okazaki, from Okayama Prefecture, Konkokyo priest

I have also written about him while I was in Missoula. He has been having some serious health issues ever since he moved to Livingston. I heard something is wrong with his kidneys on top of his high blood pressure.

[11] This is the word used in the journal

[12] At least two possible readings for the first name

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He is surprisingly a big eater. His overeating makes any medical treatment extremely hard to be administered. He is in the hospital now, and I’m glad to hear he has been okay. He has been exhibiting extreme behavior and remarks possibly due to his fogginess in his head. He was selected to go back to Japan and applied to the administration. I would say he needs to continue to take care of himself and fix his head to return to his spiritual world.

Mr. Hisajiro [Jujuro] [13] Okamoto, from Okayama Prefecture, hotel industry

He was one of my barrack mates in the 25th barrack. He is healthy and hard working. He has already given up on his future life in the U.S. and decided to go back to Japan. He contacted his family in Po City [14], reached an agreement with them and is waiting for an exchange boat. He seems mild-mannered but gutsy and ambitious inside. I find him promising when I see him seeking for opportunities after he goes back to Japan. His two children are both still very young, but he definitely does not educate them in the U.S. I heard that his current wife is the third one. He is such an energetic fellow. He is liked by everyone and started yokyoku singing, English and painting lessons in Missoula. He is still eagerly taking singing and painting lessons by the instructors among the internees.

Mr. Masao Nose, from Shiga Prefecture, no particular occupation

He is the youngest of all in the sixth barrack here.

[13] At least two possible readings for the first name

[14] Portland?

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He is still inexperienced and likable. He has been isolated until he moved to this camp, joining the California group once and staying with the mid mountain group at other times, but he has finally settled down with the Oregon group. He was moving around for jobs mainly in the Seattle area and got arrested in Gaston, Oregon while working there upon the break of the war. I am sorry for him to live with old people like us as he is not even 40 years old. However, he is very calm in spite of his young age and never complains. I heard that he is in violation of the immigration laws and being here while forfeiting his bond. Therefore, Me. Nose cannot avoid going back to Japan due to a deportation order issued for him, waiting for an exchange boat.

Mr. Bankichi [Mankichi] [15] Sugimura, from Hiroshima Prefecture, barber

He is also one of the oldest but very energetic. He had his entire business taken over by his son and is relaxed and cheerful. He volunteers to render barber services while he is detained and works hard to cut hair for us as he is asked despite scorching heat. He is also one of the chattiest in the facility and the leader of dirty talk. Whether he is singing or talking, it is all about that. He is like an old youngster, and I find it interesting. I heard he is a drinker, and his biggest problem now is that we do not have any drinks.

[15] At least two possible readings for the first name

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They started to sell beer several days ago, but 3% alcohol is not strong enough to work for him. He must be one of those old men who would spend an entire day joking with a young woman if he bumps into one. He is truly liked by everyone in the facility and a funny guy like Mr. Sugimura.

There is no doubt that at least the ones in our 6th barrack ended up feeling calm after being moved around, getting completely used to the restricted life in barbed-wire fence, having our family forcefully removed from home and incarcerated and having everything going wrong all the way to the bottom. Danger past, god forgotten is the attitude. It is not only us in the 6th barrack who got calmed down somehow and are not upset. It is the current state for everyone throughout the camp. However, each of us should be fully prepared with understanding that the worst situation is still to come later. No one knows if the war will end by the end of this year or continue for a long duration depending on how it pans out in the future. We need to give our deep thoughts to figure out what would be the best strategies just in case all the internees are to be sent back to Japan. I am sorry to see the majority of the fellow Japanese do not wish to think about it with their ears covered. I cannot stand this meaningless life where we get used to the current situation and take it easy.

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I am certain that their biggest goal is to reunite with their family, but they will need to move forward for their future right away. I believe that it is most important to have well thought out plans and be prepared, and at the same time to intelligently work on the planning. We should not only be interested in the current daily war reporting but also should understand what our future will be like as an alien resident, pay attention to the political and social negotiations made by various agencies and departments and be prepared to revive in the upcoming new era. My fellow Japanese seem to be too ignorant and easy going to do that.

Everyone in the 6th barrack is mild-mannered, and we are considered as the most quiet among the people in the Northwest barracks. We just do not make a racket or make loud noises after hours. The noisiest is elder Sugimura followed by Sada, Takahashi, Shinonome and Tanbara [Nihara][Nibara] [16] in this order. They monopolize the stage during the day, but it is like silence after a storm after bedtime.

It is fully that elder Shosuke [?] Sasaki, who is the quietest and mildest of all, Shunji, Hirosuke [?] and Mr. Sakimura in order of their beds makes noises and movements in dark nights with each sound like a brass instrument orchestra. First of all, Shosuke talkies fast in his sleep about something we do not understand to start with. Shunji loudly grinds his teeth. His tooth grinding is the most strange thing in the world, compatible with the snoring of Hirayama, the Konkokyo believer.

[16] A few possible readings

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It has three steps, and you hear grinding first, followed by another to the other direction, finished with a long one in a different cord by one notch. This is repeated several times, becomes a continuous musical score and goes on all night. It is fairly loud as well. There is no way you would be able to fall asleep once you start to pay attention to it. Hirosuke [?] in the next bed snores. It is pretty loud as well but does not happen every night like the tooth grinding. The next one is Mr. Sakimura who talks in his sleep. This one is directed every night and produces quite a few pieces. If you have insomnia, you can enjoy listening to them all night. Unlike Shosuke, sleep talking of Mr. Sakimura is clear and no different from how he talks when he is awake with the Kumamoto dialect. We sometimes have a hard time understanding what he is talking about because of his dialect, but that is all. Interestingly, he always sounds like he is giving a speech.

It is pretty noisy from midnight to early morning in the 6th barrack.

We were told that an U.S. officer will visit the camp for inspection next Monday and asked to tidy up everywhere. The administration conducted pre-inspection and instructed us that the empty space between the 5th and 6th barrack is not up to standard. I think we should just leave it as is, but some busybodies get busy and work hard to get praised. That is a pity.

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They served turkey for lunch for the holiday. I think they should use better plates as well.