Bunro Sakaino Concentration Camp Diary

Transcript

July 8 (Wednesday)

I mailed out a letter to Ms. Ogo in the afternoon. It was extremely hot. The Oregonian reported that the temperature reached 104 degrees in Portland on the 2nd, and it was the hottest this year. However, 100 degrees here is hotter than 100 degrees in Po City.

Mr. Watanuki (assistant leader of the camp) from the 8th barrack treated our group with some ice cream. I heard his son brought it over when he visited to see his father. This ice cream was a shower over the dried land and the rarest item in the entire world under our current circumstances. It is especially my favorite, and I just guzzled it down. This is the first one ever since we had some at the farewell gathering before we left Missoula, and we all were so pleased. At dinner, Mr. Maruyama from Alameda in California,, the leader of the mess hall staff, noticed that I can only eat liquid food or very soft food and added boiled eggs to my dinner. I appreciate his kindness.

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Based on the reply from the Spanish ambassador to the Hawaii representative, we receive a piece of information that the second exchange boat is scheduled to depart at the end of August or the beginning of September. I also heard that it clearly stated it will be on August 10th in the back, but I find it strange. It is extremely annoying to keep us waiting endlessly.

Mr. Sakimura visited Mr. Okazaki at the hospital, and all of us from the 6th barrack got oranges for him to take as a get-well gift. According to a report by Mr. Sakimura, the hospital is fairly well-equipped, offers proper food, and both Mr. Okazaki and Mr. Tsuboi are gaining their strength back. They are not happy with the small portion of the food, but this is actually the most important for their treatment. Mr. Tsuboi believes that he is suffering from a heart disease, and it is more serious than the low blood pressure issue. He never let his cane go, but based on the diagnosis, there is nothing wrong with his heart, and his symptom likely stems from homesickness. I think this is another piece to add to our wartime stories.

We received a notice that access going back and forth to the U area is limited to be between 2 to 4 p.m. It is only for two hours and far from freedom. I am having a hard time to figure out the intentions of the administration to add such limitations to the ones from the same Sill camp simply because we are assigned to different areas.

I hear today that the chief of the K-2 mess hall demanded improvements of the food to the assigned officer, and the office offered an excuse and told him that the soldiers are eating the same thing and we have to be patient.

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He persuaded and went on saying there is no way the soldiers are on this poor diet and asked the office to take him to them to find out if it is true. The assigned major seemed fed up with this, offered some murky excuses and departed. The name of this chief is something Yoshida. He is a fisherman engaged in deep sea fishing from southern California. I was told he is assertive and presents a lot of opinions and demands. It is nice to hear.