Tawa Family Letters

田和助五郎 Tawa, Sukegoro, 1888-1985

Sukegoro Tawa was born on February 27, 1888, in Kamo-mura, Okayama, Japan and immigrated to the U.S. in 1907. He worked as a houseboy while completing school (the Royal High School) in San Francisco. In 1920, he returned to Japan and married his wife, Chiyoko Yoshida, and they came back to the United States in 1921. They had three American-born children, Junko Mary, Tsuyoshi Ken, and Katsumi. He operated the Tawa Seed Co. on 2nd Street, Los Angeles, developing a special tomato variety and selling seeds to farmers in California. His business was successful, earning approximately $150 a month, and had continued for 22 years until the war interrupted it. He was a member of the Japanese Association of Los Angeles and the Buddhist Church of Los Angeles, and appointed as the Treasurer of the Chuo Gakuen, a Japanese language school.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was apprehended on March 13, 1942, and detained at the Tuna Canyon Detention Center. He was transferred to the Santa Fe Internment Camp on March 27, and then to the Lordsburg Internment Camp on July 4, 1942. He was again transferred back to the Santa Fe Internment camp on June 23, 1943, and further sent to the Crystal City Internment Camp in Texas on March 21, 1944. When he was interrogated, he refused to make a statement regarding his loyalty and his attitude appeared evasive to the interrogators. The interrogation also revealed his involvement and commitment in Japanese community organizations, including a Japanese association, Buddhist church, and Japanese language school, as well as his large investment in the Japanese stocks and bonds in 1940, which he purchased for his retirement. The interrogators' attention was especially drawn by his large investment and they concluded that he was considerable loyal to Japan and "potentially dangerous." The interrogation report, that is called, "Reference Report," categorized him as a dangerous alien, "Army Code List Number 2," and resulted in longtime confinement in the internment camps. His family and friends appealed rehearing and parole, however, his case was never considered. In February 1944, his rehearing was authorized by the Special Hearing Board at Santa Fe and was conducted in June 1944. Finally, he was "paroled" to the Poston incarceration camp and united with his family on August 31, 1944. His status, however, remained "paroled" and was listed on a "stop list of the Western Defense Command" which prohibited him from returning to California and also required him to report to the immigration authorities in Los Angeles once a week even after the war ended. On September 3, 1945, he was released and returned to Los Angeles. The rest of the family had left earlier: Chiyoko and Katsumi returned to Los Angeles on August 29, 1945; Junko Mary left for Berkeley, California on February 5, 1945; and Tsuyoshi Ken left for New York on June 11, 1945.

田和亥之太 Tawa, Inota, 1878-1972

Inota Tawa was an elder brother of Sukegoro Tawa's and one of the prominent figures among the earlier Japanese immigrants in the United States. When he was age 18, he left from Okayama, Japan for San Francisco. He became a dispatcher, transmitting hundreds of workers to agricultural fields, including Japanese, Chinese, and Mexican laborers. He became an editor of the Shin Sekai, a Japanese American newspaper in San Francisco, turning around the company which had been in debt. He became the executive of the Kinmon Bank which was the first Japanese bank in the United States. He was a Japanese pioneer in the farming industry, entering large farm management in Utah. Although he was ambitious for success, he was confronted with a series of mishaps, such as severe damages to his crops by harsh weather, a labor boycott, the San Francisco Earthquake, recessions, etc., and unfortunately, he was not able to achieve the success. While he was committed in several businesses in the United States for decades, he was also ambitious to succeed in his homeland by attempting to start a new business in Japan. He left for Japan alone and hustled around a recycle business in Tokushima while his wife, Chiyoka and their seven children remained in the U.S. His plan was supported by the local government officials and the other influentials in Japan, however, the war broke out and terminated it. It was unknown whether he intended to call his wife and children back to Japan once his new business had taken off, but the family was separated, and the war removed him from his family. Later, he remarried in Japan and passed away on January 27, 1972.

Although his life was full of ups and downs, he was a pioneer venturing out business in the U.S. and inspired the Japanese youth to depart for the United States.

三宅克己 Miyake, Katsumi "Kokki" (1874-1954); 三宅せい子 Miyake, Seiko (d.1934)

Katsumi "Kokki" Miyake was an influential watercolor landscape painter who was pioneering and promoting watercolor painting in Japan. He was born in Tokushima, Japan in 1874 and moved to Tokyo when he was age 6 because of his father's assignment. He grew up in the neighborhood where artists resided and learned the Western-style painting from Sachihiko Soyama (1859–1892) and Naojiro Harada (1863–1899) who were well known painters. While studying in Tokyo, he was inspired by watercolor paintings by John Varley Jr. (1850-1933) and Alfred Parsons (1847-1920), and decided to pursue watercolor painting. He traveled to the U.S. in 1897 and studied at the Yale University School of Art, and moved to England in 1898, continued his study in Europe, including France and Belgium, and retuned to Japan in 1899. While staying in the United States, he was able to raise enough capital from his paintings and continue his study in Europe. His study-abroad method inspired other artists, and they followed in his footsteps and studied in art in Europe, traveling via the U.S. His wife, Seiko Miyake, was also a watercolor painter.

豊竹呂昇 Toyotake, Rosho, 1874-1930

Rosho Toyotake, whose real name is Naka Nagata, was a female gidaiyu, that is, a Japanese puppet theatre narrator and musician. She was born in a former Owari clansman's family in Nagoya, Japan on August 4, 1874, and professionally trained in music since early childhood. She became popular and was known for her beautiful voice and instrument playing skills as well as her good looks. She contributed to promoting female status of gidaiyu and building its golden age in Japan. She retired in 1923 and passed away on June 7, 1930.