Minidoka

The Minidoka Relocation Center was located on sagebrush land in south-central Idaho where the temperature ranged between 30 degrees below zero to 104 above. Min Yasui recalled his arrival: “We saw the barbed-wire fences, the watchtowers, guard houses, the MP detachments, the administration housing, warehouse areas, and block after block of black, tar-papered barracks, about 120 feet long and about 20 feet wide.”[1] Monica Sone added,

On our first day in camp, we were given a rousing welcome by a dust storm. It caught up with us while we were still wandering about looking for our room. We felt as if we were standing in a gigantic sand-mixing machine as the sixty-mile gale lifted the loose earth up into the sky, obliterating everything. Sand filled our mouths and nostrils and stung our faces and hands like a thousand darting needles.[2]

The camp newspaper, at the time, included the following depiction:

Minidoka . . . is a vast stretch of sagebrush stubble and shifting, swirling sand—a dreary, forbidding, flat expanse of arid wilderness. Minidoka, in September of 1942, is the sort of place people would normally traverse only to get through to another destination. . . . We, the ten thousand, then, can have but one resolve; to apply our combined energies and efforts to the grim task of conquering the elements and converting a wasteland into an inhabitable community. . . . Our great adventure is a ‘repetition of the frontier struggle of pioneers against the land and its elements.’ Our future will be what we make of it; and there is no reason to despair.[3]

The winters were so cold that residents wrapped cloths around their doorknobs so that their hands would not stick to them. The Idaho summers, however, were even worse. As Sone wrote, “The sun beat down from above and caught us on the chin from below, bouncing off the hard-baked earth, and browning us to such a fine slow turn that I felt like a walking Southern fried chicken.”[4]

On a social level, the relocation centers also broke down the family structure. As Rev. Tsutomo “Tom” Fukuyama lamented:

Evacuation has brought about the breakdown of family life. It seems to be humanly impossible to preserve family unity and ideals in a glorified, all-the-year-round campground. Children rush in to dining halls for their daily sustenance without ever experiencing a spirit of family fellowship with a prayer of thanks for their food. They are never at home; for with their pals they are having a glorious time. The home is becoming just a place where are boys and girls sleep for the night. Parents are unable to discipline their children, and unconsciously they are accepting conditions as they are without any attempt to remedy them. Many of our children no longer belong to homes. Frankly, are they not becoming children of the W.R.A.? The State has taken over the bringing up of our children, and more so as home life is rapidly deteriorating. . . . There is reason to believe that the collapse of home life will have far reaching effects on the character development of our children.[5]

As residents began to lose hope, some counseled each other to pray and trust in God. Hanaye Matsushita wrote a letter to her husband, Iwao, at the Fort Missoula Department of Justice detention center (dated August 20, 1942). She grieved their prolonged separation as they corresponded by mail:

It’s unendurably hot and dusty, though eventually I’ll get used to it. My body is weak and can only stand so much. I pray to God for strength and tolerance. . . . When I dwell on this situation, I have suicidal feelings, but I’ve got to keep myself together until your return. I imagine you’re also experiencing rough times.”

Iwao wrote back five days later, “We’ll be able to give thanks no matter what may befall us. If we trust in the Lord, even if we are left alone in the wilderness, we’ll not feel any loneliness.”[6]

After the initial shock, however, the internees began to put both the camp and their personal lives back in order.

By fall, Camp Minidoka had bloomed into a full-grown town. . . . All church activities, Protestant, Catholic and Buddhist, were in full session. The ministers, who had served among the Japanese people back home, moved to Twin Falls, a small town nearby, and continued their good work among us. Our own Mr. [Everett] Thompson and his family were with us again.[7]

Fukuyama wrote to Rev. K. Harper Sakaue in the Rohwer Relocation Center about the hope-filled progress he was witnessing in the “desert colony” at Minidoka.

All of a sudden, as one rounds the bend, the project breaks into view. There is a raging irrigation canal running along the bend which is the source of all the greenery to be seen. Coming nearer there are row upon row of drab barracks similar to an army encampment. . . . Since the pioneering beginnings of our colony in what seemed to be a hot searing desert over a year ago, there is appearing the semblance of an organized community. No longer are we stuffing the cracks around the window casings to keep out fine dust which would sift in to give everyone a powder bath. Water from the irrigation ditch is making the hard encrusted ground to send forth struggling blades of welcome grass. During the summer months a brilliant profusion of colorful flowers brought cheer to the drab tarpapered barracks. Transplanted trees have taken root and soon there will be shade for the children to play under.[8]

Fukuyama joyfully described schools, libraries, and stores: “Two barber shops, two shoe repairing shops, two dry cleaning shops, two watch repairing shops, and even a fish market open once a week. Tucked away in a corner of one building is a ‘tofu’ factory.”[9] As internees cultivated hundreds of acres of farmland to provide food for the camp, Fukuyama meditate on his favorite Scripture passage during the Minidoka days: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus” (Isaiah 35:1).[10] In like manner, the Federated Christian Church grew up from that barren desert soil into a flourishing flower.

The Christian churches in the center are working in a federated program. Constituent members include Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, Holiness, Methodist, and Presbyterian. Over 500 are enrolled in the Church School. The two English speaking services for youth average well over 300 each Sunday. There are special Japanese speaking services for parents which reach 375-400 each Sunday. Besides these, there are evening youth fellowships and midweek services. . . . While the process of rehabilitating family units is going on, the Christian Church is busy serving in the centers. It is helping in student relocation, family relocation, ministry to those in physical need as well as spiritual need, and pointing people to the higher spiritual values of life. The plans for a community Christmas with gifts for every child has been due largely to the efforts of the Christian Church. We would not be able to do much without the strength which comes from the cooperative effort on the part of our Christian friends on the outside.[11]

The Christian ministers at Minidoka labored in gospel partnership with one another since many had already built strong relationships at Puyallup. In fact, leaders had started planning out the worship structure of the Minidoka church weeks before the relocation. Cooperation became a matter of necessity in order to care for every Christian in the camp. According to Rev. Thomas Machida,

All the Protestant denominations were united in one Federated Christian Church for the total evacuees in Minidoka Relocation Center. We divided 45 blocks into four areas and one minister was assigned for each area. . . . Christian church services were permitted in each block on every Sunday and Thursday evening. . . . We thought the best way was to hold the morning service at the large recreation hall where all can get together. As many as five hundred people worshipped at these services. On Thursday nights there were held Bible study and prayer meetings. These were well attended. We thought the rotation of ministers would be better, so we took turns ministering and preaching to different sections.[12]

The Federated Christian Church

The ecumenical Federated Christian Church of Minidoka was dedicated on November 1, 1943 with Rev. Francis Hayashi presiding over the service. The church listened to sermons from Rev. Everett Thompson and Rev. Naomichi Kodaira. They also sang cherished hymns such as The Church’s One Foundation.[13]

The church would offer ministries for all ages, a Nisei youth conference, a church choir, DVBS for the children, friendship groups which met in barrack homes, and a National Christian Preaching Mission which invited speakers from around the country.

Christian leaders held occasional revivals or other special events to encourage believers and attract others. Prior to their first Easter at Minidoka, pastors of the Federated Church sponsored a (Christian) Religious Emphasis Week, which became an annual event featuring local speakers of many denominations. Nearly a hundred people reportedly gave a confession of faith that Easter.[15]

On their first Easter Sunday in 1943, 1,500 people attended the sunrise service.[16] Then during the main Easter service, the church heard messages from Revs. Thompson and Fukuyama[17] and thirty-nine Minidokans were baptized as a testimony of their faith in Christ.[18] The church also recited the Lord’s Prayer and sang the victory hymn, Christ the Lord is Risen Today.[19] They courageously followed in the steps of Jesus who had given his life as a sacrifice for many (1 Peter 2:21-23).[20] The church also published a weekly newsletter, The Herald, which reminded readers of the conquering power of prayer[21] and the comforting truths of the hymn, This is My Father’s World.

Blankenship summarized the work of the Federated Christian Church:

After a year in Idaho, the Federated Church at Minidoka defined its three primary aims: “assistance in personal problems, aid in relocation, and the development of Christian faith and character.” . . . The Federated Church organized a social services committee to counsel incarcerees and help meet physical needs [for both Christians and non-Christians]. Items relating to resettlement appeared in church bulletins regularly, and church-sponsored lectures broached the topic in all camps. . . . The greatest challenge for some ministers was to keep their congregants—and themselves—from losing faith in the face of such uncertainty.[23]

Many cherished the spiritual growth they experienced at Minidoka. As James, the brother of Jesus, had written to the persecuted church in his day, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). In like manner, countless Nikkei believers shared joyful testimonies about their experiences at Minidoka. Kiyoshi Ishimitsu proclaimed, “As a Christian in Minidoka I have developed, a better understanding of the world, and have something to live for. Here, I have the opportunity of teaching the Gospel to children.”[24] Like many believers before him, Ishimitsu realized the healing power of serving others. Kumeo Tsubahara added his own testimony:

The slower pace of camp life introduced many believers to appropriate the means of grace in Christ such as Bible study, prayer, and Christian fellowship. Mrs. Chester Sakura praised the Lord in the midst of hardships:

As I look back almost two years now since we were evacuated from our homes, leaving behind all familiar scenes, going to the fair grounds at Puyallup, and coming to Idaho in the dust and heat, I know God’s hand was leading me ever closer to the Throne. . . . I felt I couldn’t carry on, the load being too heavy. I thought I was at the end of the road when I heard His Voice saying, “Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest unto your souls” [Matthew 11:28]. “Fear thou not for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee” [Isaiah 41:10]. His Word said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal [Matthew 6:19-20].” So standing on the promise of Christ I entered a new life, dedicating mine and the children to Him, learning to sing a new song, and walking in faith through the trials and joys of each day. I learned that I could do all things through Christ, that love bears no malice, that love believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. As I stand at the threshhold of relocation for my youngsters and myself looking into the unknown and uncertain future, I pray for wisdom, courage and strength.[26]

These testimonies, and many others now faded memories, declared the enduring power of God’s Word to transform lives.

The Minidoka Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church also flourished at Minidoka and was formally inaugurated on March 11, 1943 as “The Church of the Holy Apostles.”[27] They worshiped separately from the Federated Christian Church as camp officials allowed them to create their own worship space.[28]

Minidokan Episcopalians constructed an elaborate altar where Joseph Kitagawa held daily services in remembrance of church members who died in the war. Icons and scripture adorned the walls, and skilled church members constructed an elaborate candelabra to optimize use of the small space. A dark curtain draped the back wall, establishing a backdrop for a small, ornate cross. Christians filled the cracks in the church walls to keep out the dust and sewed curtains to cover the thin windows.[29]

One personal letter praised Rev. Kitagawa’s Christmas Eve service in the “recreation hall” decorated so beautifully that “no one would think they were going there [rather than to a real church]. The altar was lovely, all candles and flowers, and we had a choral Eucharist.” Another letter affirmed the spiritual gift of familiar ritual in an alien setting: “People forgot they were in camp. . . . [There was] a deep reverent sense of worship in spirit and in truth.”[30]

The Episcopal Church started a school of prayer for the young people which met twice a week for Bible study and prayer. They helped organize an ambitious student resettlement program, providing funds for travel and letters of recommendation for students seeking placement in outside colleges.[31] They also published their own newsletter, The Minidoka Churchman, which was read by many outside their denomination. Informative columns explained the history of the Episcopal Church in America, the practices of Lent (including a Bible reading schedule), the meaning of the creeds, and the five colors of the Christian calendar. The newsletter also answered questions of interest such as, “Why does the Episcopal Church always hold the Holy Communion before noon if it is rooted in the Last Supper which occurred the evening preceding our Lord’s crucifixion?”[32] Through the power of the pen, readers were fed a healthy diet of biblical teaching, church history, and ecclesiology. This kind of communication in all the centers led fellow Nikkei to better understand and learn each other’s faith traditions. It also allowed non-Japanese friends and those who had left Minidoka for work or school to stay connected to the church.[33]

From the beginning of the internment, a council of ten bishops from the western states addressed the plight of the Minidokan Episcopalians. The prologue of the bishops’ report expressed their stated purpose:

Deeply conscious of the needs and problems of our brethren of the Church in relocation centers and desirous of recognizing their loyalty to Christ under difficult conditions, we, as Bishops of diocese and districts responsible for the Japanese work of the Episcopal Church desire to commend the successful efforts of the clergy and laity in maintaining church services and ministrations in relocation and concentration centers . . . and to recommend them for the maintenance of Japanese work.[34]

The bishops then directly urged their Nikkei brothers to maintain their Christian testimonies despite the injustices they had received:

The days ahead will demand of you leaders of the Japanese, and through you, of your people, patience, courage and steadiness. . . . We are counting on your group to set an example to others who have not had the privilege of Christian dedication. . . . We read of difficulty in some of the centers with disquietude of spirit. The very small, we trust, subversive minority must not be allowed to imperil the future well-being of those who are loyal to and grateful for their American citizenship, even though they are bewildered by mass relocation during the period of emergency. This “wilderness” experience can be a time of real spiritual growth.[35]

The Episcopal Church established a strong ministry presence in the camp and faithfully ministered the Word of God through preaching. During their first Easter service in 1943, the Most Rev. Henry St. George Tucker preached a sermon as the presiding bishop. The following excerpt presents the tenor of his exhortation:

Christ’s resurrection granted hope to believers in both life and death. For since God raised his Son from the dead, then what could he fail to do if it were his will? That same Easter, Rev. Joseph Kitagawa also proclaimed Christ as the answer to the world’s problems. For Jesus delivered the truth through both authoritative teachings and the miraculous power of his death and resurrection:

In 1944, the vicar’s New Year’s message reminded the internees that their church building in the relocation center was merely temporary. Therefore, instead of beautifying the building, they should prepare their hearts for resettlement and continue in prayer for their witness to the world. In the face of prejudice outside the camp, they were to remember their racial equality as children of God: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Ambassadors of Christ were not to let feelings of displacement keep them from bringing lost people to God’s kingdom.

The government has been encouraging us to resettle outside among the normal communities, and we have already sent out many families in 1943. More will be going out this year, and one thing those of you have to remember is that you will come across cheap prejudices, misunderstanding and unchristian acts; however, you are the Ambassadors of Christ, who alone will win the world. Keep His spirit as you meet the people. As we start 1944, let us remember in our prayers our thirty-eight boys from the Church of the Holy Apostles in the armed services, sixty odd number of students and hundreds of people who are living outside for the glory of God. The Church is trying to help more people this year to meet spiritual and physical needs both inside and outside of the Relocation Centers. Again, we are called this year to take part in the Divine Enterprise to prepare men and women, so that although we cannot dedicate any ornaments or church buildings, we can dedicate more souls to Him as reasonable, holy and LIVING sacrifices.[38]

Leading up to Easter 1944, the church was reminded of how Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb when it was yet dark (John 20:1). Although she too was filled with fear, sorrow, and the darkness of death, she had the faith to honor Christ by her presence at his tomb. So also, Nikkei Christians facing an uncertain future were to honor their Lord “when it was yet dark.”[39] Then on Easter Sunday, the church received their charge from the Rt. Rev. Charles Reifsnider:

Christ is risen! In the midst of the battle and the courage, the blood, sweat and tears, He is pointing the way. His victory over self can be man’s victory leading to a new world—the promised land of international fellowship, brotherhood and peace. “Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Therefore Brethren be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, foreasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord [1 Corinthians 15:58].”[40]

They heard a similar exhortation during their third and final Easter in 1945:

Resurrection is not merely an event which happened some 1900 years ago. It is a constant process, an eternal principle in which the Christian believes. As Christians, each Easter as it rolls around, each Sunday which is a miniature Easter, remind us of this recurring fact: that love and justice and truth are indestructible; that in Christ and all that He stood for is the power of resurrection.[41]

The church needed this repeated encouragement that Christ’s resurrection would bring comfort and strength to his people. In addition to their personal suffering, they began to hear the tragic news of Nikkei soldiers dying in the war. As reported in the church newsletter,

Another five from Hunt [Minidoka] have found their resting places in a foreign land. Five crosses will mark the wounds of blood-drenched bodies, while another five golden stars will grimly gleam from the windows of five bereaved American homes. The memory of these men should be entered in our hearts to add to the other scores who have given their lives for us.[42]

Peter’s words to exiles of a previous century could have been written directly to the church at Minidoka:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3-7).

The Ministry of Outside Friends

Both the Federated Christian Church and the Minidoka Episcopal Church received significant aid and support from outside friends. Many Christians provided resources and materials. Churches and schools in Seattle and Portland loaned the Minidokans eighteen pianos, four organs, over two thousand folding chairs, and many benches and tables.[43] “George Townsend, a Quaker in charge of personnel at the Idaho camp, was especially sympathetic and helpful. At one point he secured a government truck to transport church pews, organs, pianos, and hymn books from Seattle churches to the center.”[44] Outside friends made it possible to construct a functioning church in the middle of the desert.

Some missionaries also volunteered their time to live in or near Minidoka. Rev. Everett Thompson, former missionary to Japan and pastor of the Japanese Methodist Church in Seattle, personally ministered to the Nikkei during relocation. According to The Herald, he proved to be

a most worthy friend and worker of this project. . . . He conducts one of the morning services every Sunday, teaches a young people’s class, counsels and advises them, provides means of contact between people here and the people outside by means of letters, and by giving sermons and addresses in the neighboring towns, and helps the center-ites in any other way he can.[45]

Rev. Emery Andrews was another faithful friend of the Nikkei church[46] and Bill Sutterlin, a divinity student, stepped in for his friend, Tsutomo Fukuyama, during the summer of 1943 as Fukuyama traveled for deputation work around the country.[47] Other missionaries like Esther McCollough lived in nearby Twin Falls and served in the Federated Christian Church. When McCollough returned to Seattle in May 1945, she received an admirable tribute in the church newsletter:

Miss McCollough was one of those missionaries who demonstrated the things she taught in her daily life. There was no need that she was not willing to heed and help. Her home in Twin Falls, the “duplex,” was always open to us. Boys and girls, young people, and parents all found friendship and understanding there. She was constantly going about camp “doing good” and inspiring others to better Christian living. Through her life, many of us were brought closer to the Master. Always, she was pointing us to her Lord, never to herself. We appreciate Miss McCollough. May God bless her richly as she returns to a greater ministry in Seattle.[48]

Fukuyama reflected near the end of the relocation on the incarnational impact of those missionaries at Minidoka:

Our first emphasis has been that of presenting the priority of Jesus Christ over all of life. . . . The Christian faith is expressed in ministry of redemptive love. Life has gone to pieces, and hope shattered for many of our people. In such a crisis, our Church has carried on a program of redeeming love. A practical demonstration of this is found in the eight missionaries who have come voluntarily to serve our people. They have helped in such ways as shopping, entertaining guests overnight in their homes in Twin Falls, counseling, and relocation assistance. One of our beloved co-workers, “Andy” Andrews, has taken twenty-seven trips to Seattle to look after evacuee interests. He has given assistance in transportation from the camp to Twin Falls to over 1500 people in the “Blue Box”—a homemade bus reconstructed from parts of the former Japanese and Chinese Kindergarten busses in Seattle. Always, the Federated Christian Church in its ministry has been directed to a redemptive ministry for all; Christian, Buddhists, and those who claim no religious affiliation. Redemptive love finds its fullest expression in the rehabilitation of citizens and friendly aliens behind barbed wires, victims of circumstances.[49]

Minidoka was also greatly blessed to be located nearby friendly churches and enjoyed the benefit of receiving guest preachers from neighboring towns. In exchange, young people from Minidoka sent singing groups, musicians, and their mass choir to conduct concerts in appreciative churches. The First Baptist Church in Twin Falls graciously allowed Rev. Andrews to use their baptismal for the immersion of Nikkei converts. Thus, in many ways, the church was the first to break down America’s barriers of ethnicity, prejudice, and barbed wire. Rev. Suzuki explained how these relationships first began to flourish when the center had been established:

In November 1942, the religious workers of the Minidoka Center had an open house, to which over one hundred clergymen, their wives, and lay people came as guests of the religious workers in the project. They came from as far away as Salt Lake City, Utah and Boise, Idaho. The enthusiasm and fine response was gratifying and significant and demonstrated that the Church was the one bond which transcends the barriers of race, class, and creed. Only a religious fellowship could make such a gathering as this. Out of this open house, many contacts were made and some exchanges of youth fellowships took place. The Federated Christian Church of Minidoka Relocation Center was a good reconciling church.[50]

The church at Minidoka helped bridge the ethnic and cultural gap which many Americans found so hard to overcome. Congenial interactions with outside groups also reduced the fears and frustrations of internees preparing for resettlement. Ministry and counseling within the camps grew easier once residents were more willing to trust outsiders. This may also have been one reason Minidoka sent the highest percentage of volunteers from any of the camps to fight in the war.

Along with the preaching of God’s Word and the volunteer efforts of missionaries, a third significant means of outside support were the many friends who sent encouraging letters and gifts. That first Easter, Rev. Alex Anderson sent greetings from Ketchikan, Alaska to former members of St. John’s Episcopal Church.[51] In addition, “Minidokans received an astonishing 17,000 presents from Christian groups.”[52] Rev. Fukuyama determined, “The number of gifts shows that the heart of America is essentially warm and the vociferous race mongers constitute only a small minority.”[53] Rev. Thompson also reflected on the deeper significance of these gifts:

Christmas has many rich messages to the followers of Jesus. One that has deeply impressed the people of this relocation center, both believers and non-believers is the realization of the world wide Christian Church as a fellowship of sharing far out beyond the horizon of the nearby hills. . . . Our imagination has reached out to a Ladies Circle in Kansas and a country church, in Michigan and a men’s class in a metropolitan church in Illinois. It has not been the things received, though these were fine generous gifts, but the thought of this fellowship with people whose very existence we had not known till now, that was the most impressive thing. . . . In the gifts sent us and in the gifts we sent, denominational lines did not separate us but we were able to think in terms of the Christian Church as a whole—carrying its deeds of love to Christian and non-Christian alike wherever there was need. What a fellowship in which to share. What a thrill it brings to be Christians in this broad, rich meaning of the word![54]

The church would make the best of their situation as one missionary organization described those Christmas festivities:

There is special satisfaction in sending gifts to brighten life in these barrack cities, for it is a bit of help to those who have shown the greatest resourcefulness in helping themselves—a real genius for creating humble beauty in drab surroundings: “The women launder burlap potato sacks and bleach white flour sacks, . . . then run vari-colored threads through the sacking, and hang them across the windows for curtains.” There is real artistry and a touching wistfulness in their efforts to create a home-like atmosphere for special seasons—a pulpit banked with potted Easter lilies so beautiful one can scarcely believe them of paper. . . . a tumbleweed in a crepe paper covered tin can, decorated with red stars, on the piano in front of the Christmas choir singing Handel’s “Messiah.” . . . Eggshells converted into Santa Claus faces and reindeer heads, orange peelings and cupcake covers into tree ornaments. . . . Wood shavings painted green and made into wreaths. . . . Sagebrush branches trimmed with curled tin cans. . . . Life-size angels made of cardboard and sugar sacks covering the bare posts.[55]

Rev. Fukuyama was a prolific writer and preacher for the church at Minidoka, so it is appropriate to consider his reflection during their final Easter of 1945, “Easter is the time for gratitude and praise. We cannot but feel thankful for the blessings that God has poured upon us. Life has been good because of God’s love and guidance.”[56] He first exhorted the church to give thanks for “God’s greatest gift in the world, his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In His life we see life as it should be lived and by His standards all of us see our sinfulness and shortcomings. In His suffering and death on the Cross we see what divine suffering is.”[57] Second, he called the church to give thanks for Christian fellowship around the world as many outside of Minidoka ministered to the Nikkei during the internment. Third, Fukuyama called the church to be thankful “for those of our number who have relocated into normal life and those who have gone into the armed services.”[58] Lastly, he wrote,

Let us give thanks for the closing of all relocation centers. This will be our third and final Easter in camp. I believe that the turning point has come in relocation. Let us remember that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Believe it and live it in the assurance that the God who raised Christ from the dead will likewise give you the necessary resources to launch out into the deep successfully. You cannot fail if you have Christ with you. “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!” [2 Corinthians 9:15].[59]

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[1] John Tateishi, And Justice for All: An Oral History of the Japanese American Detention Camps (New York: Random House, 1984), 76.

[2]Sone, Nisei Daughter, 192. Another resident, Theresa Takayoshi, remembered, “Minidoka was just so dusty, so dusty, and so cold in the wintertime. None of us from Seattle had clothes that were warm enough for that climate. The dust storms that would just come up without notice were just as terrible. And I felt the family situation was deteriorating” (Tateishi, Justice for All, 218).

[3] Minidoka Irrigator (10 September 1942), 4.

[4] Sone, Nisei Daughter, 194.

[5] Tsutomo Fukuyama, “Our Home Life,” The Herald 2.15 (9 May 1943), 2. Fukuyama inexplicably declared that the solution to restoring the family structure was rapid resettlement into American society. He made no mention of the power of Christ in the home or the sufficiency of God’s Word for the discipline and instruction of a godly family.

[6] Louis Fiset, Imprisoned Apart: The World War II Correspondence of an Issei Couple (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1997), 168-69.

[7] Sone, Nisei Daughter, 195.

[8] Letter from Tsutomo Fukuyama to K. Harper Sakaue, 1.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Tom Fukuyama, “My Spiritual Odyssey” (Betty Fukuyama papers, Acc. 4411, UW), 3.

[11] Letter from Rev. Tsutomo Fukuyama to Rev. K. Harper Sakaue (n.d.), 2. In December 1942, the Minidoka Herald reported 600 attending the English worship services, 375 in the Japanese worship services, and over 500 in Sunday school.

[12] Letter and interview notes from Rev. T. J. Machida, cited in Suzuki, Ministry, 196-97. Denominations throughout the history of Christendom have found ways to remain territorial, however, the Japanese churches in Seattle had already partnered together for decades prior to evacuation.

[13] Federated Christian Church of Minidoka, “Dedication Service” (1 November 1943).

[14] S. J. Stone, The Church’s One Foundation (1866).

[15] Blankenship, Social Justice, 125.

[16] “Over Thousand Attend Easter Sunrise Service,” The Herald 2.16 (2 May 1943), 1. The service was a combination of Issei and Nisei performing special music and speaking from Scripture.

[17] Federated Christian Church of Minidoka, “Easter Service Order of Worship” (25 April 1943).

[18] Their names were cited in “39 Minidokans to be Baptized,” The Herald 2.16 (24 April 1943), 3.

[19] Charles Wesley, Christ the Lord is Risen Today (1739).

[20] “Scripture of the Week,” The Herald 2.14 (18 April 1943), 2.

[21] Tsutomo Fukuyama, “Conquering Through Prayer,” The Herald 2.3 (24 January 1943).

[22] This cherished hymn written by Maltbie D. Babock (1901) was cited in “Seeing Life as a Whole,” The Herald 1.7 (13 December 1942).

[23] Blankenship, Social Justice, 122-23, citing “Religious Activities in Minidoka,” Minidoka Irrigator (25 September 1943), 4. Another great challenge was the constant departure of leaders for school or employment outside of the camp (Letter from Thompson to Gertrude Apel [18 June 1943], Box 15/Fld 2, CCGS; James Sakoda, “The ‘Residue’: The Unresettled Minidokans, 1943-1945,” in Views from Within: The Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study, ed. Yuji Ichioka [Los Angeles: University of California at Los Angeles, 1989], 260, 269).

[24] Kiyoshi Ishimitsu, “What Christianity Means to Me in Minidoka,” The Minidoka Herald special edition (February 1944), 4.

[25] Kumeo Tsubahara, “What Christianity Means to Me in Minidoka,” The Minidoka Herald special edition (February 1944), 4.

[26] Mrs. Chester Sakura, “What Christianity Means to Me in Minidoka,” The Minidoka Herald special edition (February 1944), 4.

[27] “Bishop Huston Spends Busy 2 Days Here,” The Minidoka Churchman 2.3 (24 January 1945), 1.

[28] Due to distinctives in worship style and theology, some denominations chose to worship apart from the ecumenical church. The largest of these groups were the Episcopals, but the Seventh Day Adventists also worshipped separately (“Sunday Church Services,” Minidoka Irrigator [21 November 1942], 2; Memorandum on the Work of the Protestant Churches [20 July 1942]). “The Idaho Conference of Adventists hired William Hiroshima as a pastor for the twenty Adventist Minidokans, but camp authorities and the interfaith council never formally recognized the group. Hiroshima bicycled around camp to lead weekly meetings and Bible study groups” (Blankenship, Social Justice, 118).

[29] Ibid., 109, citing “The Altar of the Church of the Holy Apostles,” The Minidokan Churchman (1 April 1945), Reel 331, JAER. Episcopalians were more liturgical in worship style, less conservative in theology, and believed that communion could only be administered by their own Anglican priests (Jane Chase, “‘My Dear Bishop’: A Report from Minidoka” [23 November 1942], Idaho Yesterdays 44, no. 2 [Summer 2000], 6). On one occasion, Abe Hagewara was caught red-handed “borrowing” lumber from a construction site to build kneeling benches. He explained how congregants wanted to “create a little of a church setting” in the “shell” of a recreation center. The benches were permitted, but camp authorities made Hagewara return the lumber after services (George Townsend, “Service with the War Relocation Authority, 1942-46,” 1983, Manuscripts 975, HC).

[30] “Japanese Americans: The Church ‘Goes Forward,’” The Living Church 106, no. 3 (17 January 1943), 6, emphasis in original.

[31] “Church Launches Ambitious Program to Relocate Students,” The Minidoka Churchman 2.7 (5 June 1943) and “Episcopal Chaplains Show Interest in Student Program,” The Minidoka Churchman 2.8 (12 June 1943).

[32] “The Questions Box?” The Minidoka Churchman 1.7 (14 January 1943), 2.

[33] “Letters to the Editor,” The Minidoka Churchman 1.17 (26 March 1943), 3.

[34] Frances Young, “Bishops Deeply Conscious of Colonist’s Need,” The Minidoka Churchman 1.10 (5 February 1943), 1, citing an article in The Living Church. This meeting had taken place on January 19-20 in San Francisco.

[35] Ibid., 3.

[36] “The Power of the Risen Christ,” The Minidoka Churchman 2.1 (23 April 1943), 1.

[37] M. Joseph Kitagawa, “What is Truth?,” The Minidoka Churchman 2.1 (23 April 1943), 5.

[38] “Vicar’s New Year’s Message,” The Minidoka Churchman 2.38 (8 January 1944), 1-2.

[39] “When It Was Yet Dark,” The Minidoka Churchman 3.1 (8 April 1944), 1-2.

[40] Rt. Rev. Charles Reifsnider, “Christ is Risen,” The Minidoka Churchman 3.2 (15 April 1944), 1-2.

[41] “An Easter Message from the Presiding Episcopal Bishop,” The Minidoka Churchman Easter edition (1 April 1945), 1.

[42] “Heroes,” The New Herald 2.6 (6 May 1945), 2. Many Nikkei Christians took what they had learned at Minidoka and brought it to the war effort.

[43] Report for quarter ending 31 December 1942 and 29 January 1943, Reel 330, JAER; “Over 2,000 Chairs Coming—Townsend,” Minidoka Irrigator (28 October 1942), 3.

[44] Schmoe, “Seattle’s Peace Churches,” 119.

[45] “A Friend in Need: Rev. E. W. Thompson,” The Herald 2.6 (14 February 1943), 2.

[46] See “A Man for Others” in the chapter on “Soul Care During the Evacuation.”

[47] “Bill Sutterlin to Work Here,” The Herald 2.32 (23 May 1943), 2.

[48] The New Herald 2.9 (27 May 1945), 2.

[49] [Tsutomo] Fukuyama, “The Work of the Federated Christian Church,” The Herald special edition (February 1944), 1.

[50] Suzuki, Ministry, 204-205. Accounts report that over one hundred clergymen, wives, and representative laymen were guests of the religious workers at Minidoka.

[51] “Easter Greetings,” The Minidoka Churchman 2.1 (23 April 1943), 5.

[52] Blankenship, Social Justice, 75. Floyd Schmoe thought the project’s greatest significance was that 50,000 to 75,000 Americans ‘unaware a year ago of the problems faced by the Japanese in America are now not only aware but sympathetic’ to their hardships” (Letter from Schmoe to Homer Morris [4 January 1943], Branch Office: Seattle, SIS-JAR 1943).

[53] Tom Fukuyama, “Variety of Events Marks Second Christmas in Hunt,” Minidoka Irrigator, 25 (December 1943), 1. Fukuyama often noted, “The Christian faith was our one tie with the outside world” (Tom Fukuyama, “The Church Behind Barbed Wire,” sermon preached on 1 December 1958 [Betty Fukuyama papers, Acc. 4411, Box 7, UW]).

[54] E. W. Thompson, “The Vision of the Worldwide Church,” The Herald special edition (February 1944), 1. The Federated Christian Church gave generously in return by raising funds at Christmastime for war-stricken countries such as China, India, and Greece.

[55] “America’s Biggest Christmas Party,” pamphlet published by the Home Missions Council of America. During the Christmas of 1943, the church office sent out 1,366 personal thank you letters for those who had contributed gifts (“Christmas Gifts,” The Herald 4.13 [20 February 1944], 2).

[56] Tsutomo Fukuyama, “Easter Thoughts,” The New Herald 2.1 (1 April 1945), 1.

[57] Ibid.

[58] Ibid.

[59] Ibid. Fukuyama often meditated on a favorite verse from the book of Esther: “Who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this [Esther 4:14, KJV]?”