This 1941 -1945 chronology includes historical events and Toku Shimomura's diary entries. Toku Shimomura is Roger's grandmother.

(c) 1996 Bellevue Art Museum. Reprinted by permission.

December 7, 1941 - Pearl Harbor Day: Japan bombed the U.S. fleet and military base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Five battleships, including the Arizona and fourteen smaller craft were destroyed. More than 2,000 servicemen were killed and more that 1,000 were wounded.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, December 7, 1941:
When I came back from church, I heard the dreamlike news that Japanese airplanes had bombed Hawaii. I was surprised beyond belief. I sat in front of the radio and listened to the news all day. It was said that this morning at 6:00 a.m. Japan declared war on the United States. Our future has become gloomy. I pray that God will stay with us.

December 8, 1941 - Declaration of War by United States: The United States declared war on Japan, and a state of emergency was announced. Many people were afraid that local Japanese and Japanese Americans would assist Japan. The FBI jailed Japanese men in numerous communities; however, no criminal charges were ever filed against those arrested. A curfew and a five mile travel limit were imposed on Japanese Americans. There were protests against the Japanese in America. In some rural areas they were victims of violent attacks. They were not allowed to withdraw money from their bank accounts.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, December 8, 1941:
I passed the night in anxiety. I did nothing but pray. I sat in front of the radio and listened to it all day. Starting tonight at 11:00 p.m. there is a blackout until 7:50 a.m. tomorrow. Immediately following the outbreak of the war, the leaders of the Japanese society were arrested and taken to the Immigration Office. I pray that God will stay with us as the future becomes gloomier. All Japanese property has been frozen starting today. I could not withdraw any of my money from the bank.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, December 12, 1941:
I spent all day at home. Starting from today we were permitted to withdraw $100 from the bank. This was for our sustenance of life, we who are the enemy to them. I deeply felt America's large heartedness in dealing with us.

January 14, 1942: President Franklin D. Roosevelt required all aliens (people who were not American citizens) to register with the U.S. government by signing a card and being fingerprinted.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, February 3, 1942:
I finally decided to do my fingerprint registration since it had been hanging heavily on my mind. I went to the Post Office with Mrs. Sasake. We finished the strict registration at 11:00 a.m. I feel that a heavy load has been taken off my mind.

February 19, 1942 - Executive Order 9066: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an order that authorized the removal and internment of Japanese citizens and Japanese Americans from the West Coast. A total of 12,892 persons of Japanese ancestry were interned from Washington State.

March 3, 1942: A large portion of the West Coast was designated as an evacuation area. All people of Japanese descent were told they would have to move. Japanese Americans who worked in professions that helped the war effort were allowed to move to eastern states to do their work.

March 31, 1942: The Civilian Exclusion Act was published. It ordered heads of families to report to control stations where they were given a date for their families to move to assembly centers. Assembly centers were established at fairgrounds and race tracks. Each family could only take the baggage they could carry. They had to leave all other possessions behind.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, April 26, 1942:
At 8:00 a.m. all of the family went to the doctor for physical examinations. At 11:00 a.m. we went to church for a last gathering. We regretted to say farewell. We all cried. I prayed from my heart that the earliest possible peace would come and all of us would be able to meet here again. All of our family, including Yoichi and Fumi, had a last farewell dinner with chicken. It touched me deeply in the heart.

April 28, 1942: The Japanese Americans from the Seattle area arrived at the Puyallup Assembly Center on the site of the annual Western Washington State Fair. They stayed there for several months while the internment camps were being constructed.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, April 28, 1942:
The rain cleared up since last night. It is time to leave Seattle. Even though I tried not to cry, the tears flowed. Our group of 370 working people departed at 9:30 a.m. in a long string of cars and buses. We arrived in Puyallup at 11:30 a.m. We settled into our assigned place, A-2, Apt. 27. At 3:00 p.m. we received another physical examination and smallpox vaccinations. We all felt dissatisfied with our army cots and cotton mattresses. Until late at night, we heard a mixture of hammering and the crying voices of children. With some difficulty I finally fell asleep.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, May 23, 1942:
It was clear until the rain started in the evening. As always, the entire day was monotonous. During the evening, Ogishima and I paid a visit on Kubota San who was ill in bed. Even if you are healthy, it is not pleasant nowadays. I went to bed listening to the rain drops which sounded like machine guns.

August, 1942: The internment camps opened with a small group of people who were sent ahead to finish the buildings and prepare for the larger number of people who were to come. Japanese Americans from the Seattle area were sent to the Minidoka Internment Camp near Hunt, Idaho. Approximately 9,700 people were interned there and two-thirds were American citizens. It was one of the 10 major internment camps in the United States. A total of 110,000 - 120,000 Japanese Americans were interned.

In the internment camps, there was a lack of privacy and a lack of freedom. The barracks were shared by all members of a family, and there were no private toilet or shower facilities. Camps were surrounded by barbed wire, and armed soldiers guarded the gates and manned the watchtowers.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, August 10, 1942:
I could hear the busyness and hammering of people preparing for their departure. I spent time doing laundry and miscellaneous things. There is an old saying that "there is no place like home." At last we are moving from here. It has been three months since moving here. I finally started to get used to the fair buildings and living in a stable styled house, but once again we have to move as exiles.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, August 17, 1942:
We arrived at Arlington, Idaho, at 5:30 a.m. Everybody looked 'deep black.' They were no longer the same people that they were yesterday. After we had a chicken dinner for lunch, the heat increased. Half dead and half alive, our bodies continued on. Finally, after taking a bus journey, we arrived at the newly built camp at 4:00 p.m. Though it was unfinished, we could see the grand scale of this city near the mountains. I was assigned to Block 5 B, Apartment A. After we roughly cleaned the dust from the room, we went to bed.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, August 18, 1942:
I was so tired I could barely get out of bed. I spent the whole day organizing the room and putting curtains up. I was happy that it started to look decent. I boiled in the 110 degree heat and found it difficult to function. Lunch was stew and rice pudding. Supper was macaroni and chocolate pudding.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, August 22, 1942:
Papa came back unexpectedly early and said that he had gotten used to his job as a chief cook. Today the internment process stopped for a while. I heard that 1,000 at a time will be interned, starting the 29th. The noise was loud, coming from carpenters working throughout the night.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, August 27, 1942:
What a view! I have never seen such a dust storm. I stayed in my room and looked out the window. It was so dark we were all afraid to move. Pessimistic words came out of everyone's mouth. We were sent to such a harsh place.

1942: Because of wartime labor shortages, a number of those interned were sent to do hard labor on farms and in factories.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, September 14, 1942:
The wind blew, as usual, from the morning. The door could not even be opened easily. I heard that 50 youths left for labor work in the Montana beet fields.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, October 6, 1942:
Papa was happy to get a job in Jerome, Idaho, as a cook. He will go out in a month. I agreed with him leaving, thinking that this would be something different to do.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, December 25, 1942:
The muddy ground was completely covered with snow. It's like a beautiful white cloth and a suitable sight for Christmas. The dinner was in mess hall #7. The waitresses and cooks were all dressed up in the beautifully decorated mess hall. The radio emitted melodies of Christmas. We happily sat at our family table. At 9:00 p.m. Santa Claus appeared. For these moments I forgot where I was.

January, 1943: President Roosevelt announced a plan to create the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit of Japanese American troops. They fought bravely in Europe to prove their loyalty to the United States. For their size and length of service, they became the most decorated American unit to fight in World War II.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, January 29, 1943:
Today a special newspaper edition was issued which announced: 'The enlistment of Nisei into the armed forces should be permitted in order to make sacrifices for the protection of our citizenship.' I spent the whole day thinking about this. The implications of the war will be most felt by those who send their children to fight. We must pray for the earliest peace.

February 8, 1943: Men and women, age 17 and older, in all internment camps were required to complete a questionnaire about their loyalty to the United States and their willingness to serve in the United States armed forces.

January 20, 1944: The draft of Japanese Americans into the U.S. military was reinstated. Approximately 33,000 Japanese Americans served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II.

1943 - 1944: At times, people living in the internment camps were allowed to visit nearby towns and shops for the things they needed. About one-third of those interned, mostly young single men and women, were released from the internment camps to go farther east to work, to attend college or for military duty. Those released were required to report to government authorities on an ongoing basis. Two-thirds remained in the camps until World War II ended.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, March 22, 1943:
I went off to Twin Falls, Idaho, with Kazuo [her son, Roger's father] by bus at 8:30 a.m. to send him off to Chicago. We shopped around and had lunch together. We joyfully talked between mother and son after a long time of not having such an occasion. We were annoyed at not being able to buy anything due to the lack of articles because of wartime. We were getting tired and rested at Anderson's for a while. I left for home, alone on the 4:30 p.m. bus, unwilling to part from Kazuo, but praying that he would accomplish his purpose.

Toku Shimomura's diary entry, June 1, 1943:
It rained all day; scattered showers fell in the evening. I was pleased that the slippers I was making were completed. The New York school to which Michio [Toku's other son] had applied notified him of the refusal of the entrance of Japanese. Here again, he reached the limit, so he started making new plans.

December 17, 1944: U.S. War Department revoked the order excluding Japanese Americans from the West Coast.

September 2, 1945: Japan formally surrendered to the United States.

1945 - 1946: Japanese Americans were released from interment camps. People who owned homes returned to them. However, many people lost possession of their homes, farms and businesses because it was not possible to make mortgage payments and pay taxes while interned. Following the war, Japanese Americans were not only faced with severe housing shortages and job discrimination, but they were often victims of anti-Japanese hate crimes.

Toku Shimomura and her family left the Minidoka Internment Camp and returned to the home they owned in Seattle, resuming their lives which had been so harshly interrupted.