Final Night

Thousand cranes - the Japanese symbol of peace

The crane is the Japanese symbol of peace. During the pilgrimage, participants folded the 1000 cranes in this picture to honor those who had gone before us. Personally, my origami skills need much work. I fold one sad bird. However, the skill of the participant was unimportant. The important thing was that everyone took part in this project.

The last night was an evening of cultural entertainment. It included koto, taiko, and a multimedia performance.

Barbara Muramoto learned to play the koto while in camp.

Union City Taiko

Stan Shikuma of Seattle Kokon Taiko

Elaine Yoneoka and Megumi created a multimedia performance called The Heart No Longer Silent. It is the story of a yonsei who wants to find out about her grandmother’s internment.

Megumi and Elaine Yoneoka created a multimedia performance called The Heart No Longer Silent. It is the story of a yonsei who wants to find out about the her grandmother’s internment.

The Tule Lake Committee honors Stephanie Miyashiro

Pilgrimage participants from Washington and Oregon

The Tule Lake pilgrimage is a unique experience for each participant. For me, it was a chance to see some of the problems my parents faced. I learned many things I never knew. For the internees, patriotism was not a simple matter of putting a flag decal on your windshield. It was much more complex, and it took many different forms.

I am grateful to the Tule Lake Committee and its supporters for my opportunity to participate in this year’s pilgrimage. I am especially impressed with the Yonsei who are actively involved in researching this unfortunate event in American history and for their efforts to make sure this injustice will never reoccur. The evacuation is not a topic that is widely discussed by members of the Sansei generation (at least by my perception). It is something the Yonsei seem more willing to pursue. I envy their passion. It is something I haven’t seen in a long time. It is their gift to the Issei and Nisei who have gone before them.

If you are interested in finding out more about Tule Lake and the pilgrimage, you can find more information at the Tule Lake Committee’s website. The pilgrimage is an event that changes and grows. It has a different theme each time. Pilgrimages are conducted every other year.

Gary Terusaki
Portland, Oregon
July, 2002