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Takano Family Papers
SPC.2017.004
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Takano Family Papers
Creator:
Takano, Fumio F. (Fumio Fred), 1914-1989
Creator:
Takano, Yoneko, 1918-2007
Creator:
Meguro, Kumaji, 1878-1957
Creator:
Meguro, Tsuruno, 1894-1985
source:
Takano, Jeanne
Creator:
Meguro, Ruth Yoshiko
Creator:
Meguro, Leo Ryoichi
Creator:
Takano, Itsuhei, 1887-1967
Creator:
Takano, Tomeyo, 1889-1979
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2017.004
Physical Description:
3 boxes
(2 document boxes, 1 flat box, and 1 oversize folder)
Physical Description:
2.33 Linear Feet
(3 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1906-1991; undated
Abstract: This collection contains materials from members of the Takano and Meguro family in Los Angeles, California, including Issei
immigrants, Itsuhei and Tomoye Takano and Kumaji and Tsuruno Meguro, and their Nisei children, Fumio Fred and Yoneko (Meguro)
Takano, Yoshiko Ruth Meguro, and Leo Ryoichi Meguro. The papers covers from prewar through post-war, including the period
of the forced evacuation and incarceration during World War II, U.S. military service in Europe druing the war and in Korea
during the Korean War, and the redress movement in the 1980s. Most of the items in this collection have been digitized and
are available online.
Material Specific Details: English translation, summaries, and synopsis are available at the CSU Japanese American Digitization Project site:
Takano Family Papers Digital Collection .
Language of Material: English and Japanese texts with one item in Spanish.
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Jeanne Takano donated the collection to the Gerth Archives and Special Collections in 2017 and additional materials in 2018
and 2021.
Availability of Digital Reproductions
Most of the items in this collection have been digitized and digital reproduction access files (access derivatives) are available
at the CSU Japanese American Digitization Project site:
Takano Family Papers Digital Collection
Arranged in five series:
- Family and friend correspondence, 1937, 1942-1945, 1959-1977
- Incarceration camp experiences, 1942-1995
- U.S. military service, 1943-1951
- Family album and photographs, circa 1928-1959, undated
- Family information, 1906 July 7-1989 August
Itsuhei Takano (1887 October 18-1967 January 3) immigrated from Yamanashi, Japan, in 1906 and married Tomoye Kodama (1889
March 3-1979 October 17) in 1913. They resided in Highland Park, Los Angeles, California since 1914 and raised six children.
Itsuhei was a retailer and operated a vegetable produce business at 5014 Eagle Rock Boulevard in Los Angeles since 1938. Their
Nisei child, Fumio Fred Takano (1914 February 2-1989 July 22), was the oldest child and married Yoneko Meguro (1918 May 30-2007
January 10) in March 1942. He worked for the tuna fishing industry, and the family resided in Los Angeles, California, purchasing
a real property prior to the exclusion.
Kumaji Meguro (1878 February 28-1957 December 1) and Tsuruno Meguro (1894 February 1-1985 January 12) were also Issei immigrants
and resided in Colorado in the 1920s and 1930s. They were farm laborers and raised their Nisei child, Yoneko, Yoshiko Ruth,
and Leo Ryoichi in Colorado, but moved into Los Angeles in 1936.
When the exclusion order was issued, the Takano and Meguro families were transferred to different assembly centers, Pomona
Assembly Center and Santa Anita Assembly Center during the war. They were hoping to be transferred to the same incarceration
camp together but were imprisoned separately in different camps, the Gila River camp in Arizona and the Heart Mountain camp
in Wyoming. During his incarceration, Fumio Fred Takano answered questions on a form, known as the "loyalty questionnaire"
in February 1943. His initial answers to questions 27 and 28 were "no" to question 27 and "yes" to question 28, however, his
answers were not accepted at the Registration Office. The registration officer claimed that questions 27 and 28 should be
answered both in the affirmative or negative, and his answer to 27 was altered in the negative by the officer. Because of
his answers to the questionnaire, he struggled to be granted the permit he needed to leave. Later, he left the camp for Chicago
but joined his family in Los Angeles when his family members were released from the camps. In June 1945, the Takano and Meguro
families were able to return to Los Angeles, California.
Leo Ryoichi Meguro, one of the Meguros' children, was incarcerated in the Pomona Assembly Center and transferred to the Heart
Mountain incarceration camp with his parents. He enlisted and served in the 100th Infantry Battalion as a Nisei solider and
was deployed in Europe during the war. In 1944, he was hospitalized and discharged because of his illness but reenlisted and
served in the Korean War.
For information about citing archival material, see the
Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.
The collection was processed by Yoko Okunishi in 2019 and 2022.
English translation, summaries, and synopsis, and Japanese transcription for Japanese language materials are provided by a
contractor and the finding aid author.
The Gerth Archives and Special Collections created digitized materials (born-analog objects) from original items for long-term
preservation and electronic access, adhering to best practice and standards to ensure the authenticity, integrity, and security
of material. Most of the collection has been digitized and are available online. Some of the access files (access derivatives)
have been redacted to protect personal identifiable information and others have been compressed for greater efficiency online.
For more information on digitization production, please see
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project technical reference guide .
The set of digital reproduction preservation files is stored on the Gerth Archives and Special Collections' department drive
for preservation purpose and duplicate image requests in TIFF.
The set of access files (access derivatives) was created for the digital management system and is stored on the Gerth Archives
and Special Collections' department external drive for staff use.
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project
This collection is part of the California State University Japanese American Digitization Project. Other collections about
the history of Japanese Americans are found in the digital repository:
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project .
The Itsuhei Takano Camp Journal : Itsuhei Takano, one of the Issei immigrants of the Takano family, wrote a journal recording his experiences during his incarceration
in the Santa Anita Assembly Center and the Gila River camp in Arizona. The collection is owned by one of his grandsons and
the digital reproductions were donated to the Archives.
The Takano Family Papers (1906-1991; undated) contains materials from members of the Takano and Meguro family who reside in
Los Angeles, California, including Issei immigrants Itsuhei and Tomoye Takano, Kumaji and Tsuruno Meguro, and their Nisei
children, Fumio Fred and Yoneko (Meguro) Takano, Ruth Yoshiko Meguro, and Leo Ryoichi Meguro. The papers covers from prewar
through post-war, including the period of forced evacuation and incarceration during World War II, the Korean war, and the
redress movement in the 1980s. The papers consists of correspondence, photographs, camp newspapers, yearbooks, and other documents.
Noted are photographs depicting the Japanese American community in Colorado in the 1930s, including photos of Japanese Young
People's Christian members; and schoolchildren and staff of a Japanese school and public schools. There are also documents
regarding a real estate property in Los Angeles, California, which Fumio Fred Takano purchased in 1938, and his legal documents
and letters present his efforts to protect the property during the war with the support of his non-Japanese American friend.
Also included are letters depicting his struggles to be granted the indefinite leave permit from the Gila River incarceration
camp in Arizona, as a consequence of his answers to "loyalty questionnaire" questions 27 and 28. In addition, the Issei parents'
letters detail their experiences during the war from an Issei point of view, describing the trip from the Pomona Assembly
Center to the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming, incarceration life, and their return from the camp to California.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the
Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the
owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be
obtained.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1944-1945 -- Archives
Japanese Americans -- History -- 20th century
Takano, Jeanne
Gila River Incarceration Camp
Heart Mountain Incarceration Camp
Meguro, Tsuruno, 1894-1985 -- Correspondence
Takano, Yoneko, 1918-2007 -- Correspondence
- Collection Overview
-
Collection Details
- Conditions Governing Access
- Immediate Source of Acquisition
- Availability of Digital Reproductions
- Arrangement
- Family History
- Preferred Citation
- Processing Information
- Digital Reproductions
- CSU Japanese American Digitization Project
- Itsuhei Takano Camp Journal
- Scope and Contents
- Conditions Governing Use