Inventory of the Tomoji Wada Family Papers SPC.2019.029
Yoko Okunishi
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
2019
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson, CA 90747
archives@csudh.edu
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Tomoji Wada Family Papers
Creator:
Wada, Tomoji, 1882-1964
Creator:
Wada, Kan, 1889-1974
Creator:
Wada, Joe, 1930-2013
source:
Wada, Marion
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2019.029
Physical Description:
6 boxes
(4 document boxes and 2 short top boxes including 2 disks (1 CD and DVD))
Physical Description:
2.83 Linear Feet
(6 boxes and 206 MB (37 digital files))
Date (inclusive): 1903-2016; undated
Abstract: This collection contains materials regarding Tomoji Wada's business on Terminal Island, California, immigration materials,
and incarceration camp records pertaining to Tomoji Wada and his family. Included are taxes, receipts of expenses, and ledgers,
receipts for his donations to Japanese American organizations, photographs, journals, notebooks, books, a metal seal stamp
for Terminal Island Credit Union, immigration documents of Tomoji and Kan Wada, WRA documents, and wood carving tools and
plaques created in the camp. Materials include image files created and transferred from the donor as well as digitized materials
produced by the Gerth Archives and Special Collections. Selected digitized items in this collection are available online.
Condition Description: Donation of digital surrogates. The decision of the donation of the physical items will be made at a later time.
Language of Material: In English and Japanese. English translation, synopses, and brief descriptions for Japanese language materials are available
at CSU Japanese American Digitization Project site.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
In 2017, Marion Wada agreed to loan the collection for digitization and donate digital surrogates to the Gerth Archives and
Special Collections. The decision on whether the original items are donated or retained in the donor's location will be made
at a later time. The collection also contains digital files on two disks (1 CD and DVD), which were disk imaged on August
14, 2019 to create master preservation copies and to extract the content files.
Availability of Digital Reproductions
Arrangement
Arranged in eight series:
- Series I: Tomoji Wada business materials, 1918-1955
- Series II: Incarceration camp, 1941-1945
- Series III: Correspondence, 1918-1977
- Series IV: Photographs, 1925-2006
- Series V: Scrapbooks, undated
- Series VI: Biographical information, 1918-2010
- Series VII: Books for gardening, 1903, 1944, 1948, 1955, 1958
- Series VIII: Taiji whaling; Terminal Island; Wakayama, 1932-2016
Biographical / Historical
Tomoji Wada (1882 October 2–1964 October 24) was the 11th head of the Wada clan, one of the local ruling families in Wakayama,
Japan. The Wada clan is also a descendant of Chubei Yoritomo Wada, who was a whaling pioneer in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan, in
the 15th century.
Tomoji Wada left Japan for Victoria British Columbia, Canada, in 1900 and stayed for six years, having a multiple jobs to
make a living. He immigrated to the United States in 1907 and studied English and bookkeeping in Seattle, Washington. In 1917,
he moved to Terminal Island, California, and worked as an interpreter and bookkeeper for T. Taniji Company, Star Canning Co.
and Seacoast Packing Co., and was hired by the U.S. War Department to get local Japanese residents registered for enlistment.
In 1928, he started a grocery store and manufactured tofu and mochi on Terminal Island, leasing land from the City of Los
Angeles. He was also a contributor to local Japanese American community organizations, serving as a board member and committee
member and making donations to them.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was arrested by the FBI but released shortly after. Although he was able to manage the
family's moving to Bakersfield, fleeing from the mass removal from Terminal Island, they were later incarcerated in the Poston
camp in Arizona. During his incarceration, he established a tofu manufacturing plant in the Poston camp, and became a gardener
after returning from the incarceration camp to Los Angeles, California.
Existence and Location of Originals
Physical materials of the collection have been stored in the Gerth Archives and Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
Digital Reproductions
Filenames of 37 image files transferred from the donor were renamed reflecting their physical carriers' locations (box and
folder numbers of CD and DVD). The transferred JPEG files were normalized to a TIFF format for preservation purposes.
The Gerth Archives and Special Collections also derived digitized materials from original items for long-term preservation
and access, adhering to best practice and standards to ensure the authenticity, integrity, and security of material. A JPEG200
format was generated from a TIFF format for access derivatives by CONTENTdm. Text files were normalized to a PDF format; redaction
was applied to protect personal identifiable information; and large files were compressed for greater efficiency online. For
more information on digitization production, please see
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project technical reference guide.
English translation, synopses, and brief descriptions for Japanese language materials are provided by the finding aid author
and also available at CSU Japanese American Digitization Project site.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and English translation was provided by Yoko Okunishi.
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project
Content Description
Tomoji Wada was an interpreter, bookkeeper, operator of a grocery store, and manufacturer of tofu and mochi on Terminal Island,
California prior to World War II. He established a tofu manufacturing plant in the Poston camp in Arizona during the war,
and became a gardener after returning from the incarceration camp to Los Angeles, California.
The collection consists of receipts, ledgers, a metal seal stamp, taxes, correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, journals,
guidebooks, immigration materials, and incarceration camp records pertaining to Tomoji Wada and his family, including wood
plaques with carved poems. Noted are materials evidencing Tomoji Wada's assistance to the U.S. Department of War. The collection
contains a letter from the War Department Local Board for Division No. 3 seeking assistance from him to get local Japanese
residents to register for enlistment. There are questionnaires in Japanese created by Mr. Wada and his 1918 income tax return
form listing the remuneration. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was arrested by the FBI but released shortly after, and
there are letters in which he was granted "alien enemy permit to travel" from Terminal Island to Bakersfield after being released
from the FBI. He was able to manage the family's moving to Bakersfield, fleeing from the mass evacuation, but they were later
incarcerated in the Poston camp. Mr. Wada itemized all of his property left behind and merchandise sold off on Terminal Island
prior to his moving to Bakersfield showing his economic losses. There is a letter he wrote from the Poston camp challenging
the tax collector to refund his tax payments.
Materials include born-digital objects created and transferred from the donor as well as digitized materials produced by the
Gerth Archives and Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Gerth
Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Gerth Archives and 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
Terminal Island (Calif.)
Japanese Americans -- California, Southern
Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
World War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration Camps -- United States
United States -- Emigration and immigration -- History
Poston Incarceration Camp
Wada, Marion
Tomoji Wada business materials
1918-1955; undated
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This series consists of materials regarding Tomoji Wada's business, including receipts of his business expenses, tax return
forms along with details, transportation tickets, identification cards, business licenses, Japanese questionnaires created
by him when helping Japanese residents to register for enlistment and to apply for loans, materials regarding his consultation
work, gardening guidebook and notes complied by him, and metal embosser for Terminal Island Credit Union. There are also a
number of receipts issued by Japanese American community organizations for his donations and contributions.
box 1, folder 1, 7-9, 11-12
Receipts for business expenses, including receipts for donations to Japanese American organizations
1918-1929
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 10, 13-14, 16-17, 19, 22
Income tax return forms, details, and letters
1918-1922; 1940-1941; 1951-1955
1918-1922
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 15
Transportation tickets
1919-1924
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 18, box 2, folder 8
IDs and licenses
1918, 1920, 1946, undated
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 5
Certificate from Japanese Red Cross Society
1921 March 15
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 9
Japanese questionnaires for enlistment and loan
1919
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 21, 23
Consultation work
1924, 1926
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Materials regarding Tomoji Wada's consultation work. Included are letters and promissory notes.
box 3, folder 2
Gardening guidebook and notes compiled by Tomoji Wada
July 24, 1957; circa 1957
Language of Material: English.
box 6
Metal embosser for E. San Pedro 信用組合 = Terminal Island Credit Union
circa 1920-1929
Language of Material: English.
Incarceration camp
1941-1945; undated
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This series contains materials depicting incarceration experiences of Tomoji Wada and his family during World War II. Included
are the lists of property and assets left on Terminal Island prior to the forced evacuation, 1940 and 1941 income tax return
forms along with details of expenses and receipts, letters, alien identification cards, WRA documents, Poston Block 14 directory,
a manuscript of internees' interviews, digital images of wood carving tools and plaques, and original plaques from tree branches
and trunks.
box 1, folder 21
Property and assets left on Terminal Island prior to the forced evacuation
1941-1945; undated
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 22
1940 and 1941 income tax return forms, including details about expenses and receipts, and letter from Tomoji Wada to Tax Collector
1941-1942
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 20
Alien registration receipt card information and passport information for Tomoji and Kan Wada, and affidavit letters for travel
permit
1942
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 12
Alien enemy permit to travel
1942 February 27
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 7
Alien identification cards
1942-1945
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 4
Poston Block 14 directory
1944 September
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 5
Message from Director, War Relocation Authority
circa 1945
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 9
Application for leave clearance
1945
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 13
Application for alien enemy to travel
1945 October 8
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 14
Letter from War Relocation Authority to Tomoji Wada regarding furniture grant
1945
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 30
Manuscript. Collection of Interviews of internees
undated
Language of Material: Japanese.
box 5, box 6
Plaques from tree branches and trunks
1942-1945
Language of Material: Japanese.
Scope and Contents
Contain 12 original plaques from tree branches and trunks created by Tomoji Wada during his incarceration in the Poston camp
in Arizona. He also carved poems on wood depicting the life in the camp.
box 2, folder 27
DVD: image files of wood carving tools and plaques
1942-1945
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
1 DVD includes 6 image files (0.1525 GB) of original plaques. The files were created and transferred from the donor; the physical
carriers (materials) remain in the donor's location.
box 1, folder 28
Passenger manifests and WRA camp records
circa 1920-1929; 1942-1945
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Printouts of passenger manifests and WRA records.
Correspondence
1918-1977; undated
Language of Material: Japanese.
Scope and Contents
This series contains mainly family correspondence. Many of them are incoming letters from Tomoji and Kan Wada's relatives
in Japan. There is a letter from the U. S. War Department to Tomoji Wada, seeking assistance from him to get Japanese residents
registered for enlistment in 1918.
box 2, folder 20
Letter from U.S. War Department to Tomoji Wada
1918 September 21
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 19
Letters from Tomoji Wada to Japanese interpreter of US Immigration Service of San Francisco and J. R. Lowler, Esq.
1923 December 1
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 30, 32-33, 35
Letters to Kan Wada
1957; 1964-1969; undated
Language of Material: Japanese.
Scope and Contents
Letters to Kan Wada. Senders include Masayo Hasegawa, Shohachi Wada, Tsune Honda, Kazuo and Yoshie Mori, Yoshio Hasegawa,
Sotoshu Temple, Mitsuya Wada, Tsuruye Tashima, Tomoe Hama, and Tomoe Amahata, and Ryohei Kanda, and Takao Seko. Also include
unmailed letters from Kan Wada to Masayo Hasegawa and Shohachi Wada.
box 1, folder 34
Letter from Shinzo Tajima to Tomoji and Kan Wada
undated
Language of Material: Japanese.
box 1, folder 2
Letter from Shohachi Wada to Tomoji Wada
1958 April 29
Language of Material: Japanese.
box 1, folder 36
Letters from Shohachi Wada to Kan and Joe Wada
1955, 1975
Language of Material: Japanese.
box 1, folder 37
Letter from Shohachi Wada to Joe Wada; Letters and other documents regarding Shohachi Wada's death
1976; 1977
Language of Material: Japanese.
Photographs
1925-2006; undated
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This series contains photographs taken on Terminal Island, California in the 1930s, including photographs capturing Tomoji
Wada's grocery and tofu manufacturing plant, and family photographs taken in Japan. There is a CD containing digital images
that the donor derived from original photographs. The digital images include a photograph of Tomoji Wada taken when he was
released from the FBI after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Some of the print photographs are reproduction photographs.
box 1, folder 24
Photographs taken on Terminal Island; Photograph of relatives in Japan
circa 1930-1939
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 4
Amahata family photos
1950-1951
Language of Material: Japanese.
box 3, folder 7
CD: Family pictures
1925-1948; 1956, 1982, 2006, undated
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Contains image files of the Wada family along with one document file for annotations.
1 CD contains 31 image files (0.0481 GB in JPG and TIF) and 1 text file. Born-analog materials (digitized materials) from
original photographs created by the donor.
Scrapbooks and journals
1920-1964
Language of Material: Japanese.
Scope and Contents
This series includes scrapbooks and journals complied by Tomoji Wada. Contained are newspaper clippings and haiku poems, records
of incidents and his thoughts on the Social Party's activities in 1960s, and a baby memory book made when his son, Joe Wada
was born.
box 2, folder 1-2
Scrapbooks
1920-1962
Language of Material: Japanese.
box 2, folder 3
Journal
circa 1960-1964
Language of Material: Japanese.
box 3, folder 4
Joe Wada baby memory book
1930 June 6-1931 January 3
Language of Material: Japanese.
Biographical information
1918-2010; undated
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This series includes alien identification cards and immigration records, 1930 census records, a grant deed and full reconveyance,
alien address report cards, birth certificates, wills, death certificates, funeral information, biographies, transcripts of
family registers, and genealogies.
box 2, folder 7
Alien identification cards
1918; 1927
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 1, box 2, folder 11, 24
Immigration records
1921-1923
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Included are Japanese passports, alien tax receipts, inspection cards, and medical inspection cards. Some materials are written
in Japanese.
box 2, folder 25
1930 census
1930
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Xerox copy of 1930 census records.
box 2, folder 15
Grant deed and full reconveyance
1945-1946
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 9
Alien address report cards
1950-1974
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Tomoji and Kan Wada' alien address report cards.
box 1, folder 38
Tomoji Wada's wills and others documents
1956-1959
Language of Material: Japanese.
Scope and Contents
Documents written by Tomoj Wada. Includes wills, drafts of his own obituaries, notes, a letter to Shokichi Wada, and a request
letter for posthumous Buddhist names. Also includes a postcard from Sachiko Wada to Tomoji Wada.
box 1, folder 25, box 3, folder 1
Tomoji Wada
1964-1965
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Includes Tomoji Wada's death certificate, a Japanese condolence letter for his passing, genealogies, biography, photographs,
and funeral information. Also included is a CD containing digital files created by the donor. The images capture banners which
were flown when Tomoji Wada was born on October 2, 1882, in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan; Flags of the Wada family crest; Taiji
whaling painting done by Shohachi Wada; and swords.
box 1, folder 29
Kan Wada
1964, 1974, 1980
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Includes her biography, memorial service notice and condolence message for her passing, death certificate, and social security
information.
box 1, folder 23
Aya Wada
1926
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Aya Wada's birth certificate and documents issued by City of Los Angeles, Department of Health.
box 1, folder 27, box 2, folder 10
Transcripts of family registers
1921-1922; 1942
Language of Material: Japanese.
box 1, folder 26, box 2, folder 26, box 3, folder 3, 5-6, box 4, folder 1
Wada family genealogies and information
1987, 1993, 2007-2010; undated
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Includes the family tree scroll (reproduction in Box 4 Folder 1, film slides in Box 2 Folder 26, and Xerox copy in Box 1 Folder
26), Kakocho (a family register book of deaths: Box 3 Folder 3), posthumous Buddhist names (Box 3 Folder 6), and clippings
on the Wada Family history (Box 3 Folder 5).
Books for gardening
1903, 1944, 1948, 1955, 1958
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This series includes books for gardening. Tomoji Wada studied gardening reading those books in order to be a gardener after
returning from an incarceration camp. Books include marginalia.
box 4, folder 2
Cacti for the amateur: a complete guide in the interest of cactus collectors / by Scott E. Haselton. Pasadena: Abbey Garden Press
1958
Language of Material: English.
box 4, folder 3
Davids' practical letterer: instructions in commercial lettering with brush or pen: complete details of showcard work. Practical
hints on photo-engraving and designing
/ Compiled by Sidney Hackes. Designs by Arnold Binger. Third edition. New York, T. Davids
1903
Language of Material: English.
box 4, folder 4
The flower encyclopedia and gardener's guide / by Albert E. Wilkinson; Illustrated by Tabea Hofmann. Garden City, New York: Halcyon House
1948
Language of Material: English.
box 4, folder 5
How to prune fruit trees / by R. Sanford Martin; illustrated by the author. Hollywood, Murray & Gee, Inc.
1944
Language of Material: English.
box 4, folder 6
Succulents for the amateur: introducing the beginner to more than eight hundred fascinating succulent plants, illustrating
four hundred
/ written by J.R. Brown, Alain White, Boyd L. Sloane and G.W. Reynolds; arranged and edited by Scott E. Haselton. Pasadena:
Abbey garden Press
1955
Language of Material: English.
Taiji whaling; Terminal Island; Wakayama
1932-2016; undated
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This series contains materials on Taiji Whaling, Terminal Island, and Wakayama. Included are books, a map, a newsletter, clippings,
and Tomoji Wada's critique and comments on a book, "紀伊熊野太地浦捕鯨史" [= History of Kii Kumano Taiji whaling], compiled by Tamaji
Azuma.
box 1, folder 6, box 2, folder 17-18
Taiji whaling
1932, 1962, 1993, undated
Language of Material: Japanese.
Scope and Contents
Contains a book, "
紀伊熊野太地浦捕鯨史" [= History of Kii Kumano Taiji whaling], compiled by Tamaji Azuma; Tomoji Wada's critique and comments on the book; and
clippings on Taiji Whaling.
box 3, folder 8
Terminal Island
2002-2016; undated
Language of Material: English.
Separated Materials
Contains clippings on Terminal Island, California.
box 1, folder 39, box 2, folder 16
Wakayama
1959; undated
Language of Material: Japanese.
Scope and Contents
Contains a map of Wakayama, Japan; an issue of Taiji-cho newsletter; and a travel guidebook, "
南紀: 伊勢・志摩・吉野・熊野" [= Nanki: Ise, Shima, Yoshino, Kumano] with marginalia.
