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Togawa (Akira) Papers
LSC.1711
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Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Akira Togawa papers
Creator:
Togawa, Akira, 1903-
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1711
Physical Description:
27.5 Linear Feet
(55 boxes and 3 oversize boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1921-1980
Abstract: Akira Togawa was born July 5, 1903. He came to the United States in 1923 and married his wife, Kimi, who was a kibei, in 1929,
and they had five children. Before World War II, Togawa was employed by the M.S. Miura Company. During the war he was interned
at Poston, Arizona, and after the war, he operated the Brooklyn & Ford Market in East Los Angeles. Active in various literary
groups, including the Posuton Bungei, the Nanka Bungei, and the Sounsha he also wrote two poetry anthologies:
Shishu (1932) and
Mitsubachi no Uta (1962). He frequently contributed to local Japanese newspapers and poetry anthologies. The collection consists of diaries,
correspondence, publications, which include a complete set of the
Nanka Bungei, and newspaper clippings. Also includes copies of the works of other Japanese poets and writers. The entire collection is
in Japanese.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material:
Japanese
.
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained
by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue
the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
[Identification of item], Akira Togawa Papers (Collection 1711). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Glenn Noboru Togawa, 1993.
This online finding aid has been funded in part by a grant from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Note about Japanese language characters
[characters]
indicates Japanese characters included in the print version of this online finding aid, available for consultation at UCLA
Library Special Collections.
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UCLA Catalog Record ID:
9932225443606533
Akira Togawa was born July 5, 1903; he came to the United States in 1923; married his wife, Kimi, who was a kibei, in 1929,
and they had five children; before World War II, Togawa was employed by the M.S. Miura Company; during the war, interned at
Poston, Arizona; after the war, he operated the Brooklyn & Ford Market in East Los Angeles; he was active in various literary
groups, including the Posuton Bungei, the Nanka Bungei, and the Sounsha; wrote two poetry anthologies:
Shishu (1932) and
Mitsubachi no Uta (1962); he frequently contributed to local Japanese newspapers and poetry anthologies; died in 1980.
Additional Biographical Narrative
Togawa Akira [characters]. 1903-1980. Issei poet and longtime resident of Los Angeles. Born July 5, 1903. Native, Yamanashi-ken,
Minami Tsuru-gun, Funatsu-son, Aza Asakawa [characters]. Arrived in the United States in 1923. Father, Teiichi [characters];
mother, Shin [characters]. Father arrived alone in San Francisco, 1907. He returned to Japan in 1922, and came back to America
with his son, Akira, the following year. In 1929 Akira married his wife, Kimi [characters], a Kibei woman. The couple had
five children: daughter, Akiko [characters], 1930; son, Paul Susumu [characters], 1932; daughter, May Hiroko [characters],
1937; daughter, June Tomiko [characters], 1941; and son, Glenn Noboru [characters], 1946. Before the Second World War, Akira
was employed by the M.S. Miura Company [characters], a Los Angeles wholesale produce company. Interned at Poston, Arizona
during the war. Operated the Brooklyn & Ford Market in East Los Angeles in the postwar period.
Active in various Issei literary groups of Southern California before World War II, the Posuton Bungei [characters] during
the war, and the Nanka Bungei [characters] after the war. Also member of the Sounsha [characters], a poetry society in Japan
led by Ogiwara Seisensui [characters] who published the works of Issei poets. Also acquainted with many established Japanese
poets and writers such as Oyama Sumita [characters], Uchijima Hokuro [characters], Yoshikawa Eiji [characters], and others.
Author of two poetry anthologies:
Shishu [characters], 1932, and
Mitsubachi no Uta [characters], 1962 (for the latter, see the Japanese American Research Project Collection (Collection 2010), Box 364). Frequent
contributor to local Japanese newspapers and poetry anthologies.
The Togawa Akira Papers include diaries, 1921-1978, 57 volumes; incoming correspondence file, 1962-1980; copies of prewar,
wartime, and postwar Issei literary journals, including a complete set of the
Nanka Bungei, poetry anthologies, novels and essays, autobiographies and biographies, and other books; copies of the works of Ogiwara Seisensui,
Oyama Sumita, Uchijima Hokuro, Yoshikawa Eiji, and many other Japanese poets and writers; and 6 oversize scrapbooks of newspaper
clippings on art and literature, 1952-1978. The collection of Issei poetry anthologies is outstanding.
by Yuji Ichioka and Makoto Arakaki
Collection consists of diaries, correspondence, publications, and newspaper clippings related to the life of Akira Togawa.
Diaries span 1921-78 in 57 volumes. Publications include pre-World War II, wartime, and postwar Issei literary journals, including
a complete set of the
Nanka Bungei. Also includes copies of the works of Ogiwara Seisensui, Oyama Sumita, Uchijima Hokuro, Yoshikawa Eiji, and other Japanese
poets and writers. Oversize scrapbooks contain clippings related to art and literature, 1952-78.
The entire collection is in Japanese.
Arranged in the following series:
- Diaries and notebooks (Boxes 1-7).
- Incoming correspondence file, 1962-80 (Boxes 8-9).
- Prewar literary publications (Boxes 10-11).
- Wartime journals, essays, and anthologies (Boxes 12-13).
- Postwar publications (Boxes 14-32).
- Works of Japanese poets and writers (Boxes 33-55).
- Newspaper clippings albums, 1952-78 (Boxes 56-58).
Title: Japanese American Research Project Collection of Material about Japanese in the United States
(Collection 2010). Available at the Department of Special Collections, UCLA.
Title: Japanese American Research Project -
Fading Footsteps of the Issei
(Collection 2010). Available at the Department of Special Collections, UCLA.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
American literature -- Japanese American authors -- Archives.
Japanese American poetry -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives.
Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
Diaries.
Togawa, Akira, 1903- --Archives.
- Collection Overview
-
Collection Details
- Restrictions on Access
- Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
- Preferred Citation
- Provenance/Source of Acquisition
- Funding
- Note about Japanese language characters
- Processing Information
- UCLA Catalog Record ID
- Biography
- Additional Biographical Narrative
- Scope and Content
- Organization and Arrangement
- Related Material