The Collection consists of documents, diaries, letters, books, calendars, newspapers, photographs, artifacts and audiovisual media pertaining to Kikuyo Morimoto Nakatani, a Japanese-born woman who lived in Isleton, CA. During World War II, her family was incarcerated in the Minidoka and Tule Lake War Relocation Centers. After the war, she moved to Los Angeles and studied tea with Madame Sosei Matsumoto, and became a tea master acknowledged by the Urasenke Headquarters in Japan. The collection also contains letters from her son, Kunio, who served aboard the Yamato battleship during World War II. (See also MSS 2005/68 Sokiku Nakatani Tea Collection and MSS 2005/69 Sokiku Nakatani Tea Room Materials).

1903 – Kikuyo Morimoto Nakatani born in Hiroshima, JapanKikuyo Morimoto Nakatani (1903-1990) was born in Hiroshima, Japan. In 1919, she traveled to the United States, eventually settling in Isleton, California. In 1921, she married Kinjiro Nakatani, a grape and strawberry farmer in the Sacramento region. Together, they had seven children: Kunio (1922-1945), Seiji (1924-2004), Kazuhisa (1927-1990), "Lilly" Atsuko (1929-2014), Satoru (1931-2007), "Max" Mamoru (1935-1995) and Koso (1938-2015).

29.25 Linear feet (44 cartons, 1 flat file drawer)

Copyright is protected by the copyright law, Chapter 17 of the U.S. Code. Requests for permission to publish, quote, or reproduce from collections must be submitted in writing to the Head of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives. Permission for publication is given on the behalf of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives, The Library, California State University, Sacramento as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Collection is open for research. Some restrictions may apply.