Translation of Japanese Poetry Captures First-Hand Experiences of WWII Incarceration

Titled “By the Shore of Lake Michigan,” the collection follows the traditional seventh-century tanka poetry style and was translated and edited by the couple’s granddaughter, Nancy Matsumoto, over nearly 15 years. The UCLA Asian American Studies Center has published the finished volume.

The poems were written by Tomiko and Ryokuyo Matsumoto (also known as Gennosuke Matsumoto), documenting 17 years that began when they were forced to leave their home and grocery store in the Los Angeles area in 1942, continuing through their resettlement in Chicago after the war. The Matsumoto family, including their three children and Tomiko's mother, Iku, was initially placed at the Santa Anita racetrack assembly center before being transferred to Heart Mountain in Wyoming.

From 1942 to 1946, over 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals, predominantly from the West Coast, lost their belongings and were relocated to internment camps across the western U.S. and Arkansas. Noncitizens of Japanese descent were incarcerated without due process after President Franklin D. Roosevelt invoked the Alien Enemies Act following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Though many second- and third-generation Japanese Americans have recounted their wartime experiences in various media, first-generation accounts, known as Issei writings, remain scarce, largely due to language barriers. Many of these writings about incarceration have not yet been translated from Japanese, making “By the Shore of Lake Michigan” particularly significant.

Ryokuyo Matsumoto, originally from the Chiba prefecture of Japan, moved to Seattle to work in an import-export business. He returned to Japan to marry Tomiko, a friend's sister, before settling back in Seattle in the 1920s. The couple operated a fruit market in Seattle and a grocery store in Los Angeles before their incarceration. During this time, Ryokuyo began writing poetry and joined the Araragi poetry society.

Tomiko Matsumoto, born in 1900 in the same prefecture as her husband, studied tanka poetry during their incarceration under the guidance of poet Kashu Mainichi, former editor of the Japan-California Daily News. One of her poems from “By the Shore of Lake Michigan” was read at a poetry event hosted by Japanese Emperor Hirohito in 1955, about a decade after the family was resettled. Tomiko became part of the Uta to Kansho poetry society in 1958,

The Matsumotos published “By the Shore of Lake Michigan” in Japanese in 1960. Karen Umemoto, executive director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, noted that the poems range from lyrical to political, encapsulating a dark chapter in Japanese American history—the unconstitutional incarceration of 120,000 individuals of Japanese descent.

Tanka, translating as “short poem” or “short song,” has a structure of 31 syllables and consists of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 meter. While haiku typically explores nature and changing seasons, tanka encompasses a broader range of topics. Historically, it was enjoyed by anyone, particularly lovers, in medieval Japan. This thematic flexibility makes tanka suitable for expressing the trauma and loss experienced by Japanese immigrants post-World War II.

One poem by Tomiko reflects the complex emotions of watching children grow during wartime:

Seeing my child

grown strong

and taller,

my heart aches

at this time of war.

Recently, the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act has been cited to justify the rapid deportation of migrants alleged to be affiliated with Venezuelan gangs, raising concerns over due process. Umemoto stated that the Matsumotos’ poetry has gained new relevance today, offering crucial insights into the distressing impacts of forced incarceration.

Translating Japanese can pose challenges due to reliance on implied meanings and indirect communication. Rewriting “By the Shore of Lake Michigan” required a deep understanding of cultural nuances. Nancy Matsumoto worked with translators Kyoko Miyabe and Mariko Aratani. The book includes a foreword by Nancy and an introductory essay by Eri Yasuhara, former dean at Cal State San Bernardino, along with annotations providing historical, cultural, and literary context.