Journal, “My Personal Nature Memo Book: As the Season Turns, 1972.2-1980.4”, 1972-1980

File — Box: 2, Folder: 3

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Yamamoto family papers contain records and photographs related to the lives of Cho and Jinzo "Joe" Yamamoto and their two daughters, Yuki and Fumi. Included in the collection are passports and travel documents related to Cho and Jinzo’s passage from Japan to the United States (1917, 1920), naturalization documents (1956) and Cho’s watercolor drawings (ca. 1963). Also included are Yuki Yamamoto’s poems (1938-1939), telegrams sent to her during World War II (1942-1945), personal journals and sketches (1971-1986), correspondence sent to her sister, Fumi (1945-1980s) and a collection of drawings. Additionally, the collection contains Fumi Yamamoto’s passports, report cards and diplomas (1928-1951), journals (1944-1998), fiction and non-fiction writings (1939-1960s), postcards from friends and family (1940s-1970s) and miscellaneous material, including sorobans (abacuses), and a biographical, academic paper (1997) that was written by a Northwestern University student after she conducted an interview with Fumi.

The Photographs series contains images from both Japan and the U.S. reflecting Cho and Jinzo's early married life, their daughters' childhoods in Whitefish, MT and Spokane, WA, Yuki's adult life in Japan, Fumi's adult life in New York and Chicago, and Cho and Fumi's trips to Japan to visit Yuki. Of note are photographs of Jinzo "Joe" Yamamoto in a United States military uniform, Jinzo and Cho in their Japanese market in Spokane, WA, and the Yamamoto family on a ship as they bid farewell to Yuki on her departure for Japan.

Dates

1972-1980

Extent

From the Collection: 14 boxes

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

From the Collection: Japanese

Additional Description

General

Journal, in Japanese, mostly contains sketches and musings about the food that Yuki enjoys eating and where she purchased her food items; loosely woven fabric cover contains handwritten title; interior page has a stamp with the author’s name, Yuki; the first illustration is of a dried persimmon and is accompanied by a description of the food and the market where she bought it; journal includes an illustration of bamboo skewered fish that Yuki complemented with a beer and an illustration of a large daikon radish; also present are illustrations of flowers such as camellia; many illustrations are drawn in ink and hand-colored in watercolor although some illustrations appear to be unfinished; one may secure the journal with a brown fabric tie; minor water damage is present on the book cover and text block is loose but stable