SIX WEDDINGS & “The Wedding Dress”
Chiyomi looked stunning in her beautiful wedding dress as she and Kaz Ogawa said their nuptials in the shadow of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains on March 26, 1944. Like so many other young Americans who would take part in launching the start of the “baby boom” that followed World War II, the Ogawa’s had found love and were ready to settle down. What should have been one of the happiest days of their lives must have been dampened by the barbed wire that surrounded their wedding location. They were married while at Manzanar, one of 10 “War Relocation Camps” established in the U.S. to house American citizens of Japanese descent and Japanese immigrants who lived along the Pacific Coast of the country under Executive Order 9066.
Chiyomi’s Auntie Nui, a professional seamstress, designed and made the wedding dress for the bride’s special day. They sent away for the material to Montgomery Ward, her flowers were silk and Chiyomi borrowed the veil. After the war ended and Japanese Americans worked to reclaim and rebuild their lives, Chiyomi’s wedding dress was eventually worn by five other women on their special days. This garment weaved a common thread through the lives of Chickie Hino, Hara Fujihara, Hasie Ogawa, Kay Fujikawa and Nattie Koyama. Just like Chiyomi, all of them made their homes and raised their families in Pasadena, CA.
Chiyomi never imagined that her wedding dress would inspire interest 68 years after she said “I do,” nor did she ever fathom the photo of her and Kaz would generate such intrigue as a unique record of American history. This photo along with some of the other brides who wore the dress photos were captured by legendary photographer Toyo Miyatake, who was also incarcerated at Manzanar. Committed to continuing his craft, he smuggled a lens into the camp and build a camera using a wooden box. His photos provide some of the few first-person perspectives of life inside Manzanar. Some of his work from this experience is documented in a book produced in collaboration with Ansel Adams, Two Views of Manzanar. After WWII, Toyo Miyatake was the Wedding Photographer for brides Haru Fujihara and Chickie Hino.
Photo of wedding dress next to the guard tower and barbed wire fence at Manzanar (Credits: Kevin Kuromi, Pixel Graphic Design & Steve Nagano)
Chiyomi looked stunning in her beautiful wedding dress as she and Kaz Ogawa said their nuptials in the shadow of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains on March 26, 1944. Like so many other young Americans who would take part in launching the start of the “baby boom” that followed World War II, the Ogawa’s had found love and were ready to settle down. What should have been one of the happiest days of their lives must have been dampened by the barbed wire that surrounded their wedding location. They were married while at Manzanar, one of 10 “War Relocation Camps” established in the U.S. to house American citizens of Japanese descent and Japanese immigrants who lived along the Pacific Coast of the country under Executive Order 9066.
Chiyomi’s Auntie Nui, a professional seamstress, designed and made the wedding dress for the bride’s special day. They sent away for the material to Montgomery Ward, her flowers were silk and Chiyomi borrowed the veil. After the war ended and Japanese Americans worked to reclaim and rebuild their lives, Chiyomi’s wedding dress was eventually worn by five other women on their special days. This garment weaved a common thread through the lives of Chickie Hino, Hara Fujihara, Hasie Ogawa, Kay Fujikawa and Nattie Koyama. Just like Chiyomi, all of them made their homes and raised their families in Pasadena, CA.
Chiyomi never imagined that her wedding dress would inspire interest 68 years after she said “I do,” nor did she ever fathom the photo of her and Kaz would generate such intrigue as a unique record of American history. This photo along with some of the other brides who wore the dress photos were captured by legendary photographer Toyo Miyatake, who was also incarcerated at Manzanar. Committed to continuing his craft, he smuggled a lens into the camp and build a camera using a wooden box. His photos provide some of the few first-person perspectives of life inside Manzanar. Some of his work from this experience is documented in a book produced in collaboration with Ansel Adams, Two Views of Manzanar. After WWII, Toyo Miyatake was the Wedding Photographer for brides Haru Fujihara and Chickie Hino.
Photo of wedding dress next to the guard tower and barbed wire fence at Manzanar (Credits: Kevin Kuromi, Pixel Graphic Design & Steve Nagano)
BRIDES in “The Wedding Dress”
Chiyomi & Kaz Ogawa 3/26/47 – Harumi & Tad Fujihara 4/6/47 – Chiyeko & Yukio Hino 11/15/47
Hasie & Yukio Ogawa 4/4/48 – Nattie & Nob Koyama 8/17/48 – Kay & George Fujikawa 3/25/50
Chiyomi & Kaz Ogawa 3/26/47 – Harumi & Tad Fujihara 4/6/47 – Chiyeko & Yukio Hino 11/15/47
Hasie & Yukio Ogawa 4/4/48 – Nattie & Nob Koyama 8/17/48 – Kay & George Fujikawa 3/25/50
Chiyomi & Kaz Ogawa 3/26/47
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Harumi & Tadashi Fujihara 4/5/47
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Chiyeko & Yukio Hino 11/15/47
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Hasie & Yukio Ogawa 4/4/48
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Nattie & Nob Koyama 8/17/48
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Kay & George Fujikawa 3/25/50
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Pasadena Museum of History Presented: "SIX WEDDINGS & A DRESS" on February 6, 2018 to sold out audience.
"Six Weddings & A Dress" was presented by Wendy Fujihara Anderson with special guest Original Bride Chiyomi Ogawa. This is an amazing true story about a wedding dress made for bride Chiyomi Ogawa, while held captive in the Manzanar Internment Camp. After WWII, Chiyomi’s dress was passed along to grace five Japanese American brides who had relocated to Pasadena to rebuild their lives. Pasadena native and resident, Wendy Fujihara Anderson will present information on the six Pasadena brides and a short film by Steve Nagano about the wedding dress that is indelibly woven into the history of Pasadena and a rare chance to meet original bride Chiyomi in person. |
The Wedding Dress getting ready and on exhibit at the Pasadena Museum of History's Exhibit
"I Do I Do Pasadena Ties The Knot" in 2013
The Wedding Dress on EXHIBIT at the Aquarium of the Pacific Autumn Festival in 2012 & 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016.
Top photos with Bride Chiyomi. Bottom photos with Stephanie & Ron Fujihara helping with the exhibit.
2017 Aquarium of the Pacific Autumn Festival is on November 4th & 5th in partnership with WOW! Productions &
the Aquarium of the Pacific
Top photos with Bride Chiyomi. Bottom photos with Stephanie & Ron Fujihara helping with the exhibit.
2017 Aquarium of the Pacific Autumn Festival is on November 4th & 5th in partnership with WOW! Productions &
the Aquarium of the Pacific
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"SHORT SHORT" FILM BY STEPHEN NAGANO
"SIX WEDDINGS & A DRESS" (approximately 7 minutes) Spotlights and gives a view of the uniqueness and place in history and family of "the dress". It's also a vehicle for the community to learn more about World War II Manzanar. This film was show in 2014 at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival through Visual Communication (VC) at the CGV Cinemas Theatre 2 in Los Angeles. The film was shown at the White Satin Wedding Show in September, 2014 at Santa Anita Racetrack The film was also shown in January, 2015 at Pasadena High School for the Fred Korematsu Day Pasadena 8 Minute Documentary by Steve Nagano https://vimeo.com/96036609 Photo: Steve & Patty (Ito) Nagano working on the film. Another Connection - Patty Ito Nagano's family were in Gila, AZ, they went to Chicago after the war and then settled in Pasadena. Patty grew up in Pasadena |
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REVEREND PAUL NAGANO
CONNECTION of filmmaker Stephen Nagano and
"Six Brides & The Dress". Steve's father is the well-known minister Reverend Paul Nagano. During WWII, Reverend Nagano was incarcerated in Poston, Arizona where he also met his wife Florence who was the church pianist and they married in Poston in 1943. Reverend Nagano was instrumental in re-establishing the first Japanese American church in California after the return of Japanese Americans from incarceration at the end of WWII. CONNECTION: Filmmaker Steve's father, Reverend Paul Nagano married two of the brides - Harumi & Tad Fujihara and Hasie & Yukio "Inkie" Ogawa at the Nisei Bapist Church, which today is known as Evergreen Church, Los Angeles. Photo Upper Left: Wedding of Paul & Florence Nagano, September 13, 1943, Poston, AZ Photo Lower Left: Reverend Paul Nagano today addressing at Chapman University. |
MYSTERY HISTORY EXHIBIT by Curator Ann Erdman - February, 2015 - Pasadena Museum of History
Written by Wendy Fujihara Anderson:
In 2015 Ann Erdman who served for over 20 years as the Public Information Officer for the City of Pasadena was the guest curator for an exhibit of little known "Mystery History" at The Pasadena Museum of History. Although it did not feature the Wedding Dress - it featured the story of my parents , Harumi & Tadashi Fujihara - their lives in Manzanar (they did not know each other then they met in Pasadena). And the "Star" photo of them at Brookside Park right after WWII having laughter and fun with their new-found freedom.
Photo of Ann Erdman and Wendy Fujihara Anderson on the opening of the Exhibit in March.
In 2015 Ann Erdman who served for over 20 years as the Public Information Officer for the City of Pasadena was the guest curator for an exhibit of little known "Mystery History" at The Pasadena Museum of History. Although it did not feature the Wedding Dress - it featured the story of my parents , Harumi & Tadashi Fujihara - their lives in Manzanar (they did not know each other then they met in Pasadena). And the "Star" photo of them at Brookside Park right after WWII having laughter and fun with their new-found freedom.
Photo of Ann Erdman and Wendy Fujihara Anderson on the opening of the Exhibit in March.
MYSTERY HISTORY EXHIBIT by Ann Erdman
Asks the questions! Where are we? And what's happening? |
The exhibit held a photo - Harumi
Ogawa's year book from Manzanar - she graduated the year the war ended and she was the Homecoming Queen. |
Mystery History Reception at Pasadena Museum of History with Robin McCarthy, Wendy Fujihara Anderson and Curator Ann Erdman.
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FRONT ROW: Chiyeko Ogawa, Kaz Ogawa, Chiyomi Ogawa BACK ROW: Tadashi Fujihara and Harumi (Ogawa or Fujihara) We're not sure the date of this photo and whether Tad & Haru were married yet. They were in Brookside Park, Pasadena - enjoying their fun-found freedom having been released from Manzanar. |
"Six Weddings & A Dress" spotlighted at Fall Event at Altadena Presbyterian Church - 9/12/15
Steve Nagano's Film "Six Weddings & A Dress" was shown on Saturday, September 12th at the Altadena Presbyterian Church at their Fall Event. Also original bride Chiyomi was there to answer questions with her wedding dress exhibit.
Photo Right: Filmmaker Steve Nagano |
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