Reunion
Charcoal on photo paper
15" x 30"
Charcoal on photo paper
15" x 30"
Edward Yoshio Nakamura was born on August 3, 1925, in Meredith, Washington. In 1928, his family moved back to Hiroshima Japan, where he lived until the age of nine. After his mother passed away, his older half-sister, Kawayo, took care of the family until they—except for Kawayo—returned to the U.S. In April 1942, following Executive Order 9066, the Nakamura family was forcibly removed to the Tule Lake incarceration camp, losing their farm and all possessions.
In 1944, Edward was drafted into the U.S. Army at age 18. He completed basic training as a replacement for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, then volunteered for the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), becoming both a Japanese linguist and a paratrooper. In 1945, he was deployed to Sendai with the 11th Airborne Division, where he oversaw demilitarization efforts and censored communications during the Allied occupation of Japan.
His visits to Hiroshima during this time were more than military assignments—they were deeply personal returns to a place tied to childhood and loss. Just two months after the atomic bombing, Edward reunited with Kawayo in the ruined city.
In the background of this artwork is a photocopy of an original image Edward himself took of the ruined city. Its vast destruction forms a haunting contrast to the intimate embrace in the foreground. Nakamura’s layered identity—as an American soldier, a former internee, a Japanese-speaking Nisei, and a witness to one of history’s most destructive events—seems encapsulated in this moment. The quiet tenderness between siblings stands as a counterpoint to the desolation that surrounds them, reflecting the resilience of familial bonds in the aftermath of war.
After his military service, Edward transitioned to a civilian role with the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATTIS) in Tokyo, supervising Japanese staff and continuing mail censorship duties. He returned to the United States in 1948, utilizing the GI Bill to attend the University of Washington and later UCLA. At 100 years old, Edward remains in good health and continues to share his story with younger generations—cherishing time with his children and grandchildren.
