A lot of family activities during the Machida reunion. On Sunday morning, we went as a group to the Japanese American National Museum just at the edge of "Little Tokyo". On the same grounds was a memorial to the Japanese Americans that served in the U.S. military during WW II.
We spent a couple of hours at the museum with most of the exhibits focused on the internment during the war. There was a report to the President that there was no evidence of any threat even on the west coast. But, as a group, they were easily identifiable. There were more Japanese Americans in Hawaii then all of the continental U.S. but they decided that there would be too much of an impact the the economy in Hawaii.
Here is some minimal moto-content. This photo of two women riding a sidecar rig was on display at the museum.
This was an art project made of suitcases and trunks from folks taken to the various internment camps.
A reconstructed housing unit from one of the camps.
On Monday morning, we went to the Getty Villa southeast of Malibu along PCH. A very interesting structure and attraction built as from a time long past.
It is on the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking the Pacific. I don't know a lot of the history of the property except the that it was commissioned by J. Paul Getty and he never saw the museum completed. Here is the
LINK to the villa website with probable more information than you want on the site.
There was an amphitheater near the entrance to the museum. Lots of artifacts and some replicas of statues recovered from Pompey.
The gardens were phenomenal and it would've looked even better if California wasn't suffering from a drought. Most of the pool and fountains were dry. The following photos were taken during the tour of the gardens.
In the herb garden, there was this relative of an artichoke though instead of harvesting the blossom like a normal artichoke, the stems were harvested for food.
Tonight was the banquet and the official end of the reunion though quite a few of us will probably be descending on my cousins home here in Agoura Hills. Their whole family has done an incredible job organizing this reunion.
Sounds like a spectacular reunion (lots of work to organize for sure.) Beautiful gardens despite the terribly dry weather on the west. The amphitheatre seems to be a unique American interpretation of Greek architecture. Have you acclimatized to the heat yet?
ReplyDeleteIt was a great reunion. There were a lot of new faces as nieces and nephews are starting families. It was great to see everyone again. The gardens were beautiful even without the water running. Though it would have made it feel much cooler. Since we were on the coast the temperatures were pretty mild though I don't think I could ever get used to the heat.
DeleteI've ridden to Manzanar, one of the Japanese internment camps, located here in Colorado....not much remains of it now but the cement slabs upon which the huts were built.....sobering.
ReplyDeleteThe relocation camp in Colorado was Granada though the pictures look like Manzanar in California right at the base of Mt. Whitney. My mom's family were relocated to Manzanar and my dad's to Poston near the Colorado River in Arizona. I've visited both sites and the Manzanar site is being developed by the National Park Service with a fantastic museum/visitor center.
DeleteSorry, getting the names confused. The name of the camp I rode to was Amache: http://www.santafetrailscenicandhistoricbyway.org/amache.html
ReplyDeleteNot much remains in Manzanar besides the stone guard structures near the main entrance and a memorial monument erected at the cemetery. I have pictures on my post.
DeleteYour family is so diligent in getting together for reunions. And you always have things to see and do too. The gardens look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHave you managed any geocaching?
Minimal geocaching. We found a nano-cache at the veterans memorial and there is one next to the hotel that would be a minute to find.
DeleteThe reunions are a lot of fun and they announced the next one on this side of the family will be in Seward, AK.
Sounds like a huge event and lots of fun, Richard.
ReplyDeleteI have heard about the drought in California in the News, looks like it is really getting serious over there.
I think I heard that there were about seventy attendees or so. So we were a pretty large group showing up at these locations. But once there, self selection divided the group into manageable chunks.
DeleteStill see a lot of nice lawns but most of the commercial properties have small signs stating that they use reclaimed water.
Thanks for sharing Richard. A few years ago I worked with a gentleman from Oregon. He was originally from California. We were visiting one day about our "roots". He commented that he was born at "Heart Mountain, Wyo." I immediately realized that he was born in the Internment Camp there. His Dad enlisted in the Military and served while his family was behind barbed wire....a sad part of our countries history. I asked if he had ever gone back to Heart Mountain to see the Visitor / Historical Center. He said, "That time was a "low" for my family and affected us for the remainder of my parents lives. I have no urge to ever go there". Luckily his family farm in CA. was looked after by neighbors and fields were tended and the crops went in....the proceeds and their lives awaited them upon return to CA. So many others lost everything.
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