Group Media & Photos

Monkey pod tray in shape of a leaf with inscription on bottom, carved by Masami Furukawa. JCCH/Masami Furukawa Collection.

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Bottom of monkey pod tray in shape of a leaf with inscription, “Interned on March 11th, 1943,” carved by Masami Furukawa. JCCH/Masami Furukawa Collection.

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Internment Locations

Honouliuli Internment Camp, Oahu Island

Tule Lake Segregation Center, California

November 1944 - February 1946

Returned to Hawaii

February 1946

Masami Furukawa, born in Honolulu, was one of three sons of Kurakichi and Jimi Furukawa. Masami was sent to Japan to receive an education and returned to Hawaii in 1940 at age 20. 

The Furukawa brothers suffered different fates during World War II: Tsuyoshi, the eldest, served in the 100th Infantry Battalion and was killed in action in Salerno, Italy in November 1943; he was postumously awarded the Purple Heart. Masami was arrested and interned, and Kasuma served in the Japanese Army in Manchuria. 

After the war, Masami returned to Hawaii, where he met and married Ruby Toshiko Yano. They had two sons. Masami worked as a mechanic for 36 years and died in 2010.