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[1975]

Dear Sara;

I am writing to you for the Committee for Japanese American Anthology on Yasu's work. Enclosed is a letter about the committee. I volunteered for to contact you about this because of my special respect for his work and with a wish you might remember me.

Last year, I happened to start a research of "Japanese American Art History" to lecture in university here. The library here had a couple books of Ysau's. Studying through the books I learned of him concretely for the first time. This made change of his position in my image, from that of personal friend to that of a proud superior as American artist, particularly Japanese American Artist, and the very leader of myself, as an artist and as a Japanese American individual.

Since then I wanted to tell you my new feeling and wanted to ask you for neglecting you for all these years. Yes, it was a long, long, long time ago that yasu and you sat at at our dining table. I remember because both of you liked my MIZUTAKI and we discussed how I made soup of it and fresh asparagus in it was my first try to use in it. It must be the first spring of the wartime. The war made us closer but same war separated us too. Soon we got the war job and left New York. After the war, even though we came back to N.Y., we had two children about the same time, (one from Japan) and my husband, Jun or Taro who got sick and we hardly saw anybody. But we saw Yasu now and then and once he made most sympathetic introduction for Taro's one man show.

Then we came out to California. And now I live separated from Taro and live in San Francisco alone. During these times I did not even send a Christmas card to you, even though you lived in me as a respectable friend. And so when I heard about you from Sueo Serisawa and more recently from Kathrine Moron and Anne Takashige, I always was glad that you were doing well.

Since I first started this work of anthology, I volunteered to contact you. First of all, I wanted all Japanese Americans to know him, particularly young confused people and then wanted me to make it as a chance to tell you my new feeling of Yasu. But as the writing in English is not easy for me I waited to see and talk to you. Last May, when I visited N.Y., seeing you was the most important purpose to me. I called you many times but within one week's stay, I could not get through my call.