Born: 12 May 1895, Japan
Died: 10 August 1973
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following is republished from the Densho Encyclopedia, in line with the Creative Commons licensing. It was written by Patricia Wakida.
Yoshiko Yamanouchi (1895–1973) was an early Buddhist community leader, businesswoman, and amateur painter. She was born in Osaka, Japan, on May 12, 1895. She immigrated to the United States in 1915 and settled in San Mateo, California, where she became a prominent member of the community, establishing the first Buddhist Sunday School Young Buddhist Association, and Women’s Association for the growing immigrant population. She also maintained and owned a laundry business.
During World War II, Yamanouchi was incarcerated at the War Relocation Authority camp in Topaz, Utah. Despite having no formal art training, she produced a number of watercolor paintings depicting her experiences in camp. Following the war, she returned to San Mateo, where she resumed her laundry business. Her work was included in the seminal exhibition ” The View from Within: Japanese American Art from the Internment Camps, 1942-1945 (exhibition) ” which was held in Los Angeles in 1992.
She died on August 10, 1973, in San Francisco, California at age 78.