Hey everyone and welcome back to my little corner of blog space! Yes, I know last week I got a little bit heated because I want more female representation, but I digress. I missed my chance to participate in St. Patrick’s Day because I’m such a kill joy, so let’s jump into something completely unrelated but really cool that we have coming up in just a couple of days!
We have recently been charged with handling items for the George Yamaoka estate, and if you are a history buff the name may sound familiar. George Yamaoka was a Japanese American lawyer who represented Japanese war criminals at the end of World War II. Yamaoka followed in the footsteps of his father, Otohiko Yamaoka, unlike his siblings who went on to become actors. Yamaoka’s father was a Japan based lawyer imprisoned for conspiracy to assassinate officials in Shizuoka, Japan. After ten years and through the Allies’ involvement, Otohiko was released and settled in Washington. There, young George Yamaoka attended Seattle High School and later the University of Washington.
After graduating, Yamaoka went on to study law at Georgetown University of Law, becoming the first Japanese American to be admitted to the New York State Bar. From there, he joined the law firm of Hunt, Hill & Betts handling Japanese shipping firm cases creating many connections with some big-name corporations. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Yamaoka joined with Larry Tajiri and T. Scott Miyakawa as a sponsor of the Committee for Democratic Treatment of the Japanese in the welfare department helping Japanese Americans who had been displaced from employment due to the war. Yamaoka also helped to organize The Greater New York Citizens’ Committee for Japanese Americans and became a founder of New York’s Japanese American Association. Then in 1946 at the request of the Japanese government and General Douglas MacArthur, who was serving as the U.S. proconsul in occupied Japan, to serve as counsel general for the American defense section of the Tokyo War Crimes trials.
From this estate we have an amazing photograph of Isoroku Yamamoto, Captain of the Japanese Navy, dedicated to Yamaoka from a 1928 visit to Washington from before the start of the war. We are also offering a photo album full of photographs and postcards of Japan, and a beautiful miniature lacquer box as well as an assortment of textiles and artwork. If you would like to add to your collection of Asian artworks or would love to get your hands on a piece owned by a prominent historical figure, make sure to check us out on April 4th!
