In a show of support, Japan’s Consul General Jun Yamada has sent a letter backing the U.S. stamp proposal that features the Japanese American World War II soldiers. In a June 15 letter to U.S. Post Master General Megan Brennan, Yamada stated, “On behalf of the Japanese government, I would like to express my strong support for this proposal.”
This support is unusual due to the fact that the Nisei soldiers were Americans fighting against Japan during WWII.
Yamada recounted in his letter that his recent visit to the Manzanar incarceration center during the April pilgrimage to the site and his talks with former incarcerees and Nisei veterans had an impact on him.
“They shared inspiring first-hand accounts of the hardships, trials and triumphs that they and their families experienced during World War II and its aftermath,” he explained. “Japanese Americans’ World War II stories remain relevant as they provide us with important insight on current affairs. I believe that issuing a commemorative postage stamp would be a wonderful way of sharing this history with a wider audience and inspiring a new generation of Americans to learn more.”
The 11-year grassroots campaign for the stamp, called “Stamp Our Story,” has struggled against the bureaucracy of the U.S. Postal Service stamp selection process.
Three California Nisei women who endured WWII incarceration, Fusa Takahashi of Granite Bay, Aiko O. King of Camarillo and Chiz Ohira of Gardena sparked the nationwide effort. They are pushing hard this year in the hopes that a stamp might be issued in 2017, the 75th anniversary of the start of the incarceration camps.
The USPS has no obligation to respond to proposals and often does so on its own timeline, which can take several years. The stamp selection body, called the “Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, is comprised of 15 members who are all appointed internally by the postmaster general. They meet quarterly behind closed doors and are restricted from discussing the stamp selection with the public. Minutes of the meetings are also not public.
Despite the obstacles and lengthy process, activists continue to seek letters of support from public officials.
On May 23, California Gov. Jerry Brown sent a letter of support, joining 36 members of Congress so far this year.
“We are extremely pleased that Consul General Yamada has stated his support on behalf of the Japanese government,” said Wayne Osako, co-chair of “Stamp Our Story.” “His voice shows the postmaster general that this stamp subject matters not only to the Japanese American community, but also to the greater American public, and even internationally, in Japan.”
For more information on the campaign’s recent efforts, visit www.StampOurStory.org.
