AKIYAMA Yoichi
Born: 14 December 1940 – Died: 3 September 1944
Particulars:
Yoichi was born in Toenpaan, Celebes in the Dutch East Indies, now Sulawesi Indonesia. When the Pacific War broke out, Yoichi and his family were taken to Australia and interned at Tatura Internment Camp in Victoria. Yoichi’s father was born in Gyeongseong, now Seoul in South Korea and was a merchant in Toenpaan. His mother was born in Toenpaan as was his older sister. Yoichi’s younger sister was born in internment, and the family had another boy in internment, nine months after Yoichi died in an accident. Yoichi was 3 years old when he died. His grave is in the Japanese Cemetery in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
–Mayu Kanamori
More info:
Arisa Yura with Renon Yura Yuen
Artist/s Statement:
Yoichi was born in Toenpaan on the island of Celebes, also known as Sulawesi in Indonesia. Celebes island is highly mountainous. Akiyama in Japanese is ‘Autumn Mountain’. Yoichi was a Protestant. His names make up a cross, and they stand tall on the summits of the Celebes mountains, reaching high into heaven.
Artist Bio:
Arisa Yura is a Japanese Australian actor, voice artist, writer, and taiko drummer, working extensively across theatre, film, radio, and television. Along with her son Renon Yura Yuen, Arisa created artworks for the five children who died while they were interned in Australia.