HORI Kijuro
Born: 15 January 1882 – Died: 1 March 1945
Particulars:
Kijuro was born in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. He arrived in Walyalap / Fremantle, Western Australia in 1897 aboard the SS Sultan. He was a widower and his next of kin was registered as his son Hori Goe, residing in Kushimoto. Kijuro worked his way up the coast from Gwoonwardu / Carnarvon to Marapikurrinya / Port Hedland, and finally Rubibi / Broome. When the Pacific War broke out and the authorities arrested the Japanese, he was working as a laundryman. Kijuro handed over 50 pounds to the police and his belongings valued at 30 pounds were left in the care of Mohamed Sharif. He was interned at Tatura Interment Camp in Victoria in 1942. The following year he was admitted several times to the camp hospital. In 1945, Kijuro died in B Camp infirmary. He was 65. Kijuro now rests in the Japanese Cemetery in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
–Jo Anne Shiosaki
More info:
Michael Jalaru Torres, Jo Anne Shiosaki, and Narelle Pigram
Artist/s Statement:
Just like my great-grandfather, Kijuro was a laundryman and also interned at Tatura. They would have both worked tirelessly in the tropical heat, boiling clothes in huge steaming copper tubs, scrubbing garments by hand, then starching to stiffness, and neatly pressing with heavy irons heated over open flames. There would have been no shortage of business as the pearling industry and hotels relied on their services. I acknowledge the hardship and determination that the men and women of that era must have endured. Their stories are a reminder of resilience through adversity, and their legacy continues through Nikkei Australian families today. We were saddened to hear Kijuro passed away during internment and never returned home to Broome. We are honoured to share Kijuro’s story.
–Narelle Pigram (Photographed)
Artist Bio:
Michael Jalaru Torres is an Indigenous fine art photographer and poet, born in 1976, in Broome, Western Australia. He is a Djugun-Yawuru man with tribal connections to the Gooniyandi / Jabbir Jabbir / Ngarluma peoples. He draws inspiration from the unique landscapes and people of the Kimberley region, which feature prominently in his work.
Jo Anne Shiosaki is a fourth-generation Nikkei who lives in Rubibi / Broome, Western Australia. Jo’s great-grandparents were one of the earliest Japanese families to migrate to Broome in the late 1800s. Her great-grandfather served as the President of the Japan Club in Broome before the war. She acknowledges the Nikkei community of Broome for helping to create these photographic images, and their willingness to share deeply personal experiences in order to preserve the memories of those who endured internment.
Narelle Pigram lives in Broome in Western Australia with her three children – Stella, Samson, and Atlas. They are fifth and sixth-generation Nikkei. Narelle’s great- grandmother’s family operated a laundry business in Broome until the outbreak of World War II. When the war began, the family were interned at Tatura Internment Camp 4. Although they felt confused, disappointed, and angry about their internment, they were grateful to have been kept together in one camp, knowing that many others were not as fortunate. In some cases, families were separated, with husbands and fathers sent to different camps.