For Japanese immigrants who wanted to marry and establish a family in America, there were few options in the early 1900s. The law prohibited marriage to Caucasians, and a trip back to Japan for the purpose of finding a wife would be expensive and also could put a man in danger of being drafted into the Japanese military. A “picture bride” was often the only way a man could find a wife and have a family.

Kane Fukura was just one of over ten thousand picture brides who entered the United States from Japan between 1908 and 1920. Her marriage to Heijiro Shiozawa was arranged by an old friend of Heijiro’s who thought they would make a good match. Kane and Heijiro exchanged pictures by mail, but did not meet until her arrival at the Port of Seattle in August 1911. They were married and soon moved to a farm in Rigby, Idaho, where the family would remain for the next 28 years. Two daughters and six sons were born to the couple. One daughter died at age three.

Sadly, Kane passed away in February 1926 at the age of 35 from pneumonia, leaving seven children, ages 12 years down to eight months, motherless.

In talking about his mother years later, George Shiozawa remembered that even after giving birth to eight children, his mother was still slender, with beautiful dark eyes, a lovely face, and long black hair styled in a bun at the nape of her neck. He recalled that she was energetic, outgoing, and an excellent cook, seamstress, and gardener.

Kane kept a diary of the everyday events and special moments of her life. This is her diary for 1925, the Year of the Ox.

Nancy Shiozawa, April 2020