japan adoptee from elizabeth sanders home

Hi, I have no relation to anyone from the Elizabeth Saunders House, but I am actually writing my Senior Thesis paper for my history major on the Japanese-American (amerasian) children from World War 2 and am planning on focusing on the Elizabeth Saunders House and I came across this website and was pleased to see so many people with relatives from the House. I was wondering if anyone had any oral histories from their time there and memory of how they felt about the orphanage, the US, Japan and the military. If anyone is willing to help me with this it would be greatly appreciated, or if you could point me in the right direction i'd be very grateful. Than you all for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.Melissa

Hello, I am a graduate student doing research and oral histories about mixed race Japanese and American people who were in places like the Elizabeth Saunders Home. I'd love to hear from you or your families. These are the important life histories that have been left untold or even forgotten. I would be honored to talk with you. Please contact me at lywelty@umail.ucsb.edu. Sincerely, Lily

Hello, I came across this thread in researching Japanese adoptions and wanted to reply. I visited the Sanders Home about 10 years ago when I was teaching in Japan. Very wonderful people! It is in Oiso, a quaint oceanside town southwest of Tokyo, and you can see the ocean from the facility grounds. Though it was set up after WWII for mixed children of GIs and Japanese women, it seems that the makeup of the children these days are mixed Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, etc. Wonderful, beautiful children! Anyway, anyone interested in learning more can look for the book "The Least of These" by Elizabeth Anne Hemphill, published 1980 by Weatherhill Books. I'll also be happy to field any questions, if I know the answers! Best of luck, Sam Koji Hale

I was also adopted from the same orphanage in 1953 I was in the US Navy and during 1980 I visited the orphanage, and just missed Miki Sawada she had passed away a couple of months before I got there. If you would like to chat or email me, please do! E-Mail: ljnardini@hotmail.com looking forward to hearing from you. Larry Nardini

I think my mother may have been in this orphanage. The details I have was she was in an orphanage run by a woman named Rene Sawada (which i am thinking was Miki), it was a Catholic orphanage that specialized in caring for children who were half Japanese and who were not accepted by the society at the time. My mother was adopted by americans who were stationed in Japan. She was born in 1952 and adopted a few years later. Both of mom's adoptive parents have passed away years ago, when i was too young to ask the questions that i have now. Have any of you from the Saunders Home been able to find any further information about your bio family? My mom's Japanese name and her birthday we aren't even sure are accurate, or if they were assigned by the Saunders Home. We are not even sure of her bio father's ethnicity; my mother's skin is darker than "most" Japanese, and my brother has DARK brown skin. Some where along the story line, Portuguese/Brazilian has been mentioned. Does anyone know if those countries had troups located in Japan post WWII? Feel free to PM me. I really appreciate your help. I feel so empty not knowing so much about half of me. Thank you.

I too was adopted in 1970 from the Elizabeth Saunders Home. I do not have any information about the place but would love to hear from anyone who has anything to share.

Hi. I'm excited to have found this site! My brother was also adopted from the ES Home. He is (presumably) Black and Japanese. He was born in 1953 and adopted in 1955. I'm hoping to get as much information as possible to be able to present to him about this, so please, please contact me. We do have his adoption papers (in Japanese and English) and his birth mother's name is listed. Thanks.

Are you still available to get information about the Elizabeth Sanders Home? Are you in Japan?

Hi, Do you know what happened to Miki Sawada's personal records about the adoptions after her death?

Nadasue,I find a comfort in thinking that your brother and my mother may have been "roommates" at the home, since the years overlap.

That's great. Please email me at yarsan@aol.com. Perhaps we can compare notes.

I was also adopted from this Elizabeth Sanders Home - Shuji Hayashi, father in parental power, who consented to the adoption, March 13, 1961. My birth parents divorced. Can anyone offer advice on how to find my birth family, at least my older sister??? I suspect my birth Mom might be dead? My husband said my birth Dad might also be dead by now??my birth name: Akikofather: Shunji HayashiMother: MisaoRelationship: 2nd DaughterBorn on December 16, 1958 at 1080, Tomiki, Takaishicho, Senbokugunreport thereof was submitted to Mayor of Takaishicho from father Shunji Hayashi on 27th same month; forwarded to this office and name was entered into this family register on January, 8, 1959attorney who handled the adoption was Dr. Thomas de Figueredo, Attorney at Law of the First Tokyo Bar(I believe this attorney died within the past 10 years somewhere in California?)infor for Me: Akiko Hayashi, birthdate - December 16, 1958legal adress: 1544, Fuchumachi, Izumishi, OsakafuDomicile: Elizabeth Sanders Home, 1152 Oisomachi, KanagawakenDate adoption official: February 27, 1961Judge of Domestic Relations, Yokohama Family Court: Toshimi SasakiAssistant: /s/ Hideo Ono, Court Clerk, Yokohama Family Court

I'm looking for information on a child brought in between years 1955-1957. I have the last name of the father, not the mothers. Any info you can share on how I should best go about finding this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

I'm half japanese, from the address and the name, i got a wiki page. [url=http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/エリザベス・サンダースホーム]アンパサンド - Wikipedia[/url] Their webpage but also shows their school etc, [url=http://eshobhp.web.fc2.com]GÃʃUxÃXECTÓ_Á[XÁEzÁ[ÀOBy˂ѐكXeÃpmÊwɀOBɯ[/url] This is their orphanage. [url=http://www.elizabeth-sh.jp/]Home of ESH[/url] At first it was a home for mixed-race babies, but now it seems like they are more a foster-home kind of orphanage. Hope it helps

If you haven't already joined our Facebook group page "Elizabeth Saunders Home Reunion", please do so atWe are planning a group reunion for anyone or any member of their family who personally had, or may have had a possible connection to the Elizabeth Saunders Home. The reunion will take place April 14, 2018, in Japantown, San Francisco, California, during the first weekend of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. You can follow our Facebook group event page for any information, details and progress of our reunion planning there, as well as to RSVP or indicate your interest. ~C. B.