9781422277454

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C onn ect i ng C u ltu r es T hrough F am i ly and F ood

born in the Kochi prefecture of Japan in 1894. As a schoolgirl she learned the concept of ryosai kenbo (“good wife, wise mother”) and was raised to obey her parents without question. When a nakkodo (a go-between or matchmaker) explained to her family that Kameji Okamura, who lived on the West Coast of America, was searching for a Japanese bride, they shared her photo with him and a match was made. A wedding ceremony was held in Japan, with a proxy standing in for the groom, and Miyoshi began making plans to sail with other picture brides aboard a California-bound ship. Even though she had no say in

Japanese picture brides were chosen by husbands to join them in the West.