Picture Bride

Taro is the primary supporting character in Picture Bride. He and Hana marry after exchanging photos and letters. Taro is a rough but pragmatic man who is about 10 years older than Hana. When they first meet, Hana is surprised to find him more unattractive and aged than he was in his pictures, and he initially seems cold. Hana’s flirtatious relationship with Kiyoshi Yamaka makes Taro jealous and resentful. As the years go by, though, Taro displays respect for Hana and tenderness for their family. Mary’s birth unlocks a newfound empathy in him and he takes pride in her academic performance. Taro is not necessarily a romantic man, but he does feel sincere care and loyalty for his family and friends.

Taro actively pursues the ideal American identity. He does not resent his Japanese heritage but feels responsible for creating a positive image of Japanese Americans. Taro commits himself to the Christian church and encourages his family to do the same. Almost immediately after meeting Hana, he encourages her to wear American clothing instead of a traditional kimono. Taro works hard to be a good American citizen but is nevertheless disenfranchised by the evacuation of Japanese Americans during World War II. Even while imprisoned, Taro expresses loyalty towards his country. He feels that the concentration camps are “the result of fear and hatred” and not representative of “the real America he knew” (209). Taro’s purposeless murder shows the irony of America’s treatment of immigrants and reveals the limits of patriotism and assimilation.

Mary is Hana and Taro’s daughter. Born in Oakland, she is more influenced by American society than any other character in the novel. Mary is a Nisei, a child of Japanese American immigrants. Through Mary, Uchida explores the tensions that Nisei children face. Mary spurns her Japanese heritage in favor of an Americanized lifestyle, yet she recognizes the discriminatory practices in American society and knows that white America might never fully accept her. Even Mary’s name displays this tension; Taro chose “Mary,” the prototypical female Christian name, and Hana adds “Yukari” in hopes of maintaining her daughter’s Japanese heritage.

As a child, Mary is inquisitive. She finds joy in nature and reading. Her vacation to the Todas’ farm impacts her deeply and foreshadows her desire for discovery and independence. As Mary grows into a young woman, she becomes intelligent, popular, and beautiful. However, she displays an inability to fulfill her goals and see tasks through. Mary also avoids acknowledging her Japanese heritage as gets older. She favors English, which creates a language barrier between her and her mother. Mary’s abrupt marriage to Euro American Joseph Cantelli further illustrates her gravitation toward American culture. Her reticence to house her parents during the evacuation demonstrates her discomfort with her Japanese identity.

Mary is similar to her mother. Freedom beckons both women to leave their birthplace in pursuit of a different life. Their relationship begins to heal when both women recognize and understand these similarities.

Kenji is a secondary character in Picture Bride. While he is absent for several sections of the novel, his presence is vital to the novel’s plot and themes, specifically Divine Absolution and the Difficulty of Human Forgiveness. When Hana first meets Kenji, he is a seminary student working with her church. While leading Sunday School, he demonstrates care and consideration for each individual student. Kenji becomes depressed and hides away out of shame and self-hatred after the Sunday School superintendent betrays the church. His stay with the Takedas restores him; specifically, the trust given to Kenji rebuilds his confidence.

Hana’s emotional investment in Kenji as a young man contributes to his leadership role as an adult. After the old reverend returns to Japan, Kenji becomes the enduring head pastor of his church. During evacuation and internment, Kenji is an invaluable resource to his community and provides advice and support to others. When Taro is wrought with grief and exhaustion, Kenji reestablishes meaning in his life through conversation and hobbies.

Throughout the novel, Uchida develops Kenji into a Christlike figure. He knows carpentry, like Jesus and Joseph. Kenji’s depressive period can be compared to Christ’s days in the desert, in which he was isolated and tempted by Satan. Kenji’s time with the Takedas is a resurrection similar to Christ’s resurrection following his crucifixion. At Topaz, Kenji delivers an emphatic sermon to his fellow prisoners while a dust storm rages around them. This passage parallels Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, during which Christ gave moral teachings to his followers on a mountain. During Kenji’s sermon, Hana reflects on his growth into a “true man of God” (205). Kenji aims to help free prisoners from the concentration camps by getting them jobs and waivers. This ambition echoes Moses in the Book of Exodus, who sought deliverance of his people to God’s Promised Land. Uchida’s biblical allusions emphasize Kenji’s moral rigor.

Kiku is a secondary character who emerges at key moments in the novel. She is the wife of Henry Toda and mother to Kenny and Jimmy. Kiku is one of the first people who Hana meets in America. After Hana’s initial discomfort with America and Taro, Kiku makes her feel safe: “When the door opened [...] the sight of Kiku Toda quickly dispelled the gloom of the weather as well as her anxieties. Kiku was a warm friendly woman…” (9). Hana is well-liked by the local community upon her arrival, but Kiku truly makes her feel at home. Their connection originates from Kiku’s own experience as a picture bride for Henry. Kiku understands Hana’s feelings of isolation and confusion in a new country and marriage. She remains a dependable friend throughout the novel.

When Henry decides to leave Oakland for farm work, Kiku is hesitant. However, she settles into rural life quite well. The farm provides steady work and two sons. Kiku’s strong work ethic corresponds to farm life, giving her satisfaction that was missing in the city: “I work like an old army horse [...] but when I go to sleep it’s with a weariness in my bones and not in my head” (115). Kiki grows attached to the farm, making it all the more painful when the farm—and Henry—are taken from her.

Kiku endures. Her husband’s death, her own imprisonment, and her sons’ military enlistment do not diminish her spirit. After her sons ride off to basic training, she immediately begins working at the camp kitchen. The job likely distracts her from her woes. Additionally, Kiku’s acceptance of the job further showcases her persistence. The characters of Picture Bride are forced into dire circumstances. Survival in such a situation can only be attained through the unrelenting persistence shown by Kiku. Kiku’s arrival at Topaz at the end of the novel suggests that she and Hana will continue to support each other through forthcoming hardship, emphasizing Female Solidarity in the Immigration Experience.

Henry is a secondary character in Picture Bride. He is not as prominent as his wife, Kiku, but he still serves as a source of support for the main characters. At the beginning of the novel, he works as a janitor but finds greater sustainability when he begins tending his own farm in the countryside.

Henry has a boisterous and charismatic personality. The narrator describes him as “a large robust man who seemed to mirror the energy and cheer of [Kiku]” (11). He and Kiku house Hana upon her arrival and make her feel welcome in America. Just as Kiku and Hana have similarities, Henry and Taro have similar values and experiences. Like Taro, Henry is a Japanese immigrant who came to America in search of prosperity. Henry embraces assimilation with similar enthusiasm to Taro. Unlike Taro, he forgoes his Japanese name (Hisakazu) in favor of an American one.

In the days leading up to the evacuation, Henry and Taro both wrestle with the future of their properties. Henry sells his farm but feels as if he is relinquishing a part of himself. In addition to Taro, Henry has a close friendship with Dr. Kaneda. Henry’s preparation of Dr. Kaneda’s care package is one last act of kindness before his untimely death. Henry and Taro both fall victim to abrupt and purposeless deaths that arise out of racist paranoia. Henry is an analog to Taro in several ways, but he also represents a larger population of honest Japanese American men who were harmed by prejudice and racist legislation.

Kiyoshi Yamaka—usually referred to by his surname—is a secondary character who is prominent in the early chapters of Picture Bride. While he is Taro’s friend, he arises as a foil to Taro: Yamaka is younger, better-looking, and naturally charismatic. To Hana, who associates Taro with disdain and discomfort, Yamaka is a tempting romantic alternative.

The attraction between Yamaka and Hana is immediately apparent. They accidentally make eye contact during Hana’s first church service, sharing a moment of “delicious wickedness” that foreshadows their flirtatious relationship (15). Yamaka seems willing to disregard his friendship with Taro to pursue an affair with Hana. While they both engage in flirtation, Hana has to stop Yamaka’s sexual advances.

Despite his magnetic persona, Yamaka lacks Taro and Henry’s persistence and discipline. He admits that he was never able to hold onto a steady job or capitalize on his immigration to America. When Hana visits him on his deathbed, he expresses his regrets: “[I]n my next life I’m going to be a bird…I’m going to soar in the sky…and never have to hold a broom…or wash a window…or love the wrong person” (57). Yamaka resents the menial labor of America and his missed opportunity at love with Hana. Before he dies, Yamaka repairs his relationship with Taro. While Yamaka and Hana never slept together, Taro’s jealousy of Yamaka persists throughout the novel.