Journey to Topaz

Journey to Topaz is a 1971 young adult novel by Yoshiko Uchida. Uchida was a Japanese-American who, along with her family, survived internment in a US prison camp during World War II. Journey to Topaz is a fictional work heavily based on the time Uchida spent at a camp in Topaz, Utah.

The main character, eleven-year-old Yuki Sakane, lives with her father, mother, and older brother, Ken. When the family hears about the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor, they are shocked and worried about the future of the United States. Within a few hours of the attacks, FBI agents arrive to arrest Yuki’s father and detain the rest of the family in their home. Eventually, the remaining family members are let go, but Yuki’s father does not return, and they have no news of him for a week.

Finally, Yuki’s father informs the family that he is being sent to an internment camp with other Japanese-American men. The men are not being charged with a crime, but are being held for purposes of national security. A few days later, the rest of the Sakane family learns that they will also be evacuated to internment camps. Yuki’s mother packs up the house and Yuki arranges for her pets to be adopted.



The family is bussed to Tanforan Racetrack, which has been converted into a camp for displaced Japanese Americans. The camp is surrounded by barbed wire and patrolled by armed guards. The family lives in a horse stall that has been converted into an apartment. There is little protection from the elements or privacy. Yuki and Ken are depressed, but Mrs. Sakane works hard to keep their spirits up. They reconnect with a number of Japanese American friends who are also staying at the camp.

Yuki meets Emiko Kurihara who is in the camp with her grandparents, a very traditional Japanese couple. Yuki and Emiko become friends, exploring the camp together and playing games with Mr. Toda, an older family friend of the Sakanes. One day, a wedding is held at Tanforan, with all the prisoners invited to attend the festivities. The newlyweds cannot leave the camp, but they are allowed to drive around the perimeter a few times before being taken to a newly converted stall that will be their apartment.

Non-Japanese friends come to visit the Sakanes, as well as some university friends who have come to see Ken. After their visit, Ken is in a bad mood, eventually confessing that he has been accepted to a school away from the West Coast where he would not have to be in an internment camp. However, he feels that he must stay with his family until they have news from their father.



Yuki begins to attend school in the camp, but outside of school hours, she is often bored. One day, she learns that the detainees at Tanforan will be moved to new internment camps in Utah or Idaho. Ken is even more upset by the news since it means he must delay his college plans further to help the family move.

The Sakanes are informed that they will move to a camp in Topaz, Utah, along with Emi’s family and Mr. Toda. On moving day, Yuki finds the conditions chaotic. She and her family have to go through many different inspections before they are finally allowed to board a bus to Topaz. The family travels for two days, during which time Emi becomes very ill. When they arrive in Topaz, the detainees are welcomed by a troop of local Boy Scouts.

The Sakanes’ apartment at Topaz is a new building, but it is only partially finished. The desert is hot and uncomfortable, but many of the detainees find it beautiful. However, the high temperatures cause Emi’s condition to worsen significantly. She is eventually diagnosed with tuberculosis and Yuki learns that the disease is potentially fatal.



Ken gets a job at the camp hospital which helps lift him out of his depression. He brings Yuki news about Emi whenever he can. Yuki becomes close with Mr. Kurihara, Emi’s grandfather, who is an avid collector of arrowheads and fossils that can be found on the ground in the camp. One day, while out fossil hunting, Mr. Kurihara is killed by a guard who thinks he is trying to escape.

Around Christmas, during their second year of internment, Mr. Sakane is allowed to join his family at Topaz. The family’s mood brightens considerably when he arrives. Shortly after that, the Army arrives to recruit young Japanese men from the camps. Most of the men are angry and refuse to enlist, but Ken decides to sign up for the Army. Some other internees also take jobs or educational opportunities outside of the internment zone.

Some agitators in the camp are angry with the Sakane family because of how closely Mr. Sakane and Ken worked with the camp administrators. Mr. Sakane fears retaliation and the camp administration agrees. They arrange for him to take a job in Salt Lake City, so the Sakane family is finally allowed to leave the camp.