There’s no such thing as a bad day when you’re fishing. Even when you’re incarcerated.
March 30, 2012: The Manzanar Fishing Club premiered.
During World War II, thousands of Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and imprisoned in concentration camps across the U.S. One of those camps was Manzanar — a remote, windswept stretch of desert at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
But behind the barbed wire and under the watch of armed guards, a quiet act of rebellion unfolded.
Photo by Eliot Elisofon
The first group of Japanese-Americans arrive at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, one of ten major incarceration camps during WWII, 1942
AP Photo
An American soldier guarding the Manzanar camp, where more than 11,000 people were imprisoned. By definition, it was a “concentration camp.” May 23, 1943
Courtesy of Danny Hashimoto
Tadao Kobata at the Williamson Basin, near Manzanar. He crossed to the other side of Mt. Williamson, the second-highest mountain in the Sierra Nevada, in search of trout.
Courtesy of Danny Hashimoto
Archie Miyatake at Symmes Creek, near Manzanar. The son of photographer Toyo Miyatake, he was among those who slipped out at night to fish.
When in Doubt, Fish
Some of the incarcerated Japanese Americans at Manzanar risked everything for a few hours of peace. In the dark of night, they slipped past the perimeter, fishing poles in hand, and made their way toward the icy streams of the Eastern Sierra.
They escaped the camp. But only for a few hours at a time.
Fishing gave them a small piece of freedom. A return to normalcy. A way to hold onto their dignity when the world had taken so much from them.
A Story Finally Told
On March 30, 2012, The Manzanar Fishing Club, a documentary directed by Cory Shiozaki, brought this largely unknown chapter of history to light.
More than just a story about fishing, the film chronicles the resilience of the human spirit. Through firsthand accounts, it tells of those who defied unjust confinement not with violence or protests, but with bait, tackle, and quiet determination.
The documentary shifts the focus away from the fences and guard towers, and toward the values that endured despite them: courage, independence, and the will to live freely, even if only for a few hours at a time.
The cover of The Manzanar Fishing Club (2012), a documentary by director Cory Shiozaki which tells the story of freedom, human spirit, and love of fishing.
Cory Shiozaki and Richard Imamura receive a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for their work on “The Manzanar Fishing Club.”
Photo by Toyo Miyatake
At 53, Heihachi “Joe” Ishikawa left Manzanar and spent two weeks fishing at elevations over 8,000 feet. He returned with a string of 20- to 22-inch golden trout.
A Different Kind of Resistance
This was an incredibly human story. Just ordinary Americans trying to do something ordinary: fishing.
And in that ordinariness was defiance.
Even in the most dehumanizing conditions, people still found ways to feel free. Still found joy. Still cast their lines into the rushing water and reclaimed a part of themselves.
This was the untold story of those who refused to knuckle under. The government tried to confine them, but couldn’t confine their spirit.
My is Cory Shiozaki, director/producer of the Manzanar Fishing Club documentary film. Thank you for creating your post on the Manzanar Fishing Club. I am about to premiere my new companion piece documentary film: Little Guaule: The Lost Manzanar Rubber Project at the Gardena Cinema this coming May 31st, 2026 in celebration of Asian American Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. If you would like attend I be happy to send you more details…
Cory, it’s such an honor to hear from you here. Thank you again for continuing to bring these deeply human Manzanar stories to light.
I’m especially excited to see Little Guayule and grateful for the invitation to the May 31 Gardena Cinema premiere. Looking forward to supporting and sharing this next chapter as well!
-Phil