Ichiro Yamada

Ichiro, a 25-year-old Japanese-American man, is the main character in this novel. He has spent two years in a relocation camp and two more years in prison for refusing to join the army, and at the beginning of the book he is returning to his family’s home. Through much of the book, Ichiro is very angry and very confused about life. He is infuriated with his mother and has pity and contempt for his father. Most of all, he is ashamed of himself for having chosen not to be a “real American” and join the army, because in his mind he would have been rejecting everything his mother taught him if he were to do so.

Ichiro wonders if there is a place for him in American society, and if he will ever find happiness. He always struggles for understanding, and at times, he is able...