[krstfr]

My husband was adopted from Japan in 1971 from a home called Elizabeth Sanders. The address on the paper shows Nakagun Kanagawaken. I've done a lot of searches but can't seem to find anything about this place. If anyone has heard or knows anything about this place we would love to hear from you.

Thx!

[Stephilandia]

well Kanagawa-ken means Kanagawa prefecture (I lived there). A prefecture is like what we call a county. Naka-gun might be the specific town in the prefecture. Although I thought -shi meant city. I used to live in Zama-shi Kanagawa-ken. Gun can also refer to a miitary base, i think. But it would definitely be in Kanagawa prefecture. That should narrow it down some.

STephanie

[krstfr]

we think it may have been in or close to a military base because most of the babies that came from elizabeth saunders home's are amerasians. most of them were adopted by american couples. have you heard of the home though? we wanted to know if this e. saunders place still exists. there's no info at all. thx!

[Zombiemom]

I could not find any current information on this orphanage but it sounds like it was located near the naval base in Atsugi, Kanagawa prefecture Japan. If you had the exact address I could check on it for you. It might also be possible to get some information thru the Kanagawa prefectural office. There is a Japanese orphanage near the base now - perhaps it is the same one just renamed?

[lisa93]

did a quick search and this web page mentions the orphanage briefly, might help

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...ity/atsugi.htm

scroll about halfway down to december 1951

lisa x

[Gina K]

I tried searching the web for the Elizabeth Sanders Home in Japanese and came up with several hits, including contact information.

Elizabeth Sanders Home
1152 Ohiso, Ohiso-chyo
Naka-gun, Kanagawa-ken 255-0003
JAPAN

Tel: +81-463-61-0007
Fax: +81-463-61-7000

And, just for your information, the Emperor of Japan and the Crown Prince visited in November of last year! There also seems to be a Catholic school and some kind of musuem or memorial hall about Christianity on the same premises.

If I could be of any more help, just let me know!

[L.A.]

I visited the Elizabeth Saunders home several years ago when I was trying to get information for my sister-in-law. It is just a short train ride from Tokyo in the seaside town of Oiso. You may visit there but you should probably take someone who speaks Japanese. Unfortunately they couldn't help me much because Mrs. Miki Sawada, one of the founders of the orphanage kept alot of the adoption details in her head. She passed away in the early 1980s. Good luck.

[laborrnc]

Let me tell you how surprised/excited/amazed I was to see someone else who was adopted from the Elizabeth Saunders home. I was adopted in 1970 and would love to talk to your husband who was adopted.

[misaloren]

My father was from Miki Sawada's orphanage, born in 1947. She sent my father to the US when he was ready for college, but she passed away when I was three. She would be the only one who knew my father's past/information. I am interested in finding records of my father's American father but do not know where to search. I see that many of you are familiar with the Sawada(I remember hearing it called the "Elizabeth Saunders" home also) home. If anyone has any tips on where to begin my search, I would be most grateful. Maybe this kind of info is not available. My father is not much interested in finding info as I am. My father's name is Isao Nakagawa, born in 1947. I am curious to know medical histories of his parents. Any tips, or if anyone has any info regarding my father's childhood, would be much appreciated. Good luck to the rest of you. Thanks!

[OMJ]

I am in a ministry that visits the home every month. It is called Orphanage Ministry in Japan (OMJ. Just recently a woman who was adopted from the Elizabeth Saunders Home came to visit the orphanage. If you visit http://members.tripod.com/om_japan you will be able to get some info. I am the webmaster of the page so if you have any questions feel free to go to the comments section on the site.

[yuko232000]

Both my parents were raised in the Elizabeth Sanders Home in Ohiso in Japan, and we are even still in contact with the home and visited many time in the past. What kind of information are you looking for, maybe I can help with the location etc.

[fricknfrack28]

Hi,
I have no relation to anyone from the Elizabeth Saunders House, but I am actually writing my Senior Thesis paper for my history major on the Japanese-American (amerasian) children from World War 2 and am planning on focusing on the Elizabeth Saunders House and I came across this website and was pleased to see so many people with relatives from the House. I was wondering if anyone had any oral histories from their time there and memory of how they felt about the orphanage, the US, Japan and the military. If anyone is willing to help me with this it would be greatly appreciated, or if you could point me in the right direction i'd be very grateful. Than you all for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
Melissa

[hapa105]

Hello,

I am a graduate student doing research and oral histories about mixed race Japanese and American people who were in places like the Elizabeth Saunders Home. I'd love to hear from you or your families. These are the important life histories that have been left untold or even forgotten. I would be honored to talk with you. Please contact me at lywelty@umail.ucsb.edu.

Sincerely,
Lily

[samkoji]

Hello,

I came across this thread in researching Japanese adoptions and wanted to reply. I visited the Sanders Home about 10 years ago when I was teaching in Japan. Very wonderful people! It is in Oiso, a quaint oceanside town southwest of Tokyo, and you can see the ocean from the facility grounds. Though it was set up after WWII for mixed children of GIs and Japanese women, it seems that the makeup of the children these days are mixed Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, etc. Wonderful, beautiful children! Anyway, anyone interested in learning more can look for the book "The Least of These" by Elizabeth Anne Hemphill, published 1980 by Weatherhill Books. I'll also be happy to field any questions, if I know the answers!

Best of luck,

Sam Koji Hale