For the first time, an accurate and comprehensive list of every person of Japanese ancestry incarcerated in the World War II camps will be compiled in a book called the Ireichō. The idea of a book as a monument is inspired by the Japanese tradition of Kakochō (literally, “The Book of the Past”), a book of names typically placed on a Buddhist temple altar and brought out for memorial services when the names of those to be remembered are chanted.
Following a ceremonial installation on September 24, 2022 at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), the Ireichō monument will be on display at the museum for a year. The public is invited to view and acknowledge the names in the Ireichō by placing a Japanese hanko (stamp) underneath the name of each individual in the book. If the goal of honoring the 125,000+ names is not reached by the end of the year-long campaign, the Ireichō may be displayed at other locations until every single individual is acknowledged.