The Heart Mountain Bungei is a Japanese-language magazine that was published by the Japanese Americans confined at the Heart Mountain camp during WWII. Bungei (pronounced boon-gay; 文藝 or 文芸 in Japanese) roughly translates to “arts and literature.” The magazine featured poetry, zuihitsu (short essays), and short stories.
This valuable booklet was donated by Keiko Nakanishi, daughter of Yasuko Nakanishi, author of “Longing for the Motherland,” a book of oral histories of Japanese Americans living in New York. Keiko Nakanishi has been a longtime volunteer for Keirokai for the Japanese American Association of New York.