American story - it will never lose its significance," Maki says.

Matsuoka says there are stories out of the camp that need to be told more often than they are in his community.

"There's areas which they don't want to talk about," he says.

Even those more open to talking about their experiences than Nakamaru's grandfather fall silent on certain topics.

One of those topics is what at Manzanar was called the "Children's Village," a section at the back of the camp, towards the base of the mountains, the wilderness. This so-called village was populated with orphans.

War Relocation Authority staff went to orphanages across the state, Matsuoka explains, looking for children of any fraction of Japanese descent.

"They went through all orphanages in California looking for anyone with a trace of Japanese blood.of their ancestral homes and the deaths of relatives. But, it also marked the close of the war.

They share many things in common - both are artists. Matsuoka also reveals that he has a sister named Kyoko.

"This is beginning to get weird," he says.

"It's pretty amazing," she adds.

The road to Manzanar

The next day, Nakamaru sets out with Al Jazeera for Manzanar. She is tasked - if only jokingly - with finding the lost marbles.

"Still, 50 percent of the marbles are mine," Matsuoka says.

"All the marbles are yours," Nakamaru responds.

Matsuoka recounts his memories from the camp. For him, there are stories out of the camp that need to be told more often than they are, currently, in his community [Jessica Chou/Al Jazeera]

The road to Manzanar is flanked by picturesque