Historical Journey
Discover the rich history of the Japanese Americans of Washington State.
Sharing and preserving Japanese American history and culture in Seattle’s International District where Japantown once thrived.
The Japanese American Museum of Washington will start its journey out of the Nippon Kan Theatre building located in Seattle's International District.
The Nippon Kan Theatre is a significant historical landmark in Seattle where it served as a central social and cultural hub for the Japanese American community, hosting music, Japanese actors performances, and several community events.
The museum will be an invaluable resource for exploring Nikkei experiences and their role in Washington’s multicultural community.
Our exhibit space will highlight the Issei immigration to Washington State, starting their new lives in a new land building Nihonmachi (Japantown), Executive Order 9066,442nd Regimental Combat Team, the return to life in Washington after the war and the current contemporary lives of Japanese Americans in and from Washington State.
Discover the rich history of Japanese Americans from Washington State.
Sharing and preserving Japanese American history and culture in Seattle’s International District where Japantown once thrived.
The Japanese American Museum of Washington is dedicated to providing a comprehensive insight into the history and culture of Japanese Americans in Washington state.
Our mission is to promote awareness and understanding of the Japanese American community's contributions and experiences from the first Japanese immigrants that arrived in Washington to our current day Japanese Americans in Washington that continue to further our contributions in our communities and throughout the country.
Join us in preserving and sharing this rich heritage and providing the foundation for our future generations.
Seattle Nihonmachi
Interactive Exhibits
Educational Programs
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Tacoma Nihonmachi
Interactive Exhibits
Educational Programs
Yakima, WA
Interactive Exhibits
Educational Programs
There were approximately 99 pre-war Japanese farms in the Yakima Valley. In the city of Wapato, there was a Buddhist Church and a Methodist Church. There was also a Japanese school, a Kaikan Community Center and Gymnasium, three stores, a car repair, and three restaurants.
Pre-war, many Yakima Valley truck farmers came to Seattle to sell vegetables and fruits by driving the long route from Central Washington to Seattle. Then, the Yakima Japanese community was bustling with activity in the city of Yakima with sixteen hotels, three barbers, eight cafes and restaurants, three cigar stores, one dentist, one grocery, one insurance broker, three laundries, a pool hall, four produce stores, one radio company, a tea parlor, three stores and one apartment building.
“Land of Joy and Sorrow, The Japanese Experience in the Yakima Valley,” is a permanent exhibit, at the Yakima Valley Museum.
In 1942 Bainbridge Island, WA was home to approximately 250 Japanese Americans. On March 24, the West Coast commander Lt. General DeWitt, of the U.S. Army, issued Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1, ordering the evacuation of all Japanese Americans on the island. This first evacuation of Japanese Americans became a model for the evacuation of all Japanese Americans from the West Coast.
Bainbridge Island, WA
Interactive Exhibits
Educational Programs
Spokane, WA
Interactive Exhibits
Educational Programs
