Saturdays, February - March
11:30 AM - 1 PM
Begins at Wing Luke Museum
Approximately 1 mile of walking distance

In the early 1900s, Seattle’s Japantown — Nihonmachi — stretched from 4th Avenue South to 23rd Avenue South, a bustling enclave of family homes and independently owned shops, grocery stores, and entertainment venues. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor came Executive Order 9066 in 1942, which forced all persons of Japanese ancestry into concentration camps – Nihonmachi never fully recovered. This walking tour takes visitors through the past and present Japantown/Nihonmachi.

Freshman applications must be submitted directly by the applicant to National JACL through the online form no later than Monday, March 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (HST).  

Applications for the non-freshman scholarship categories (undergraduate, graduate, law, creative/performing arts, and financial aid) are also to be sent directly by the applicant to National JACL through the online form no later than Friday, April 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (HST).  

All those applying to the National JACL Scholarship Program must be a youth/student or individual member of the JACL; a couple/family membership held by a parent does NOT meet this requirement. Applicants must be enrolled in school in Fall 2025 to be eligible for a scholarship. If a student has received two National scholarship awards previously, they are no longer eligible to apply, as the limit is two national awards per person.

WELCOME TO THE 15TH ANNUAL FILMS OF REMEMBRANCE

Films of Remembrance, presented by the Nichi Bei Foundation, is the premier showcase of films commemorating the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans in American concentration camps during World War II.

The Gardena screening of the 2026 Films of Remembrance will be held on Sunday, March 29 at the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute in Gardena, Calif. All-Day Passes, which provide discounted access to all the programs per venue, are also available. 

For more information about the films and programs, including descriptions and trailers, go to the Screening Schedule page and review the detailed schedule and film guide.

Please save the date for our
2026 Minoru Yasui Day.

The year 2026 marks two significant milestones: the 10th anniversary of Oregon’s designation in perpetuity of March 28 as Minoru Yasui Day, honoring the day Minoru Yasui courageously stood against unjust government orders and the legacy of Oregon’s only Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, rooted in the principle of no kings and the belief that power belongs to the people.

Together, we will honor these anniversaries and explore contested narratives in history, education, and politics — standing with the voices of the past and present as we recommit to preserving democracy, freedom, civil rights, civil liberties, and justice for all.

WELCOME TO THE 15TH ANNUAL FILMS OF REMEMBRANCE

Films of Remembrance, presented by the Nichi Bei Foundation, is the premier showcase of films commemorating the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans in American concentration camps during World War II.

The Los Angeles screening of the 2026 Films of Remembrance will be held on Saturday, March 28 at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum (Japanese American National Museum) in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo. All-Day Passes, which provide discounted access to all the programs per venue, are also available. 

For more information about the films and programs, including descriptions and trailers, go to the Screening Schedule page and review the detailed schedule and film guide.

28th Annual Freedom Walk

Saturday, March 28, 2026

Check-in: 9:00 AM | Opening Ceremony: 10:00 AM

National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Washington, DC

Keynote Speaker: Tak Furumoto, Vietnam Veteran

SPONSORS: National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, Japanese American Veterans Association, DC Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League & Ekoji Buddhist Temple

RSVP using this link by 11:59pm March 3rd: https://bit.ly/IntergenConvosRSVP

Intergenerational Conversations: Ripples of the Past is a JACL Chicago and Nikkei Uprising program that brings Chicago-area Nikkei (people of Japanese ancestry) together to connect and process the trauma of WWII forced displacement and incarceration through personal story sharing. It was created to address the community’s need for spaces to reflect on, and heal from, the generational impact of mass incarceration. We are also looking for facilitators to help us lead small groups. Facilitators are required to attend one training and will receive a small stipend. If you are interested in facilitating, please fill out this form:  https://bit.ly/IntergenConvoFacilitate 

Saturdays, February - March
11:30 AM - 1 PM
Begins at Wing Luke Museum
Approximately 1 mile of walking distance

In the early 1900s, Seattle’s Japantown — Nihonmachi — stretched from 4th Avenue South to 23rd Avenue South, a bustling enclave of family homes and independently owned shops, grocery stores, and entertainment venues. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor came Executive Order 9066 in 1942, which forced all persons of Japanese ancestry into concentration camps – Nihonmachi never fully recovered. This walking tour takes visitors through the past and present Japantown/Nihonmachi.

Saturdays, February - March
11:30 AM - 1 PM
Begins at Wing Luke Museum
Approximately 1 mile of walking distance

In the early 1900s, Seattle’s Japantown — Nihonmachi — stretched from 4th Avenue South to 23rd Avenue South, a bustling enclave of family homes and independently owned shops, grocery stores, and entertainment venues. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor came Executive Order 9066 in 1942, which forced all persons of Japanese ancestry into concentration camps – Nihonmachi never fully recovered. This walking tour takes visitors through the past and present Japantown/Nihonmachi.

Learn about Friends of Minidoka’s new publication, Education and Freedom at Minidoka: The Diary of Superintendent Arthur Kleinkopf. Published for the first time in its entirety, Education and Freedom at Minidoka presents a rare firsthand account of life at the Minidoka War Relocation Center. Writing as the Supervisor of Student Teachers and Superintendent of Education, Kleinkopf documents the daily realities, contradictions, and moral tensions of working inside a World War II concentration camp. 

Education and Freedom at Minidoka is part of FoM’s project Minidoka Memories: Stories that Connect and Heal which will collect oral histories from the Idaho community with ties to the historic Minidoka War Relocation Center and the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.

A pre-event reception will begin at 5 pm.

Copies of Education and Freedom at Minidoka will be available for purchase.

This project is supported by Idaho Humanities Council, Jones Family Fund of the National Philanthropic Trust, Duane Minoru Yamamoto Memorial Fund with Friends of Minidoka, and Minidoka National Historic Site.  In partnership with Twin Falls Public Library and Boise State University Albertsons Library Special Archives.

Freshman applications must be submitted directly by the applicant to National JACL through the online form no later than Monday, March 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (HST).  

Applications for the non-freshman scholarship categories (undergraduate, graduate, law, creative/performing arts, and financial aid) are also to be sent directly by the applicant to National JACL through the online form no later than Friday, April 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (HST).  

All those applying to the National JACL Scholarship Program must be a youth/student or individual member of the JACL; a couple/family membership held by a parent does NOT meet this requirement. Applicants must be enrolled in school in Fall 2025 to be eligible for a scholarship. If a student has received two National scholarship awards previously, they are no longer eligible to apply, as the limit is two national awards per person.

In commemoration of Day of Remembrance 2026, join us for a reading and discussion with David Neiwert, journalist and author of the book Strawberry Days: How Internment Destroyed a Japanese American Community. 

David Neiwert's Strawberry Days shares local knowledge about the creation and WWII-era eradication of Bellevue's once-vibrant Japanese American community. With compelling storytelling, firsthand interviews, and analysis of previously suppressed documents, Neiwert vividly presents the history of our Eastside community and the racist schemes that prevented families from returning or reclaiming their land after being wrongfully incarcerated by our government. Strawberry Days invites us to think about the kind of community we want to belong to, and ways to help ensure it is a place where all of us are respected.

GVJCI DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: Then and Now: From WWII Incarceration to Today's ICE Raids - Justice Demands Our Voice
SAT, FEB 28, 2-4PM
GVJCI Main Hall

GVJCI will hold its annual Day of Remembrance event in commemoration of the forced removal and incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans during WWII.  DOR commemorates the signing of Executive Order 9066, which caused the mass removal and imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II. 

This year’s program will feature the film Betrayed: Surviving an American Concentration Camp, followed by a panel discussion which contextualizes the historical events and examines the parallels with present day events involving ICE raids on immigrant communities.

This program is free to attend. RSVP not required.  For more  information, please visit the GVJCI website. 

Call for Participants In-person KAKEHASHI alumni event
We are pleased to announce our in-person event in Los Angeles! Join us on Saturday, February 28th to interact with other alumni members for networking. You will be invited to Japan House Los Angeles.

Registration is required and the spots are limited. Every alumnus/alumna is welcome!
* Please note that travel expenses to the venue will not be covered by us.

In-person KAKEHASHI alumni event
Time | Saturday, February 28th. 2pm-4pm (Doors open approximately 15-30 minutes prior)
Venue | Japan House Los Angeles, USA (Hollywood & Highland 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, 2F and 5F Los Angeles, CA)
Parking | Parking is NOT available on the premises. We recommend you use public transportation or rideshare.
Fee | Free
Language | English
Program | Icebreaker Session, Presentations from alumni representatives, and Networking (TBD)

*Please make sure that you can receive emails from JICE (@jice.org)
**Please register by Sunday, February 15th. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.

Saturdays, February - March
11:30 AM - 1 PM
Begins at Wing Luke Museum
Approximately 1 mile of walking distance

In the early 1900s, Seattle’s Japantown — Nihonmachi — stretched from 4th Avenue South to 23rd Avenue South, a bustling enclave of family homes and independently owned shops, grocery stores, and entertainment venues. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor came Executive Order 9066 in 1942, which forced all persons of Japanese ancestry into concentration camps – Nihonmachi never fully recovered. This walking tour takes visitors through the past and present Japantown/Nihonmachi.

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts in honored to collaborate with the Japanese American Citizens League’s Mt. Olympus Chapter, and Plan-B Theatre, to commemorate Day of Remembrance, which recognizes the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. This order led to the unjust mass incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. The day serves as a remembrance of this historical injustice and acts as a call to action to protect civil liberties today. 

Gather in the Dumke Auditorium at the UMFA for a reading of Plan-B Theatre’s KILO-WAT by Aaron Asano Swenson, (featuring Bryan Kido from the 2025 production), followed by a post-performance discussion featuring Hank Misaka & Nancy Umemura, the children of the central figure in KILO-WAT, Wat Misaka. Following the event, attendees are encouraged to explore the UMFA galleries and enjoy the art on view.  This event is free, and all are welcome to attend.

Learn about Friends of Minidoka’s new publication, Education and Freedom at Minidoka: The Diary of Superintendent Arthur Kleinkopf. Published for the first time in its entirety, Education and Freedom at Minidoka presents a rare firsthand account of life at the Minidoka War Relocation Center. Writing as the Supervisor of Student Teachers and Superintendent of Education, Kleinkopf documents the daily realities, contradictions, and moral tensions of working inside a World War II concentration camp. 

Education and Freedom at Minidoka is part of FoM’s project Minidoka Memories: Stories that Connect and Heal which will collect oral histories from the Idaho community with ties to the historic Minidoka War Relocation Center and the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.

A pre-event reception will begin at 5 pm.

Copies of Education and Freedom at Minidoka will be available for purchase.

This project is supported by Idaho Humanities Council, Jones Family Fund of the National Philanthropic Trust, Duane Minoru Yamamoto Memorial Fund with Friends of Minidoka, and Minidoka National Historic Site.  In partnership with Twin Falls Public Library and Boise State University Albertsons Library Special Archives.

Asian America Across the Disciplines Series and the JACL Philadelphia presents Mas Nakawatase, Japanese American civil rights organizer, educator, and advocate for peace and justice.

Hosted by ASAM Lecturer Rob Buscher in his course Asian American Activism.

Mas Nakawatase was born in one of the ten War Relocation Authority concentration camps where the US government detained people of Japanese descent during World War II. He grew up in Seabrook, New Jersey among many families who had been detained. In the mid-1960s, Mas had a formative political experience working in Atlanta for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. 

Mas returned to rural South Jersey as a community organizer with American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), which launched his 31-year career at AFSC. His work there focused on supporting Native peoples and advancing Asian American voices and priorities. Within AFSC, Mas helped establish a caucus for staff of color and supported a successful unionization campaign. 

Mas has served on the board of Asian Americans United since 2002 and served on the board of Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School for twelve years. Since 2010, he has chaired the Racial and Social Justice Committee of Germantown Friends Meeting. In 2021, Mas began serving on the board of Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center. Recipient of the Paul Robeson Lifetime Achievement Award 2024.

Please RSVP in advance here!

Join us for a public vigil of prayer, singing, and testimony in remembrance of the incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry 80+ years ago and to stand in solidarity with the immigrants and asylum seekers who are being targeted for violence, brutality, and persecution by ICE today. We pray for sacred protection for all our communities.

This event will be held on February 25, from 11 - 12:30, in front of the ICE office in San Francisco.

Learn about Friends of Minidoka’s new publication, Education and Freedom at Minidoka: The Diary of Superintendent Arthur Kleinkopf. Published for the first time in its entirety, Education and Freedom at Minidoka presents a rare firsthand account of life at the Minidoka War Relocation Center. Writing as the Supervisor of Student Teachers and Superintendent of Education, Kleinkopf documents the daily realities, contradictions, and moral tensions of working inside a World War II concentration camp. 

Education and Freedom at Minidoka is part of FoM’s project Minidoka Memories: Stories that Connect and Heal which will collect oral histories from the Idaho community with ties to the historic Minidoka War Relocation Center and the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.

A pre-event reception will begin at 5 pm.

Copies of Education and Freedom at Minidoka will be available for purchase.

This project is supported by Idaho Humanities Council, Jones Family Fund of the National Philanthropic Trust, Duane Minoru Yamamoto Memorial Fund with Friends of Minidoka, and Minidoka National Historic Site.  In partnership with Twin Falls Public Library and Boise State University Albertsons Library Special Archives.

Salt Lake JACL presents an Advanced Origami Workshop with artist Judy Iwamoto. Part of the 2026 Traditional Japanese Arts & Culture Workshops, sponsored by the Salt Lake City Arts Council.

Space is limited, so you must RSVP

Salt Lake JACL members get priority registration and free entry

Please join Oregon Tsuru for Solidarity and the Portland Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) on Sunday, February 22, 2026 for a Day of Remembrance Rally to Resist ICE. The Day of Remembrance marks President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942 which authorized the U.S. military to forcibly remove and incarcerate 125,000+ immigrants and U.S. citizens of Japanese descent during World War II.

As Japanese Americans, we understand the immediate and long lasting impacts of family separation and mass incarceration inflicted by the U.S. government. Right now, as ICE terrorizes our immigrant neighbors, it is more important than ever that we stand up and speak out to call for the end of ICE detention and deportations. We aim to be the allies that we did not have in 1942, and we will not stand idly by while immigrants are once again targeted.

We will gather at Elizabeth Caruthers Park at 2:00pm for a rally featuring Portland Taiko, a candlelight ceremony, and speakers including Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, Together Lab, and survivors and descendants of WWII incarceration. We will then walk four blocks to the Portland ICE facility (4310 S Macadam Ave), where we will hold a peaceful vigil.

Join Friends of Mukai Farm & Garden and the Vashon Library for a community Day of Remembrance inspired by former  Vashon resident Mary Matsuda Gruenewald’s powerful memoir Looking Like the Enemy, reflecting on the Japanese American incarceration during World War II and its relevance today. The program will include an intergenerational book discussion and space for reflection for teens and adults. Family story time for young children will start at 1pm.

Event schedule:

• 1pm – Storytime for children and families

• 2pm – Day of Remembrance reflection facilitated by Jade Agua, Friends of Mukai Executive Director

• 3pm – Intergenerational Book Discussion recommended for grades 6-12 and adults.

Some copies of Looking Like the Enemy and Looking Like the Enemy: Young Readers Edition (middle school and older) are available at the Vashon Library and Mukai Farm & Garden.

This program is a partnership between the Friends of Mukai Farm & Garden and the Vashon Library.

Registration not required.