Richard Douglas Nakata died on October 16, 2023 from complications from liver cancer at St. Michael’s Hospital. He was 70 years old and lived on Bainbridge Island for the majority of his life. He was born on April 4, 1953 at Doctor’s Hospital in Seattle to Gerald and Sueko Nakata. He grew up on 20th and Marion in the Central District and attended TT Minor Elementary School. The family moved to Bainbridge Island in August 1961, where he attended McDonald School, Commodore Junior High, and Bainbridge High School. After graduating in 1971, Rick attended Olympic Junior College and played baseball ..read more

It is with great sadness that the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community says ‘goodbye’ to Jonathan “Jon” Mark Kodama. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his mother, Lilly Kodama, and the rest of the Kodama family.   ~BIJAC On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Jonathan ‘Jon’ Mark Kodama passed away at home in Lynnwood, WA, after defying odds and living with cancer for 10 years. He was born in Seattle, WA to Mitsuhiro and Lilly Kodama on November 30, 1957. He attended Renton High School and Whitman College, and received an architectural degree from the University of Washington. He pr ..read more

In Conjunction with the 10 Year Anniversary, the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) is Launching a National Campaign to Honor Nisei Veterans of the Military Intelligence Service OCTOBER 1, 2023 DEADLINE MIS Families are urged to submit photos of their veterans to help fill a missing chapter in WWII history NJAHS seeks your help in honoring the 13,000 MIS service members and their affiliates whose covert intelligence work and operations helped speed the end of World War II and the advancement of a democratic government in post-war Japan. PHOTO SUBMISSION In recognition of the ..read more

The Los Angeles Times recently featured this front page article recounting the experience of the Japanese Americans who were first relocated to the horse stables of Santa Anita Park on April 29th, 1942, prior to being moved to their final incarceration site at Heart Mountain, WY. From Santa Anita in Southern California, to the Tanforan Assembly Center in the San Francisco Bay Area, to the Puyallup Fairgrounds in Washington State, many Japanese Americans were temporarily housed in horse stalls as the government’s incarceration sites were still being constructed. In that regard, Bainbridge Islan ..read more

A Tribute to Sharon Harris Sharon Nobue Harris passed away December 30, 2022. She leaves behind her husband Dave, son Cory (Karen), daughter Shannon (Tal Goettling), granddaughter Hailey, sister Joyce Hamamura (Susan Davis), aunt May Terayama, many cousins, friends and her lap-warming kitty, Missy. She was born on September 30, 1944 in Hunt, Idaho. Her parents Mac (Minoru) and Rits(uko) Hamamura and extended family were interned at the time in the Minidoka War Relocation Center. They were among some 9,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned in that facility from 1942-1945. After the camp closed, the ..read more

It is with great sadness that the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community says ‘goodbye’ to Jonathan “Jon” Mark Kodama. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his mother, Lilly Kodama, and the rest of the Kodama family.   ~BIJAC On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Jonathan ‘Jon’ Mark Kodama passed away at home in Lynnwood, WA, after defying odds and living with cancer for 10 years. He was born in Seattle, WA to Mitsuhiro and Lilly Kodama on November 30, 1957. He attended Renton High School and Whitman College, and received an architectural degree from the University of Washington. He pr ..read more

Yosh Suyematsu of Ontario, OR passed away peacefully on March 14, 2023. Please join the Suyematsu family in remembrance and honor of his 95 years of life. The post In Memory of Yoshimitsu Suyematsu appeared first on BIJAC ..read more

To BIJAC friends, We are deeply saddened to announce the May 21 passing of Peg Chapman, founding office manager of Sonoji Sakai Intermediate School from 1999-2015. Peg played an enormous part in establishing the warm & welcoming school climate at Sakai. She was proud of our connection to the Bainbridge Island Japanese Community and the Sakai family. Peg was an artist and woodcarving was a special passion. Peg used Peruvian walnut and maple to created this carving of the Sakai family mon, which proudly hangs in Sakai’s office. Paintings honoring the life of Fumiko Hayashida were donated by ..read more

Tune in to the new "beyond generations" podcast Podcast "beyond generations" focuses on the Japanese American Incarceration during WWII. This four-episode podcast mini-series is produced and hosted by Monica, an international student from Japan living in Seattle. Her goal is to educate people about the incarceration and motivate them to take action so that it will never happen again. The project began as her class project at the University of Washington and  has introduced her to the incarceration story in the Seattle area. In this podcast, you will hear guests discuss what the Japa ..read more

U.S. Representative Kilmer attends budget hearing – Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, & National Park Service on March 29, 2023. He speaks at 42:20. The future of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial rests, in part, with the fortunes of its partnership with the National Park Service and its funding through the U.S. Department of the Interior. In addition to benefiting from the NPS’ technical expertise in the development of educational and interpretive programs, the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association (BIJAEMA ..read more