A serendipitous mission to restore a treasured Walnut Grove, Calif. bath house

WALNUT GROVE, Calif. — Back in the early 1900s, the small town of Walnut Grove, Calif., situated along the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, was a flourishing Japanese community. Often called the “Kawashimo” by Japanese immigrants, the town had several Japanese-owned shops, including the Kawamura Barber Shop, Ben’s Drugs, Hayashi Company and many others. Among the […]

Safekeeping ‘treasures’ and their stories for future generations

  “You can’t take it with you but you can leave it behind with meaning and purpose,” Rosalyn Tonai told a room of more than a dozen people gathered for the “Treasures Revealed” workshop on preserving artifacts from previous generations for the future. The event, held at the Japanese American Citizens League’s (JACL) national headquarters […]

Workshop on preserving artifacts from camp in SF’s Japantown March 5

The National Japanese American Historical Society, in association with the San Francisco chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), will hold a workshop on Saturday, March 5 on preserving both artifacts from the World War II incarceration camps and other treasured collectibles. “Treasures Revealed,” will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the […]

American River Conservancy acquires Wakamatsu Colony site

COLOMA, Calif. — The American River Conservancy (ARC) on Nov. 1 purchased the 272 acre Gold Hill Ranch, site of the historic Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony, located a mile south of Coloma and the Marshall Gold State Historic Park. This ranch is described as “an interesting mosaic of springs, streams, wetlands, blue and live […]

Leaders to discuss community revitalization on Sept. 18, in SF’s J-Town

San Francisco’s Japantown, as with numerous Nikkei communities, has faced more than a few challenges in recent years. The 2006 purchase of the Kintetsu and Miyako malls by Beverly Hills-based 3D Investments and the closure of the beloved Japantown Bowl a few years prior, are just two events that have caused a community outcry. These […]

National Gathering looks at preserving APIA historic sites

A historic gathering, rooted in preserving Asian Pacific Islander American historical sites, was held in San Francisco’s Japantown on June 24-26. Dozens of people from across the country — many already deeply involved in preservation work — assembled to learn more about how they can work collaboratively in such efforts at the first-ever National Asian […]

NPS awards $2.9 million in grants to preserve confinement sites

WASHINGTON — The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded 23 grants totaling $2.9 million to help preserve and interpret historic locations where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. In the program’s second year, the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grants will help fund projects in a dozen states, including the restoration of a historic […]