From the Director: Tom Ikeda

I hope to see you on November 9th for the Fifth Annual Sushi & Sake Festival. This is Densho's only fundraising event of the year. The proceeds will help us capture compelling stories of the past that highlight the need to protect civil liberties today. For every 50 tickets sold, we are able bring one more video interview to life on our website. Please help us preserve Japanese American history by buying a ticket and telling your friends about this exciting event! See below for more information.

This month's multimedia feature article is in recognition of Veterans Day and explores the reasons why Japanese Americans volunteered for military service during World War II. Let us know how you are enjoying these articles and if there are future topics you would like us to address.

Finally, Densho's 2005 Annual Report is now available. To view Densho's donors, financials, and programs from 2005, click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

From the Archive

World War II Volunteers

"And finally in desperation, I decided that maybe if I did volunteer it might help my dad get released a little earlier" (Tosh Yasutake)

The nisei veterans have been called everything from heroes to cultural icons to saviors of the Japanese American community. Stories of the rescue of the "Lost Battalion" and the breaking of the Gothic Line are so harrowing and so poignant that it is easy to see why they hold an iconic status in our community. Yet, if we go back to 1943 - in the weeks following an announcement by the U.S. Government that opened the military to Japanese Americans - we see a group of individuals forced to make very human decisions under the most difficult of circumstances. Why these men decided to volunteer for the army, and the issues surrounding this decision, is the subject of this month's feature article. >> more

Densho Events

Sushi & Sake Festival: Buy Your Tickets Now

There are only a few days left to buy tickets for the Sushi & Sake Festival! This popular event will take place on Thursday, November 9, 2006 from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Seattle Westin Hotel. For the price of admission you can sample 20 different types of sushi, a premium range of sake and Japanese beer, and delicious appetizers and desserts. Also included is an incredible array of silent auction items such as weekend getaways, trips to Japan, wine, artwork, Seahawks tickets, and much more. Enjoy all of this while listening to live entertainment provided by the Deems Tsutakawa Trio. The cost is $75 per person. For more information or to order your tickets, go to www.densho.org/sushi.

Karen Ishizuka Book Event

Award-winning filmmaker Karen Ishizuka will visit Seattle on Saturday, December 2, 2006 at 2 pm at the Theater off Jackson to discuss her book, "Lost and Found: Reclaiming the Japanese American Incarceration." Joining Karen will be Professor Roger Daniels, a renowned historian and scholar of Asian American history. Professor Daniels, who wrote the book's foreword, will give introductory remarks.

This free event is co-hosted by Densho and the Japanese American National Museum. >> more

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer For Sushi & Sake Festival

Densho is looking for volunteers to assist with the 2006 Sushi & Sake Festival on November 9, 2006. A great opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at one of the most popular fall events in Seattle. Many different positions are available. Contact Naoko Magasis at naoko.magasis@densho.org for more information.