Discover the History ofWWII Incarceration
120,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. Learn about this unprecedented denial of civil liberties and why it still matters today.
Explore Personal Stories
Learn about Japanese American history and the legacy of WWII incarceration by exploring personal stories from those who lived through it.
Promote Equity Today
History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Join us in putting the lessons of Japanese American WWII incarceration into action today.
Densho Catalyst: History, Essays, & Opinion
Dive into hidden histories and learn why these stories matter today with the latest essays and opinions from Densho and other community voices.
Protecting Archival Materials from Fires, Floods and Other Disasters
After helping our neighbors at the Seattle Betsuin salvage archival materials damaged in a fire, Densho Archivist Micah Merryman took steps to level up Densho’s disaster preparedness and protect the...
A Healing Journey to Tule Lake — and the Hidden Family History Uncovered Along the Way
Densho staff were honored to attend last month’s Tule Lake Pilgrimage, joining nearly 400 fellow pilgrims in returning to this important WWII incarceration site to remember its history and reflect...
Remembering the Lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Earlier this month, we gathered at Seattle’s Green Lake for a solemn and deeply meaningful commemoration of the events of August 6 and 9, 1945, when the cities of Hiroshima...Upcoming Events
Unearthing History
Join Densho for our 2024 Virtual Fundraiser! Tune in on October 10th from 5:30 – 7:00 PM PT for an evening of dialogue, shared learning, and reflection as we dig deeper into our history and continue planting the seeds for a lasting legacy.
You’re invited to listen in as we are joined by honored guests Frank Abe, Floyd Cheung, and Andrew Leong. Each of them offer unique insights into some of the lesser known stories they’ve brought to light through the process of translating, compiling and editing their new anthology, The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration. This powerful anthology serves as a grounding reminder there are still aspects of this history we’ve yet to unearth.
At Densho, we have always believed that it is critical for us to look back at our history and uplift lessons from the incarceration history that guide our path forward as we navigate the challenges of today. We will hear from our current Executive Director Naomi Ostwald Kawamura and our founding Executive Director Tom Ikeda as they share their reflections on the past, present, and future of Densho.
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Campu: A Podcast
Campu weaves together the voices of survivors to spin narratives out of the seemingly mundane things that gave shape to the incarceration experience: rocks, fences, food, paper. Follow along as hosts Hana and Noah Maruyama move far beyond the standard Japanese American incarceration 101 and into more intimate and lesser-known corners of this history.
Encyclopedia
Thousands of articles about the history of the Japanese American WWII exclusion and incarceration experience. Here are a few to get you started:
Documentary films/videos on incarceration
The following is an attempt at a comprehensive listing of documentary films/videos that include a significant treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II, broken up into several broad categories.
Scene (magazine)
Japanese American pictorial monthly magazine that ran from 1949 to 1955. Largely produced by and for Nisei, Scene magazine highlighted "successful" Japanese Americans as well as Japanese culture.
Owens Valley (detention facility)
The Owens Valley Reception Center—later the Manzanar Reception Center—was the first of the WCCA -administered short-term detention camps to open when the first "volunteers" from the Los Angeles area arrived on March 21, 1942.