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Welcoming a New Chapter for Densho
Densho welcomes new team members, Lisa Doi and Jonathan van Harmelen, at a time of growth and transition for the organization. Densho Executive Director Naomi Ostwald Kawamura reflects on Densho’s…
Densho’s Plan to Protect At-Risk Records in National Archives Facilities
Since the publication of our article, Densho Opposes Plans to Close National Archives Facilities in Chicago and San Bruno, there has been significant community and legislative action taken to stop…
Exploring Seattle’s Prewar Japanese American Community through Densho’s Digital Archives
The Densho Digital Repository contains many images of prewar Japanese American communities, including those of thriving Nihonmachi along the West Coast. Densho Processing Archivist Dina Moreno curates a collection of…
Densho responds to racist logic of incarcerating Chinese Americans
Densho unequivocally condemns recent statements made on the podcast Timcast IRL suggesting that Chinese Americans should be incarcerated in the event of a war between China and the U.S. On…
Educator Spotlight: James Lemuel
In a conversation with Densho Education and Public Programs Manager Courtney Wai, James Yudhistira Lemuel describes how and why he contributed to the development of the Densho Education Framework —…
2026 Jerome Rohwer Pilgrimage: Photo Essay and Reflections
Densho staff members, Caitlin Oiye Coon and Jennifer Noji, were honored to attend, present, and conduct interviews at the 2026 Jerome Rohwer Pilgrimage in Little Rock, AR, earlier this summer….
Densho Opposes Plans to Close National Archives Facilities in Chicago and San Bruno
— Densho opposes the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA’s) announced plans to close its facilities in Chicago, IL, and San Bruno, CA. The closures would threaten regional access to…
Densho’s 2026 Children’s Book Review Roundup
This summer, Densho staff reviewed children’s and young adult books about Japanese American incarceration, evaluating each book for both historical accuracy and an anti-bias lens. These reviews are intended to help…
A Conversation with Content Director Brian Niiya: A life in service to community history
This fall, one of Densho’s longest serving staff members, and one of the most trusted voices and sources of Japanese American history, will be retiring from his position as Content…
Nikkei Art in Transnational Perspective
In this collaborative reflection, four Nikkei researchers from the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Australia share insights from their ongoing project examining how contemporary Nikkei art and artists engage with…
Photo Essay: Densho’s Second Community Scanning Day held at KCLS’s Bellevue Library
Densho partnered with King County Library System’s Darcy Ruppert, Memory Lab Librarian, to host our second Community Scanning Day on May 9, 2026. In this post, Densho Processing Archivist Christen…
Acknowledging the Takahashi Foundation’s Contributions to our Community and History
Densho is honored to be among five Japanese American organizations selected to receive a major award from the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation, in recognition of our shared commitment…
Densho launches first-ever Public Index of Japanese American Collections to safeguard WWII incarceration history
Earlier this year, Densho launched the Public Index of Japanese American Collections—the first comprehensive, publicly accessible index of archival materials documenting the wartime incarceration and Japanese American history more broadly….
What Social Studies Standards Reveal About How and Why We Teach History
Densho Executive Director Naomi Ostwald Kawamura reflects on what it means to teach history responsibly, as debates over social studies standards—including recent proposed changes to Texas’s curriculum—reveal that how we…
Texas Students Deserve Honest History
In this conversation, Densho’s Senior Development and Communications Manager Jennifer Noji talks with Courtney Wai, Densho’s Education and Public Programs Manager, and Akeela Kongdara, Senior Programs Associate of Asian Texans…
Importance of Accessibility at Historic Sites
In this guest contribution, historian and PhD student Selena Moon explores the importance of accessibility at historic sites, highlighting how many sites have been and continue to be inaccessible. She…
Educator Spotlight: Satsuki Ina
Dr. Satsuki Ina is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in community trauma and author of The Poet and the Silk Girl (2024). She helps victims of oppression to claim not only…
Remembering Kyoko Nancy Oda and Her Life’s Work
We are heartbroken by the passing of Kyoko Nancy Oda, a giant in the Nikkei community and one of our oral history narrators. Born at Tule Lake in 1945 to…
An Archive of Fact and Fiction: A Review of Karen Tei Yamashita’s “Questions 27 & 28”
In this guest contribution, UCLA PhD Student Amber Hisatomi reviews Karen Tei Yamashita’s new novel, Questions 27 & 28. The book captures the movement and history of Japanese Americans from…
A Conversation with Founder Tom Ikeda: Personal Reflections on Densho’s Origins and Evolution
Tom Ikeda founded Densho in 1996 with a vision that was equal parts technological ambition and community commitment. Over more than two decades as executive director, he helped build the…
Intern Spotlight: The importance of Remembering Asian American History within Our U.S. History
Densho Public Engagement Intern Emma Lee reflects on how her time at Densho deepened her understanding of Asian American history, belonging, and the power of archival preservation to affirm that…
Exploring Tamiko Nimura’s New Book “A Place For What We Lose”
Tamiko Nimura’s new book A Place For What We Lose: A Daughter’s Return to Tule Lake braids her family history at Tule Lake with her own journey as a descendant….
Densho’s Listening Guide to “Burn Order”
This guide provides additional historical context for each episode of MS NOW’s podcast Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order. The guide highlights overlooked stories and details, addresses omissions and errors, and…
Miné Okubo’s Citizen 13660: Drawing as Documentation and Resistance
Decades before the modern graphic novel emerged as a popular genre, Miné Okubo’s Citizen 13660 used visual storytelling to document the trauma of WWII Japanese American incarceration. In this guest…