January 5, 2026
As Densho marks its 30th anniversary, Executive Director Naomi Ostwald Kawamura reflects on the organization’s past, present, and future, honoring the community that built Densho and addressing the urgent work of protecting our shared memory in an increasingly divided moment.
This year, Densho turns 30.
What began as a small grassroots project to preserve stories of the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans has become an important digital archive relied upon by students, educators, artists, journalists, and community members across the country. Today, Densho is home to the largest oral history collection on this history, alongside more than 140,000 digitized historic photographs and documents, as well as the Densho Encyclopedia—a widely recognized and trusted resource on the history of Japanese American incarceration.
This milestone arrives at a time when history is increasingly contested, when we are seeing deliberate efforts to distort the past. In a world marked by instability and uncertainty, the responsibility to preserve memory with care, clarity, and integrity feels especially urgent.
Anniversaries matter. They become symbolic touchpoints in time, a moment when we can pause to remember, reflect, and reimagine. They also give us an opportunity to honor legacy, take stock of where we are, and ask hard questions about where we are headed. At 30, we are asking: how are memories passed down or lost between generations? What do we want the next generation to remember? What stories will Densho need to preserve over the next 30 years?
To answer these questions, we will be launching new initiatives to safeguard access, expand the narratives we tell, and ensure that this history is taught, remembered, and passed on.
This year also marks the 250th anniversary of the United States. At Densho, we believe the history of Japanese American incarceration is essential to understanding the nation we have been and the one we hope to become.
As we mark 30 years, we will launch a series of anniversary initiatives that invite reflection, celebration, and action. We will highlight 30 stories from our oral history collection—stories that offer insight, challenge, and inspiration. We will engage with educators, artists, students, and community members to explore how memory lives on across generations. And we will continue building digital platforms that safeguard access to this history for the next 30 years and beyond.
To everyone who has supported Densho, especially in moments when this work feels difficult: thank you. Your belief in this work is what makes this possible. Here’s to a year of reflection, recommitment, and imagination as we step into Densho’s next thirty years.
— Naomi Ostwald Kawamura, Densho Executive Director
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Written by Densho Executive Director Naomi Ostwald Kawamura.