Japanese-American Journeys

5/8/2022

0 Comments

https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/80000/velka/japanese-waves-painting.jpg

Portland Japanese Garden
The beautiful Portland Japanese gardens are well worth the time to leisurely stroll and roll, but be aware: Portland Japanese Garden is on a steep hill. They offer a shuttle to get up to the plaza with indoor exhibits and entrance to the main outdoor gardens. I recommend a person in a wheelchair have some means of power--a helper or a motor--to get around the gardens. There will still be some areas not accessible with a wheelchair, nevertheless it's worth spending 2-3 hours or so in different seasons and events, especially if you are a lover of the arts.

Official website https://japanesegarden.org/
Everyone Needs a Japanese Garden 2.5 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxHE05lMDw8&ab_channel=PortlandJapaneseGarden
A Stroll Through Portland Japanese Garden with Garden Curator Sada Uchiyama 21 min videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1UdTvRWtqc&ab_channel=PortlandJapaneseGarden

Yashiro Japanese Garden, Olympia WA
Such a beautiful, peaceful enclave from the busy city! For more info and captioned photos, scroll down to the Yashiro garden under Olympia, at

https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/pnw-capitals-salem-olympia-boise

The Hikaru Mizu Japanese Garden in Ontario OR says it's the state's second largest Japanese garden, at 1.3 acres. It includes "a meditation garden, koi-fish pond, azumaya, and other traditional features," and it's a memorial to the internees and Japanese-American soldiers of WWII.
The Garden is part of the Four Rivers Cultural Center and Museum. The museum has some beautiful displays of Japanese culture and the Japanese-American experience, especially during WWII, some of whom worked the sugar beet fields of Malheur county. For more photos and info, see

Sequim WA
Carrie Blake Park includes a Friendship Garden celebrating the relationship between Sequim and its sister city Shiso City Japan, a name given to a group of 6 cities, including Yamasaki.
Yellow Pages online lists 2 Japanese restaurants in Sequim, one near Walmart, one near Home Depot. Pictured at left is another.

Fort Vancouver, Vancouver WA
An unobtrusive memorial to 3 Japanese who were shipwrecked in the 1830s and ended up at Fort Vancouver.

Tsuru Island Japanese Garden
Main City Park, Gresham OR
Free as far as I could see.
photos at left
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/

The Nissho Iwai Japanese Gardens are on Nike campus in Beaverton OR. After some frustration at being blocked at every entrance, we found the one with the security guard, who explained that only Nike employees could enter the campus. However a few photos have been posted at

https://homeandtravelcafe.com/nike-campus-garden-beaverton-oregon/

Choshi [Japanese] Garden
part of Mingus Park in Coos Bay OR
A small but pleasant place to visit, even in December--what must it be like in Spring!? Mingus Park has a fun duck pond, benches, paved trail around the pond beside hiking trails, picnic, playgrounds, and restrooms, as well as a pool; ballfield across the street. For more info and photos, scroll down at

https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/coos-bay-north-bend-charleston-or

Shore Acres State Park, near Coos Bay OR,
has a Japanese style garden, as well as rose gardens, rhododendron gardens, formal gardens . . . and wild beauty as well. We saw deer when we were there, it's on the coast with crashing waves, there's a whale watching pavillion, hikes, etc.
Brochure:

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&load=_siteFiles%2Fpublications%2F%2FShore_Acres_LOW_RES093138.pdf

Japanese-American Historical Plaza
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland OR
Try to catch the height of the cherry blossoms the end of March or so . . . and so will everyone else. It's a beautiful stroll along the Willamette River, as well as the monuments to Japanese-Americans. The Tom McCall Park has many family-oriented amenities (splash park, picnic tables, things to do and see...), as well as a nice long and wide paved path to "hike" or bike along the river with views of Portland. You can fish off the pavement. Restaurants & hotels close.
More info and photos at

Japanese American Museum of Oregon
After a long, long wait, my much anticipated journey to see the Japanese American Museum of Oregon was finally realized. They had been closed for COVID, but also moving to another building. The new building, on 4th and Flanders, is beautiful. The museum is on the ground floor, and apartments are above.
Reception and gift shop are one. It only costed $6 for a senior, and included a pen and "passbook" with a summary of the interesting life of Shiuko Sakai, a Japanese-American born in 1923, who has donated many of her paintings and photos to the museum.
"Grace, Grit, & Gaman [perseverance]" was the title of the exhibition about Japanese-American women and their experiences before and after the war, and through the years. Very interesting!
Much of the museum shows and tells of the WWII era, through displays, audio-visuals, and quite a lot of reading. Probably you need to go more than once to take it all in.
Their website includes a video of the virtual grand opening May 6, 2021.

http://www.oregonnikkei.org/

The complex feelings of Japanese who loved both Japan and America is told in the beautifully illustrated picture book Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say. It's easy to do a search and find several video readings of the story online.

Minidoka Internment Camp is mentioned at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon. It's about a half hour drive north of Twin Falls ID. Here is a

30 min video with personal stories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0xBBXSdONY&ab_channel=HarpersFerryCenterNPS
see also https://www.nps.gov/miin/index.htm
and http://www.minidoka.org/history-world-war-two-internment

Tacoma WA
Remembrance: The Legacy of Executive Order 9066 in Washington State, (permanent exhibit of Washington History Museum),
1911 Pacific Ave, Tacoma WA

Seattle WA
"Kobe Terrace is a public park in the International District neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It incorporates the Danny Woo International District Community Garden. Named after Kobe, Seattle's sister city in Japan, it occupies most of the land bounded on the west by 6th Avenue S., on the north by S. Washington Street, on the east by Interstate 5, and on the south by S. Main Street." Wikipedia
At the same end of Washington St is the Nippon Kan Theatre.
The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience includes some displays of the Japanese American experience.

Near Seattle is the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
http://bijaema.org/

South of Salem OR is the
Eugene Japanese American Memorial
http://eugenejam.weebly.com/

In many ways the experience of Japanese Americans must have been a juxtaposition of cultures such as is playfully depicted in “Flower Drum Song . . . the eighth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on the 1957 novel, The Flower Drum Song, by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee. It premiered on Broadway in 1958 and was then performed in the West End and on tour. It was adapted for a 1961 musical film,” [Wikipedia] except that many Americans held lingering vindictive attitudes because of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the late war with Japan--even though Japanese Americans had no part in the attack, were good citizens, and many joined the United States military and fought valiantly and loyally for their country: America.

Traveling Tastefully

Afuri Ramen & Dumplings, Japanese restaurant
SW 3rd & SW Ash, Portland OR
https://afuriramen.com/

Sarku Japan
Washington Square, Tigard OR

https://www.sarkujapan.com/menus/

Delicious, flavorful without being too intense.

Hot Pot 'N Sushi
Cascade Station shopping area, Portland OR
Now closed.

Kyoto Japanese Sushi & Steakhouse
Vancouver WA
http://www.kyotovancouver.com/
All good.

Makoto Japanese Buffet
Vancouver WA
https://www.makotojapanesebuffet.com/
Nice choices, a lot to try and enjoy.

Kim's Grill Teriyaki
Vancouver WA
https://www.facebook.com/Kims-Grill-Teriyaki-222603747764227/
I loved this. Half an order pictured below.

yummy yakitori from Kim's

Japanese art and literature

Hello Kitty inspired puppet

Spring Haiku
Plump Spring rain drops plop
On rich brown or green earth drop
Yellow daffodils up pop.
by ST

Japanese cooking

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/program/video/dwc/?type=tvEpisode&

Japanese Noodles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_noodles?fbclid=IwAR0WrrEow3p5-xtKt3rUMuMOCE0MdhDdOyobdX9Fabsjybuy2IDtJpCtVTE

Cronch time--1 min video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_eBXYPoZGo&ab_channel=OregonZoo

Oregon Zoo's sea otter Uni Sushi enjoys clams, oysters, mussels . . . The marine mammal care team named her “Uni Sushi” (uni is the Japanese word for sea urchin) in honor of the sustainable seafood diet she and the rest of the sea otter family enjoy.