Paul Dunn 
March 30, 1942 National Archives and Records Administration Let it Not Happen AgainThe Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial honors the first Japanese Americans to be excluded, forcibly removed from their community, and incarcerated during World War II. At the memorial, visitors can reflect and learn about this site’s legacy of Nidoto Nai Yoni (Let It Not Happen Again). 
Visiting Bainbridge Island
Visit the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, near Seattle, Washington. 
Upcoming Events
This site is managed by the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community Areas of Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Only open during the summer months, this small cabin is staffed by a National Park Ranger Fri-Sun. Inside visitors can find informational pamphlets, Junior Ranger booklets, additional interpretive materials about forced removal and can request a tour of the memorial. The station can be locked if the park ranger is out roving the memorial grounds.
Crafted by the Timber Framers Guild in 2004, this pavilion was made using traditional methods which include hand-planning and no use of nails. Inside, visitors will find informational panels that explain the history of Japanese Americans on Bainbridge Island and the importance of community allyship during this unbearable event.
A cedar and granite constructed “story wall” is the focal point of this park site. Built on the former ground of the Eagledale Ferry Dock where on March 30, 1942, Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to incarceration sites for the duration of WWII. This memorial tells the story of Japanese Americans of Bainbridge Island through friezes and the name of all 276 people who were excluded from the island. The wall and surrounding landscape create an environment for reflection and education. The memorial’s motto Nidoto Nai Yoni (Let It Not Happen Again) activates this space as a place of remembrance and action.
A deck with artistic installations have been designed to recreate the departure experience of the Japanese Americans forcibly removed from their homes on March 30, 1942 to an unknown place for an unknown amount of time. The artwork consists of a rusted steel sculptural pieces by Vaughan, Washington artists Anna Brones and Luc Revel, and an entrance gate by long-time memorial advocate John Buday.
Connected to the memorial is Prichard Park a 50-acre beachfront park with a small trail system, dog friendly sections and a view of the Seattle Skyline and Mount Rainier. This area is great for watching the ferries, searching for wildlife or a beach picnic while visiting the memorial.
Bainbridge Island
Learn more about history of Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial here. 
Bainbridge Island Historical Museum
Explore the stories of Bainbridge Island and celebrate the experiences of our diverse community. 
Manzanar National Historic Site
Click the image to learn more about Manzanar War Relocation Center. 
NPS At the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum children and adults alike will enjoy this delightful local museum located in a 1908 Bainbridge Island schoolhouse. Whether you have come to see the Japanese American internment exhibit and the accompanying Ansel Adams photos of Manzanar, or to learn about the Port Blakely lumber mill, the Native American families that used the island as their seasonal hunting and fishing grounds, the explorers who charted Puget Sound and anchored right off the island, the early families who homesteaded the island, or the Croatian fisherman who settled in Eagle Harbor in the 1880s, you won’t want to miss this museum. |
Last updated: January 18, 2023