Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial

Memorial Walkway

NPS

Japanese immigrants first came to Bainbridge Island in the 1880s, working in sawmills and strawberry harvesting, and by the 1940s had become an integral part of the island's community. Because of the island's proximity to naval bases, local Japanese Americans were the first in the country to be interned; 227 Japanese Americans were ordered to leave the island with six days' notice. They departed by ferry on March 30, 1942. Most internees were sent to Manzanar, CA, though some were later transferred to Minidoka, Idaho. Local newspapers such as the The Bainbridge Review (made famous by the novel and film Snow Falling on Cedars) spoke out against the internment and continued to publish correspondence from internees. A Seattle Post-Intelligencer photograph of Bainbridge Island resident Fumiko Hayashida and her 13-month-old daughter preparing to board the ferry that day became famous as a symbol of the internment. About 150 returned to the island after the end of World War II. By 2011, about 90 survivors remained, of whom 20 still lived on the island. 

The first part of the memorial to be constructed was an outdoor cedar "story wall" with the names of all 276 Japanese and Japanese Americans resident on the island at the time. The wall was designed by local architect Johnpaul Jones, an American Indian and the principal of Jones and Jones Architects. The grounds of the memorial wall is natural landscaping, native species including sword fern, mahonia, salal, and shore pine. Local artist Steve Gardner created friezes to be placed on the wall, depicting some of the scenes of residents being herded onto the ferries; he stated that the project "sucked me in in a way I hadn't thought about. This really is a story about American citizens." The memorial was opened to the public on July 30, 2011.

Details

Duration

60-120 Minutes

Activity

Self-Guided Tours - Walking

Pets Allowed

No

Activity Fee

Yes

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Location

Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial

The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial is an outdoor exhibit commemorating the internment of Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island in the state of Washington. It is a unit of the Minidoka National Historic Site in Idaho.

Reservations

No

Season

Year Round

Time of Day

Day

Accessibility Information

The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial is accessed by car, ferry, and shuttle bus. Both the ferry and shuttle bus have accessible accommodations and drop visitors off at a relatively level wooden boardwalk that guides the visitor through a forested canopy, and to an entrance/orientation area with wayside exhibits. Surfaces at gathering areas and along the trail are composed of gravel of varying size and natural earth. Exhibits are three dimensional, and within reasonable viewing height.