Japanese American Museum of Oregon

09/02/2026

Countdown to the final weeks before the greatest throwback party of the year - Nobi's Night Out in the '80s!

🎟️ Space is limited and tickets are going fast, so don't wait: jamo.org/nobi

Join us for this fundraiser for the Japanese American Museum of Oregon on Saturday, September 19 with food, friends, games, and giveaways, all while supporting community history!

Nobi's Night Out in the '80s
Saturday, September 19, 2026, 6-9 pm
Hōkū Events on Madison
1125 SE Madison St.
Portland, OR 97214

And of course it wouldn't be an '80s party without all the righteous tunes from the decade and a photo booth to capture everyone's sweet '80s style.

Tickets for those 35 and under are only $35!

09/01/2026

For September's Free First Sunday, read history zines from the Smithsonian and learn how to make your own!

This Sunday, September 6, admission to the Japanese American Museum of Oregon is free during open hours, 11am-4pm, including the current exhibition, Standing for Justice: The Japanese Americans Shaping Oregon.

📚Then head back to the museum's library to read mini-comics about Japanese American history, provided by the Smithsonian.

✂️Then use that inspiration to make your own zine! Art supplies and paper will be provided. All ages welcome.

Learn more: jamo.org/2026-september-free

08/29/2026

See you at the Clinton Street Theater on Saturday, September 5 to catch the documentary THIRD ACT!

Third Act Film Screening with Director Tadashi Nakamura
Saturday, Sept 5, 2pm
Clinton Street Theater
2522 SE Clinton St, Portland
Get Tickets: jamo.org/third-act

The Japanese American Museum of Oregon hosts this screening with with Director Tadashi Nakamura. Don't miss this loving tribute to his father, Robert A. Nakamura—known to many as “the Godfather of Asian American media."

What begins as a documentary about his father’s career takes a turn with a Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis, and evolves into an exploration on art, activism, grief, and fatherhood.

08/22/2026

Check out this recently-produced documentary on Minidoka, produced by KTVB Idaho, KGW Portland, and KING Seattle.

You can see lots of Executive Director Hanako Wakatski-Chong in the film, along with Jeanne Shioshi, Karen Hirai Olen, Fujiko Gardner, and others.

Thank you to all of the survivors and descendants who spoke with reporters over the course of filmmaking, and to the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee for all the work they put in to assist the news crews!

More than 13,000 Japanese Americans passed through Minidoka during ...

08/21/2026

Thank you so much to Jeanne Shioshi and her family for coming into the museum to speak with KGW about her experience during World War II. Jeanne was incarcerated at the Minidoka along with her family during the war. Prior to forced removal, they had been living in Redmond, Oregon.

Jeanne is 103 years old and it is a real joy to be able to speak with her and hear her stories!

Jeanne Shioshi was 19 years old in 1942, when her family was taken along with other Japanese Americans to the remote Idaho internment camp.

08/20/2026

Take this survey before the end of the month...which is just around the corner!

Help shape a future National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture!

We've extended our public comment deadline to August 31. Take 2 minutes to share your perspective today: bit.ly/APAMuseumComments

08/20/2026

As we get ready to celebrate all things ’80s at our Nobi’s Night Out fundraiser, we’re revisiting some community events from the decade 🕶️📼 🕹️🪩 🎶

The community lunch program Ikoi no Kai was founded in 1979 as a safe space for the first generation of Japanese immigrants to eat, socialize, speak Japanese, and access other care services. Since its founding, Ikoi no Kai has established itself as an essential institution for the Japanese American community to stay connected with each other through food and a variety of activities.

In the 1980s, Ikoi no Kai organized excursions for seniors, bringing food and community outside of their usual space and into parks and zoos, as you can see in these photos. Most of these were gifted to the Japanese American Museum of Oregon by Ikoi no Kai’s first site manager, Lury Sato. Although a few may be blurry, we think they capture the spirit of the group outings perfectly.

And we hope you’ll join us for our 1980s celebration on September 19 at Hoku Events! Learn more and get tickets: jamo.org/nobi.

The first 50 tickets purchased by August 21 will be entered to win a special prize, so don't wait!

Images:
1. Laurelhurst Park Picnic, 1986. Courtesy of Ikoi no Kai.
2. Lunch at the Rose Garden, 1986. Gift of Lury Sato.
3. Picnic at Laurelhurst Park, 1981. Gift of Lury Sato.
4. Trip to the zoo, n.d. Gift of Lury Sato.

08/17/2026

Get your tickets by Friday for a chance to win!

Nobi’s Night Out, a 1980s fundraiser for the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, is coming up on September 19.

Be an Early Bird and win a prize – The first 50 tickets purchased by August 21 will be entered to win a Jigglypuff Gold Plated Pokémon Card!

And tickets are only $35 for those 35 years and younger!

Have fun and support community history – get your tickets today at the link in bio or jamo.org/nobi.

Nobi’s Night Out in the ‘80s
Saturday, Sept 19, 6-9pm
Holku Events on Madison (Hoku Events on Madison )
1125 SE Madison St., Portland
$100 per person/$35 for 35 and under

Casino games, silent auction, wine wall, & photobooth
Heavy hors d’oeuvres and refreshments
‘80s fashion encouraged
Get tickets at jamo.org/nobi

08/15/2026

Ever see a boarded-up building and wonder—what’s the story there?

There’s one across from the Japanese American Museum of Oregon that staff look at every day: the Royal Palm Hotel. If you attended the Cherry Blossom Bazaar in 2024, then you’ve been inside!

Part of the history of Japanese-managed hotels in what was once Nihonmachi, the building has seen a lot of faces come and go over the years.

By 1930, the hotel was being managed by the Kitayama family: Yosakichi, Kuni, and young Yoichi (aka “Cannon”). During their tenure, the Royal Palm served more than just Japanese customers – Black railroad workers and Greek longshoremen found themselves welcome (among others), the ground floor featured Japanese and Chinese retail shops, and the basement boasted Finnish bathhouses.

After Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Yosakichi was arrested and taken to Fort Missoula, returning just before the family was removed to the Portland Assembly Center and then Minidoka. Kuni arranged to sell the hotel side to Black businessman Kelly Foster. After the war, Cannon moved East for school and his parents returned to Portland, but not to the Royal Palm.

The property was eventually used by social service organizations for several years. Even though it is now boarded up, we can still glimpse the legacy left behind by the family who once ran it. From the many people who shelter from the sun on its north side, to a plaque inscribed in the sidewalk, the Royal Palm Hotel clings to its role as hospitable caretaker to those who find themselves on the corner of NW 3rd and Flanders.

There’s so much more to the story, so be sure to visit jamo.org/royal-palm to learn more!

Thank you to Maggie Redden, who interned at JAMO in the summer of 2025, for researching and writing this article.

Images
1. & 6. Royal Palm today
2. Cannon Kitayama standing outside of the Royal Palm c. 2004. Courtesy Richard Wilhem
3. Construction of the hotel nearing completion c. 1913. Courtesy Oregon Daily Journal
4. Drawing of Minidoka by Cannon Kitayama, 1942-45. Gift of Micheal Irinaga
5. Post-war photo of Obon dancers in Portland (Kuni Kitayama is on the far left), 1948-1954. Frank C. Hirahara Collection

08/12/2026

Don't miss the Portland debut of Kintsukuroi on August 22 at the Clinton Street Theater!

This new historical drama from director Kerwin Berk follows members of the Ito family from their pre-war life in San Francisco’s Japantown to the concentration camps of the American West to the battlefields of Europe as they endure one of the most shameful periods in American history.

Like every immigrant family, the Itos came to the United States to build a better life. After years of struggle and sacrifice, the dream that was America seemed within its grasp. Then the bombs fell and the world changed forever. With a stroke of his pen, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 and effectively destroyed the lives of 120,000 Japanese Americans at the onset of WWII.

Come see the film and hear from the director and members of the cast on August 22:

Kintsukuroi Film Screening
Saturday, August 22, 2pm
Clinton Street Theater
2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland

Get your tickets here: https://jamo.org/kintsukuroi