9th Annual Japan Week – 220 Volunteers Needed! – Sat, Oct 11; 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Bellevue College, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue. Free and open to the public. Highlights include rakugo by Katsura Sunshine, a mikoshi from Canada, prize-winning contests including a new Beyblade contest, and a special Hiroshima & Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition commemorating 80 years since the bombings and the 100th year of the Showa era. Enjoy tea ceremony, calligraphy, taiko drums, kamishibai storytelling, and much more! We are recruiting 200 volunteers and 20 mikoshi carriers. Volunteers get a T-shirt, snacks, and certificates.Sign up: bit.ly/2025JWVolunteers.
Mikoshi only: bit.ly/JWMikoshi2025.
Questions? E-mail: JapanWeek@bellevuecollege.edu.
Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form – Now-Sun, Jan 4, 2026; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. Museum of Pop Culture, 325 Fifth Ave N, Seattle. Showcasing the evolution of visual storytelling from traditional graphic forms to modern digital innovations. This special exhibition features the largest-ever selection of original Asian comic artwork and includes over 400 pieces from countries such as Japan, China, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, and Vietnam. For more info, see: https://www.mopop.org/exhibitions/asian-comics. For tickets, see: https://www.mopop.org/tickets.
Frank S.Matsura: Portraits From the Borderland – now-Feb 8, 2026; W-S 10 a.m.-4 p.m., SU 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Japanese American Museum of Oregon, 411 NW Flanders St., Portland. Featuring photographs from WA-based Japanese photographer Frank Sakae Matsura (1873-1913), alongside period-specific regalia from Indigenous communities of the Columbia River Plateau. Matsura became a popular portrait photographer and created some of the most visually potent and nuanced images of Indigenous people from the era. For more info, see: https://jamo.org/matsura/.
Back Home – Utopia in Seattle exhibit – Now-Sun, Jul 26, 2026. Wed-Sun, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. A vibrant reimagining of ancestral connection and cultural exchange. Curated by Paradice Avenue Souf, a South Seattle collective rooted in Black and Brown solidarity, the exhibit builds on their 2022 debut. Explore the deep ties between Asian and Black communities shaped by the maritime Silk Road trade. Rediscover the shared histories and envision what it takes to build a more resilient, equitable, and connected city. For more info, see: https://www.wingluke.org/back-home-utopia-in-seattle.
Japanese Culture Portal Site – Free at: https://www.ohboshi.com. Part 1: Explanatory videos on various topics related to Japan. For example, it explains “Keigo” (Japanese honorific language) and the “-san” suffix from a cultural perspective. Part 2: Features a collection of Western books about Japan. For instance, download works by authors such as Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore and Lafcadio Hearn. Free of charge. Part 3: “Readers’ Corner” where Japanese books can be downloaded, such as traditional Japanese folk tales that are considered common knowledge for Japanese people. Free of charge. Questions? Contact: Takeshi Fujita, Ohsei Research Institute at: info@ohboshi.com.
“Moved, Touched & Inspired” – Japan Foundation launched JFF Theater, an online streaming platform to popularize Japanese films and videos around the world. It is aimed to reach out to international audiences, foster connections and inspire exchanges among Japanese film fans, both new and old alike. JFF Theater distributes free Japanese films and videos worldwide with multilingual subtitles and can be viewed anytime, anywhere. For more info, see: https://en.jff.jpf.go.jp/about/.
What is your Asian+American story? – Short film distributed nationally and culminating in a powerful invitation to the public. TAAF (The Asian American Foundation) is encouraging Asian Americans and allies across America to join the conversation by sharing their stories on social media using #AsianPlusAmerican and tagging @TAAForg. The campaign aims toward diverse voices, experiences, and identities that shape the Asian American community — and to show the world what it truly means to be both Asian and American. To learn more about the “Asian+American” campaign, visit https://www.taaf.org/our-work/asian-plus-american and view the public service announcement, “Beyond, Together.”
Art in the Garden: A Sculpture Walk– Sat-Sun,Sep 27-28; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kubota Garden,10915 – 51st Ave S, Seattle. See many stone sculpture and their creators from NW Stone Sculptors Assoc. Some pieces are for sale! The event is free and open to the public. Follow signs to the Terrace. For more info, see: https://kubotagarden.org/index.html.
C-ID Night Market– Sat, Sep 27; 1-9 p.m. Sixth Ave S & S King St, Seattle. Free, all-ages street festival provides locals and visitors a unique open-air market experience at night. Find dozens of local street vendors offering food, arts and crafts, and more. Cultural performances including a lion dance, taiko, and martial arts demonstrations will take place under the red arch in Hing Hay Park as the sun sets. For more info, see: https://www.seattlechinatownid.com/experiences/c-id-night-market.
Bazaar 2025 – Sat, Oct 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church, 3001– 12th Ave S, Seattle. Take-out only. (Limited seating inside.) BBQ salmon, vegetarian yakisoba, beef curry, BBQ chicken, and suno dogs. Also, visit the farmer’s market bake sale, and Blaine’s pies. Scan the QR code for pre-orders or see: https://blaineevents.square.site/. This year’s beneficiary is Tsuru for Solidarity.
ACRS – Annual Benefit Gala – Sat, Oct 4; 5:30-8:00 p.m. Hyatt Regency Bellevue, 900 Bellevue Wy NE, Bellevue. Sponsored by Asian Counseling Resource Service (ACRS). Come together in community while raising funds for ACRS programs and services. It supports more than 35,000 individuals and families annually. Transform the lives of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, immigrants, refugees, and other communities facing disparities. Tickets and info at: https://acrs.org/.
2025 Civil Liberties Symposium – Sun, Oct 5; 2-5 p.m. (Doors open at 1:30 p.m. for the 2:00 p.m. program.) Waterfront of the Stan Pocock Legacy Rowing Center, 8-minute walk from the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal (281 Brien Drive SE). sponsored by the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Assoc. Symposium brings three attorneys who made legal history by overturning the wartime convictions of Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui. Reserve your seat at: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/bainbridgeislandjapaneseameri canexclusionm emorialassn/1803518. To watch it virtually, see: https://bijaema.org/event/2025-civil-liberties-symposium-the-coram-nobis-cases/. Tickets: $25 for in-person and $10 virtual. A film, Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066, is now available on PBS at: https://www.pbs.org/show/alternative-facts-lies-executive-order-9066/.
Tadaima Art Project for MOHAI – through Oct 7, online. Museum of History and Industry in Seattle is preparing an exhibit featuring Hinamatsuri (Girls Day) dolls entrusted for Bailey Gatzert Elementary School, Seattle since 1942. The dolls will be displayed from February to April 2026. In conjunction with the exhibit, Miya Sukune, visual artist, is creating an art piece inspired by traditional byobu folding screens, tentatively titled Tadaima (I’m home). The project will include painted portraits based on historic photographs of the school’s predominantly Japanese American students before World War II, as well as contemporary images of individuals who were incarcerated and their descendants. She is reaching out to seek incarcerated individuals and their descendants who reside(d) in Washington state. Photos and info will be collected until October 7, 2025. The link is:https://forms.gle/kq3Bn6a4oB5GoLyD7. Any questions, send to: info@miyasukune.com or www.miyasukune.com.
Evergreen Glee Club and Cabin Choir Joint Concert – Sun,
Oct 12; 2:30 p.m. Japanese Baptist Church, 160 Broadway, Seattle. A free concert of EGC (men) and Cabin Choir (women). For more info, see: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AUkr11BVQ/.
APANO Action Fund’s Annual Fundraiser – Thu, Oct 16; 5:30-7:00 p.m. Portland (venue upon registration). A renewed tradition rooted in a commitment to build lasting political power and community resilience. Register at: https://secure.everyaction.com/1xYRVyojz0iC3aolZCCZ7w2?sourceid=1056239&emci=b684e416-bf6c-f011-8dc9-6045bda9d96b&emdi=f7e7a96a-846d-f011-8dc9-6045bda9d96b&ceid= 14086033.
Celebrate Washoku 2025: A Feast of Culture & Flavor – Fri, Oct 17, 5:30-8:30p.m. (Program starts at 6 p.m.) Matthews Winery, 15500 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE, C-600, Woodinville. Sponsored by Japan-America Society of the St. of WA. This year offers a relaxed and thoughtful experience where food, culture, and community come together. Whether a fan of Japanese cuisine or curious to learn more, enjoy dishes that span from classic Japanese flavors to creative fusion, all inspired by the seasonal ingredients of the Pacific Northwest. To learn more and register, see: https://jassw.org/celebrate-washoku-2025/.
InterIm CDA’s 2025 Community Dinner – Sat, Oct 18; 5-9 p.m. Diamond Bay restaurant, 409 Eighth Ave S, Seattle. This year’s theme, How to Build a Village, speaks to a place where people know and take care of each other. Celebrate our community, our village with love and joy. Get your tickets today at: https://interimcda.org/upcoming-events/2025dinner/
Legacy Education Series: End of Life Planning Workshop – Fri, Oct 17; 1:30-3:30 p.m. Nikkei Manor, 700 Sixth Ave S, Seattle. Louise Kato, MSW, LICSW, and Keiro NW board member will guide participants through key areas of end-of-life planning including: Advance Care Planning, Death Care Options, and Organizing Your Legacy. Free and open to the public. Register at: https://forms.gle/7H78U4edifFdwwCGA. Questions? Contact: (206) 759-5406 or khicks@keironw.org.
League of Dreams – Sun, Oct 19; 1:30 p.m. Blaine Memorial United Methodist church, 3001 – 24th Ave S, Seattle. Sponsored by the Puyallup Valley – JACL. Filmmaker Lane Nishikawa examines the 95-year history of JACL. Q&A with Nishikawa and reception. Free admission – seating limited to 250 viewers. School supply donations expected and accepted. RSVP to: puyallupvalleyjacl.org with subject line: DREAMS. Include attendee names and contact info.
Community Voice Awards 2025: Rooted & Rising – Thu, Oct 23; 5:30 p.m. Diamond Bay restaurant, 409 Eighth Ave S, Seattle. International Examiner’s (IE) annual fundraiser dinner and Community Voice Awards (CVA) highlighting local change-making leaders and organizations. Rooted in expansiveness and resilience despite shifting challenges within the journalistic space. IE grows every year with more coverage of timely issues that are important to the community, despite being in a city where many local publications have shuttered. Purchase tickets at: https://event.auctria.com/2c7577c8-8bb2-49c8-811a-a538810027f0/. Questions? See: cva@iexaminer.org.
Anniversary of the Closing of Minidoka – Sat, Oct 25; 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.; in-person and virtual programs. Minidoka National Historic Site, 1428 Hunt Road, Jerome, ID. Commemorate the closing of the incarceration camp 80 years ago on October 28, 1945. Virtual presentation by Minidoka Nat’l Historic Site and Friends of Minidoka about the tumultuous events and the challenges of resettlement. In-person programming at the site. For more info, see: https://www.minidoka.org/events/2025/10/25/80th-anniversary-of-the-closing-of-minidoka-virtual-and-in-person-programming.
