Seattle Wakayama Kenjinkai / Seattle Kishu Club

Seattle Wakayama Kenjinkai / Seattle Kishu Club
Carrying 120 Years of History into the Next Generation

Members take part in a youth exchange program in Wakayama. Another gathering, held ahead of the club’s 120th anniversary, welcomed representatives from Wakayama Prefecture. Photo credit:  Seattle Wakayama Kenjinkai/Kishu Club.

The Seattle Wakayama Kenjinkai, also known as the Seattle Kishu Club, is a historic community organization that recently marked its 120th anniversary. President of the Board of Directors Dillon Brown, who took office in May, has been involved with the group for more than 15 years. He also lived in Wakayama for about four years and met his partner, Maria, there. For Brown, Wakayama is more than a place with family or cultural ties, it is where some of the most important relationships in his life began.

Former president Tazue Sasaki, who supported the organization for many years, has also been deeply involved in local Japanese cultural activities, including the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival. Today, a 10-member board helps lead a membership drawn from communities across the Seattle area. The club welcomes not only people from Wakayama and their families, but also former residents and anyone interested in the prefecture’s culture and landscape. The connection may be different for each person but a shared affection for Wakayama is enough to feel at home.

The word “Kishu” in the club’s English name is another name for the historic Kii Province, centered on present-day Wakayama Prefecture. Wakayama is known for its history as the home of one of three Tokugawa branch families, as well as for its ume plums. Its landscape stretching from the sea to the mountains, can feel surprisingly familiar to people in Washington State. World Heritage sites such as Koyasan (Buddhist community) and the Kumano Sanzan (shrine complex) offer a quiet, spiritual sense of place far removed from city life. Kishu ume, Yuasa soy sauce, seafood, ramen, and sake are among the region’s many other attractions. Sharing this history, culture, and food, and passing them on to future generations is an important part of the club’s mission.

In February, the club held a ceremony commemorating its 120th anniversary in Seattle. Wakayama Vice Governor Yasunori Tomoi, along with representatives of the prefectural government, prefectural assembly, and related organizations, attended. The gathering honored the generations who built the organization and reaffirmed the close relationship between Washington and Wakayama. The anniversary event at Terry’s Kitchen also featured “Wakayama Washington Women Wonders,” an exhibition highlighting women in Washington state with ties to Wakayama and the many ways they have sustained those connections through their work and cultural activities.

Regular activities include meals, summer festivals, and New Year mochi-making gatherings. The club also participates in the Wakayama Kenjinkai World Convention, held in Wakayama about every five years. The next convention is planned for 2028, offering members of Wakayama associations from around the world a chance to meet in their shared hometown. Last year, the club also sent a high school representative to Wakayama Prefecture’s first gathering for the next-generation leaders of overseas Wakayama associations, part of an effort to carry the organization’s legacy forward.

A 120-year history is never the work of one person. It is the result of generations of people choosing to stay connected. The club welcomes those with family roots in Wakayama, those who have lived there, and those who have never visited but are curious about the prefecture. Brown’s invitation is simple: “Come to Wakayama! We’d love to hear from anyone interested in Wakayama.” From Seattle to Wakayama, and from one generation to the next, each new connection becomes part of the Kishu Club’s continuing story.