By Michelle Kumata
NAP Contributor
The long-awaited reprint of David Neiwert’s “Strawberry Days: The Rise and Fall of a Japanese American Community” is available to order through Barnes and Noble at: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strawberry-days-david-neiwert/1150053327.
It is an honor to have my artwork, “Emerging Radiance” on the cover of Neiwert’s book. I drew inspiration for “Emerging Radiance” from “Strawberry Days,” which is the most comprehensive publication on the history of the Bellevue Nikkei (Japanese American) farmers in Washington. It is a collaboration with Tani Ikeda on the “Emerging Radiance” multimedia art installation which is on display at Bellevue Library through February 2027. Many thanks to Ikeda, City of Bellevue and Bellevue Library/KCLS (King County Library System) and Neiwert!
Also nearby are several beautiful public artwork which memorialize the contributions of Bellevue Nikkei at the Wilburton Eastrail Station in downtown Bellevue. The works were created by local Nikkei artists Aki Sogabe, Lauren Iida, Erin Shigaki and Mari Shibuya. See: www.isanbellevue.org/eastrailcrossing
Isan Bellevue headed this project. Their mission is to honor Bellevue’s Japanese American heritage through a permanent, publicly accessible, and emotionally impactful commemoration that educates, engages, and unifies the community. For more information, see: www.isanbellevue.org.
