[cid:image004.jpg@01DBBB70.4A0C4150]NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 6, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT: Derek Nguyen, Marketing and Communications Director, Washington State Historical Society, 253-317-1273 derek.nguyen@wshs.wa.gov<mailto:derek.nguyen@wshs.wa.gov> 8th Annual South Sound Day of Remembrance Explores Tacoma’s Historic Japantown May 15 event features walking tour, taiko performance, ceremonial procession, and more. [cid:image005.jpg@01DBBB70.4A0C4150]<https://www.washingtonhistory.org/event/south-sound-remembrance-2025/> Tacoma Fuji Taiko at the 7th Annual South Sound Day of Remembrance in 2024. Tacoma, WA - The Washington State History Museum<https://www.washingtonhistory.org/> (WSHM) and its community partners will host the 8th Annual South Sound Day of Remembrance<https://www.washingtonhistory.org/> on Thursday, May 15, 2025, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. This free, public event commemorates the 83rd anniversary of the wartime forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans from South Puget Sound in May of 1942. This year's program will focus on the community that thrived in Tacoma's historic Japantown. "This is our eighth annual Day of Remembrance for Tacoma, and unfortunately, the issues that this episode of American history raises are even more powerfully and painfully relevant today," said program organizer and public historian Tamiko Nimura. "Learning about Tacoma's story for this last decade has meant so much to me. I hope our communities can gather to learn, reflect, and find hope for the future." Event Highlights 5:00 – 6:30 PM: Walking Tour Beginning at Theater on the Square Plaza (917 Broadway), a walking tour led by historians Tamiko Nimura and Michael Sullivan will visit key sites significant to Tacoma's Japanese American history. During the tour, the Tacoma Buddhist Temple<https://www.tacomabt.org/> will host an open house featuring rarely seen photographs and conversations with members Greg Tanbara, Wendy Hamai, and Reverend Tadao Koyama. The tour will conclude at the Washington State History Museum (1911 Pacific Avenue). This tour is approximately 1.5 miles with some steep hills. Alternatively, a slideshow version of the walking tour will be shown at WSHM. Two free digital resources created by Nimura are also available. One is an in-depth digital exhibition titled, Tacoma Japantown<https://tacomajapantown.ds.lib.uw.edu/>, and the other is an interactive app that features the walking tour route with information about landmarks for both iOS<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tacoma-japantown-walking-tour/id1234039256> and Android<https://appadvice.com/app/tacoma-japantown-walking-tour/1234039256> devices. It is recommended to download the app prior to the event for an enhanced experience. Nimura is available online for free and will feature the tour route. Downloading the app prior to the event is recommended for a more in-depth experience. 6:30 – 7:30 PM: Performances and Procession Tacoma Fuji Taiko will present a drum performance at the outdoor amphitheater of WSHM. The performance will be followed by a ceremonial procession next door to Union Station, led by choreographer Leah Mann and a costumed ensemble. This historical location served as a reporting point for Japanese Americans before they were sent to prison camps. Admission to WSHM will be free from 3:00 to 8:00 PM for Third Thursday, including access to the permanent exhibition REMEMBRANCE: The Legacy of Executive Order 9066 in Washington State. The first 80 registrants via Downtown On the Go<https://downtownonthego.com/> will receive a postcard set and limited-edition linocut folio and by Yoshi Nakagawa<https://yoshinakagawa.com/>, typeset by Write253<https://www.write253.org/>. 25 complete folio sets will be available at WSHM for guests watching the slideshow. This commemorative event is presented by Downtown On the Go, the Washington State History Museum, Write253, Yoshi Nakagawa, Tacoma Buddhist Temple, and Fuji Taiko. Registration for the walking tour portion is required. To register and learn more about the event, visit https://bit.ly/SouthSoundDOR. ### About The Washington State Historical Society and History Museum The Washington State Historical Society works with our communities to explore how history connects us all. Its most prominent activity is the Washington State History Museum, located in Tacoma's Museum District on Pacific Avenue. The museum features interactive core exhibitions about Washington in the Great Hall, rotating special exhibitions, and various public events and programs that cover a wide range of historical topics. The WSHS provides curriculum resources, downloadable exhibitions, and educational support across the state, as well as consultation and resources for museums and heritage organizations. Address: 1911 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402