Archives West Finding Aid

The building that housed the Nippon Kan Theatre, located at 622-628 Washington Street in Seattle, Washington, was designed by the architecture firm of Thompson and Thompson and was constructed in 1909. The theater, which was in the basement, shared the building with the Astor Hotel and ground floor shops. Sometimes referred to as Nippon Kan Hall, it would endure as a community focal point of Seattle's Nihonmachi ("Japantown") for over thirty years. Performances held at the Nippon Kan were both Western and traditional Japanese music, dance, and theater. Among the many notable performers who graced the stage were the internationally acclaimed soprano Miura Tamaki and Japanese composer Shisui Hiyashita, conducting the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. The theater was also used for wedding celebrations, community group meetings, religious gatherings, movie nights, sumo wrestling events, and lectures delivered by people such as orator Booker T. Washington.

In 1942, when Japanese American communities were forcibly removed en masse to internment camps during World War II, the theater building was boarded up and left largely unused. Ownership of the building changed hands multiple times over the years until 1971 when Seattle architect Edward Burke purchased the building with his business partner Leon Bridges. Over the next ten years, Burke and his wife Elizabeth worked toward the building's restoration, which was completed in 1981. The revitalized building once again became a thriving cultural center, hosting a myriad of musical and theatrical performances, cultural festivals, and private events. It was also used as the base for The Chinatown Tour , a slideshow and lecture on Seattle’s Asian-American history followed by a walking tour of present-day International District.

The Nippon Kan Theater building was placed onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, securing its place in Seattle's rich history.

In 2005, the building was sold and converted into an office.