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 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.
The collection consists of photographs of the Nippon Kan Theatre
building. The images document the theater structure, its performances and
events in the years after its construction in 1909 through the early 1940s, and
events before and after its restoration in the 1970s and 1980s. Also included
are written materials, maps, architectural drawings, and photographs of
historical Seattle and the International District, as well as the history of
Japanese Americans in Washington and California. In addition, photographs
believed to have been in a photo album containing images of Nippon Kan Theatre
performances and events, as well as clubs and community groups associated with
the theater from the early 1900s through the early 1940s, are included. The
disassembled album also includes images depicting the building before and after
its restoration. Also included in this collection are materials relating to
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Donor: Edward M. Burke, December 28, 1994.
Stock Certificate donated by Janet Hibiya Murayama on May 5, 2017.
Processed by Jessica Jones, 2015, Beck Prigot, 2016; processing completed 2016.
Negatives are not included in collection.
Negatives are not included in collection.
Negatives are not included in collection.
Photographer Hugh Stratford made photographs for Nippon Kan Theatre project. See originals (R808 series) in Hugh Stratford Collection.
See originals (1182 series) in Hugh Stratford Collection.
This book (printed in Japanese) was used to practice Joruri, a narrative singing performance. It may have been used by a performer associated with the theater. Additional information translated from the text is available with the item.
Scanned from negative
Scanned from negative
Programs (original and photocopies) are mainly in Japanese
and are for the plays
Information translated from the materials is available in case file.
Programs (original and photocopies) are mainly in
Japanese. One program is for singer Miyoshi Sugimachi's performance of
Information translated from the materials is available in case file.
Film depicts a sumo wrestling match (filmed in Japan) between wrestlers Sakuranishiki and Asahikawa.
Original: 1 film reel, silent, black and white
Scanned from negatives
Negatives are not included in collection.
Scanned from negative
Scanned from negative
A Japanese film crew filmed segments of the documentary in and around the Nippon Kan Theatre.
Scanned from negative
Scanned from negative
Scanned from negative
Location may be inside Nippon Kan Theatre.
Scanned from negative.
Scanned from negative
The following items are believed to have been in a photograph album. Items were put together by Mr. Burke. Some photographs were given to him by members of the Japanese American community in Seattle. Original order of album has been retained.
Caption from accompanying material: Shig Osawa as a young child in second row fourth from left. Audience is primarily male with only six women and two young girls present.
People identified in photograph: (front row) Katsuko Togo (third from left), Yuki Osawa (fourth from left), Osawa (fourth from right), Kei Sakamoto (third from right), Sue Takaharhi (second from right), Arai (right)
Caption on accompanying material: Note original advertising screen and proscenium rosettes. K. Iwamura.
Masu Osawa was the second sister of Shigeru "Shig" Osawa.
People identified in photograph: Mine Sakamoto (front row, second from left), Yuki Osawa (front row, fourth from left), Mr. Sasaki (middle row, right)
Caption: Main Street Nihonmachi looking west midway between Maynard and 7th Ave. Wooden sidewalks and garbage containers still evident. The street was formed of timbers on south half, the north half was the foot of a slide area. Early stores had open fronts.
Caption on accompanying material: Mr. Ohashi graduated from the Anacortes Elementary School in 1911. He performed at the Nippon Kan from 1917-1941. His daughter Fumi Higashi performed in the first play produced after the 1981 renovation and his grandson Mike Higashi now practices dentistry adjacent to the theatre.
Caption on accompanying material: 1911 Anacortes E.S., Mr. Ohashi, Fumiko Higashi, 9643 58 S.
Translated from handwritten Japanese characters on verso: Old man Ohashi.
From accompanying material: Main Street Nihonmachi looking West. North side of street had little building near 7th due to unstable soils. The corner of the Nippon Kan can be seen in the upper right corner.
Accompanying material indicates that Hosoe Kodama is pictured front row, fourth from left, and that Hosoe Yoshikawa is also pictured. Group is seated in front of the "house and studio of Kane Takahashi, founder of M[atsubakai] on Washington St adjacent to the Nippon Kan."
Translated from Japanese characters handwritten on image: Tomita, Fujii, Kawaguchi (names of performers).
From accompanying material: Performance of arias by Miura
Tamaki, the internationally acclaimed soprano. A friend of Puccini, she
influenced his writing and sang his
People identified in photograph: (front row) "Fudge" Wantanabe, Mina Kimura, Nellie Tsuneishi, Tomi Tsukuno Holder, Hana Arai; (middle row) Yone Aoki, Tamaki Miura, Motsu Kimura, Sato Kawaguchi, Mika Okazaki; (back row) Toma Sakai (left), Toki Miyagawa Nakamura (third from left), Mary Shinowara Chai (fifth from left), Tae Miyagawa Okumura (fifth from right), Nobu Kawaguch Arai (fourth from right), Mashako Hotta (right)
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
From accompanying material: Arai Collection 1926 (material donated to Edward Burke by Gerry Arai's aunt).
Group may be the "Girls Club." See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
Group may be the "Girls Club." See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
From accompanying material: Collection of Gerry Arai's aunt 1927, Mimaskao, Mrs. Nakamura.
People in photograph: (foreground) Mary Umemota, Umeko Inouye, Billee Yoshioka, (background) Hana Osada, Aiko Yamada, Masuke Itomitsu, Rae Yasumota
Caption on accompanying material: Micheo Kimura's father - one of the principal actors and musicians at the Nippon Kan. He worked at the Japanese Consulate and was the first arrested in Seattle following Pearl Harbor. Shigin and shamisen recital 1929. Third selection listed.
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
From accompanying material: Biwa Society, Chiku-zen Biwa Showaki. Tachibana Ryu Eguchi welcoming Madame Hokyuzan Takakura.
Translated from Japanese characters written on front of image: Concert for welcoming Hokyuzan Takakura, Showa 4 April 7th, Seattle City, Washington State, North America, celebrating show group at Nippon Kan.
From accompanying material: Yorita Printing Company at street level under theater. One of original advertisers on Nippon Kan screen.
From accompanying material: Mr. Yorita and first three children. Inset [shop] exterior [91] with Ben Yorita who recently taught at Seattle Central Community College. He was born in the building.
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
From accompanying material: Kimura collection. Shigin - Kabuki production 1934.
Photocopies of diary pages (in Japanese) include eight daily entries in November of an unknown year. Entries highlight the business and activities of an unnamed community association (possibly the Japanese Association of North America) that was involved with social and educational events in the Japanese American community in Seattle. Summary of translated entries are included with item.
Caption on accompanying material: Archery competition 1935. Father of Mrs. Michael Fukuma.
Caption: Kabuki play with garden gate at stage left near hanamichi. Prompter not fully concealed stage right. Note children at stage edge.
Caption on accompanying material: Kabuki Play
Caption on accompanying material: Sensei Madame Nakatai dancing with her daughter Helen Nakatani on stage right and student Hiroko Beppu on stage left.
From accompanying material: Tamako Tokuda (Inouye), Yoshiko (Yamamoto). Provided by Mrs. Momo Takaoshi.
From accompanying material for 105a: May Sasaki is pictured on right. At left is a girl from Ihara family. Provided by Mrs. Okazaki.
From accompanying material for 105b: May Sasaki on right. Other dancer from Ihara family who ran a restaurant in the 1930s then returned to Japan. May Sasaki's father, Seiji Nakamura, owned the Nippon Kan from 1946-1964.
From accompanying material: Sachi Okazaki dancing with Eni Takenaga. Osho-san Nakatani playing instrument at right. Provided by Mrs. Harry Okazaki.
From accompanying material: Sachi Okazaki as "a fancy boatwoman" in 1936.
From accompanying material: Osho san Nakatani in center, Kimura san on left - shigin performance. Provided by Mrs. Harry Okazaki.
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
From accompanying material: Zenbon zakura dance 1936 showing use of Hanamichi - old clock hung above window at state right. Window permitted shielded view by musicians of performers approaching on hanamichi so that movements could be coordinated with striking of sticks and plucking of instruments.
From accompanying material: C. Chikuzen biwa.
From accompanying materials: Fundraising event - amateur performance directed by Osho san Nakamura seated in center front row.
People identified in photograph: (front row) Sueno Hikida (left), Luriko Okada Shioji (second from left), Marion Nakamura (third from left), Ayako Yoshida Yamada (fourth from left), Kazuko Fujii (fifth from left), Hiroshi Tyrus Okada (sixth from left), Osho Nakamura (sixth from right), Madame Nahatani (fifth from right), Sachiko Yoshida (third from right), Toshie Kato (second from right), Lillian Ichihara Naito (right); (middle row) Yoichi Matsuda (third from left), Sakiko Shiga (fourth from left), Chiyo Uyeda Yamamoto (fifth from left), Martha Ikeda Imabori (sixth from left), Hannah Ikeda Lai (seventh from left), Akira Mayeda (seventh from right), Toraichi Sao (fifth from right), Taka Okazaki (fourth from right), Kenji Yoshino (third from right), Kazuko Okada (second from right), Ban Okada (right); (back row) Sad Shiraishi (left), Shiro Iwana (second from left), Lefty Ichihara (third from left), Taka Ono (fourth from left), Shig Watanabe (fifth from left), Mike Kurokawa (sixth from left), Mr. Kaida (seventh from left), Soma Hayashi (fourth from right), Shoji Fukui (third from right), Otomaru (second from right), Kenji Kawaguchi (right)
From accompanying material: Mr. Kinomoto fourth from left.
From accompanying material: Sachiko Ochi - pianist. Seattle Symphony performing Sensei Miyashita's works - Ronald Philip clarinet.
Translated from Japanese characters on image: Gift - Chorus group of the society [illegible] supporting Miyashita.
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
Handwritten on image: Mr. Shisui Hiyashita, conductor presented his own works with members of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Sachiko Ochi, pianist.
Translated from Japanese characters on image: Gift - Chorus group of the society [illegible] supporting Miyashita.
From accompanying material: Kimura collection.
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
From accompanying material: Mrs. Okazaki and Mrs. Hiro Nishimura.
From accompanying materials: Yoshito Harada Takahashio, Bessie Suto, Masaro Harada, Mitsuyuki Yanagita.
From accompanying material: Mrs. Takakoshi.
From accompanying material: Nakamura Sensei sixth from right.
People identified in photograph: (front row) Yasuko Ota (third from left), Eileen Yaeko Nakamua Popiel (fourth from left), Susie Takemoto (fifth from left), Keiko Ogawa Yokota (sixth from left), Madame Tamiji Nakamura (sixth from right), Fred Tagaki (fifth from right), Clarence Arai (fourth from right), Nobi Nakagawa (third from right), Tomio Hamasaki (second from right), T. R. Goto (right), (middle row) Nogaki (left), Shigeko Tamaki (second from left), Sakiko Shiga (third from left), Cora Uno (fourth from left), Kiyo Kamikawa Sakahara (fifth from left), Isuree Nakamura (sixth from right), Takeo Nogaki (fourth from right), Johnson Shimizu (third from right), Minato (second from right), Hajime Hirata (right), (back row) Tom Kano (left), Vic Kambe (second from left), George Taki (third from left), Dick Kimura (fourth from left), Kamei Nahimura (fifth from left), Hachiro Kita (sixth from left), Francis Mas Fukuhara (fourth from right), Toraichi Sao (right)
From accompanying material:
Movie was shown at Nippon Kan Theatre before the forced removal and incarceration in 1942 and depicts a sumo wrestling match (filmed in Japan) between wrestlers Sakuranishiki and Asahikawa. This still is from a film fragment in this collection (see item 38).
Translated from Japanese characters on image: Sumo wrestling tournament at Seattle City Nippon Kan. Support group of Unkaizeki [sumo wrestler].
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
Image was printed backward.
Summary translated from the program (printed in Japanese): Program highlights theater performances sponsored by Seattle Sanmasukai and includes advertisements from area businesses including the Aoki Shoe Store, Atlas Hotel, Jackson Ice Creamery, and the Tashiro Hardware Store.
Caption: January 1942 - January 1983, A dead and decaying hall.
Original image obtained from Wing Luke Asian Museum.
The event was organized by University of Washington professor Minoru Masuda to raise funds for a trip to the site of the former Minedoka War Relocation Center.
Original images may have been obtained from Wing Luke Asian Museum.
From accompanying materials: Fundraiser reading of
Scanned from negatives
Scanned from negatives
Item is a video version, not videotaped footage of live slideshow and talk.
From accompanying materials: Mr. Ohashi, Fumiko Higashi.
The temple is probably not in Seattle.
People in photograph: (Front row) Toho Son, Ooi Senyuki, Tani Yo, Mrs. Tsuruta, Reverend Tsuruta, Yoshikoka Seimei, Mrs. Yoshiota, Professor Aoyama, Yamada Eno, Mrs. Yae(?), unidentified; (center row) Ozaki Zanzo, Yanagi Rikizo, Tanaka, unidentified, Maeda Shozo, Tokoishi Shoichi, Ito, Itoh Shigeo; (back row) Kasai Shigeji, Kosugi Tamejiro, Suzuki Kichijiro, Nishyama Yosan, Okukawa Shanshiro, Togo Kinji, Fujiro Joshiro, unidentified, Hara Shintaro, Tazawa, Seki, Tatekobushi
The Taiyo Cardinals of the Courier Baseball League were the Class A champions in 1936-1937.
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
See accompanying material for identification of some individuals.
Written on photograph: Chorus assisted by Mary Amano
Printed on verso: Issei-owned restaurant. T. Tsukuno, T. Tomita, H. Fujii
Handwritten on verso: By the waters of Hudson.
Accompanying material indicates the woman could be either Sumi Tani or Machiko Terada.
Goon Dip was the most influential Chinese person on the West Coast. He came to Portland, Oregon from China in 1876 at the age of 4. He was appointed the honorary Chinese consul for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition.
Images depict plant operations including machinery and workers.
Translated from Japanese characters on image: The former Yokozuna (highest rank of a sumo wrestler) Tochigiyama-zeki has arrived at Los Angeles, California.
Tickets are from a fundraising night for members of the Kenshu Eigakai (subscription movie club) of the Ginmon Gakuen (Golden Gate School) in San Francisco, California. All tickets are identical and printed in Japanese.
Translation:
Narrators Tochuken Engiku and Tamae Kazufumi
October 24th (Saturday) and 25th (Sunday) at 7 p.m. at the Golden Gate School Hall
1 ticket 1 adult, 75 cents
Sponsored by Golden Gate School
Labeled mostly in Japanese, with some English.
Labeled in Japanese and English.
Nippon Kan Theatre building is visible in the bottom left corner.
Image shows part of Interstate 5 under construction near the Nippon Kan Theatre building.
Image depicts Interstate 90 interchange under construction with Lake Washington in the distance.
Visible business names are Welcome Hotel and Jackson Barber Shop.
Site is where the American Hotel now stands.
Written on verso: Apt house owned by Monroe family. N of Nippon Kan & east of Terrace View Apts.
This house was moved to another location in preparation for construction of Interstate 5 through downtown Seattle.
Photograph shows house windows boarded up with building debris alongside it. The house was moved to another location in preparation for construction of Interstate 5 through downtown Seattle.
Written on verso: Turner House on left at s.w. corner. Intersection Maynard & Yesler n. of Nippon Kan.
From translation of Japanese characters stamped on front: Commemorative photograph of steamship Tatsuta-maru's departure, Showa 6 December 7th.
From translation of Japanese characters handwritten on verso: Departure from the Port of Yokohama, Showa 9 March [illegible] 10:00 a.m.
From translation of Japanese characters handwritten on verso: Departure from Port [Los Angeles?] from the steamship Chichibu-maru, Showa 8 August 26th.
From translation of Japanese characters handwritten on verso: Departure from Port of San Francisco from the steamship Chichibu-maru, Showa 8 August 28th.