In advance of the February 19, 2024 Day of Remembrance, NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, sent a Los Angeles production team to document Bainbridge Island’s unique approach to commemorating FDR’s signing of Executive Order 9066, the order authorizing the forced removal of all persons deemed a threat to national security from the West Coast to “relocation centers” further inland – resulting in the incarceration of Japanese Americans.
Producer Ai Jinguji of NHK had heard about the Exclusion Memorial’s annual clean-up day and wanted to experience it and share the story with her Japanese and NHK World audiences. The production team spent three days on Bainbridge Island interviewing survivors, filming the community work party, and understanding the history of the Japanese on Bainbridge Island. Ms. Jinguji was surprised at the level of involvement and diversity of volunteers at the Day of Remembrance clean-up day. She came to deeply appreciate how special the Bainbridge Island community really is.
The results of NHK’s visit were an initial brief news broadcast in both Japanese and English, followed by a longer piece that aired on May 21st on NHK World.
Click here to view NHK World’s story (in English).
