Commemorating Nihongo Gakko 日本語学校

Commemorating Nihongo Gakko 日本語学校. Japanese Language School, 1715 Tacoma Avenue (1922–2004). The Japanese Language School, known as Nihongo Gakko, was the heart of a bustling downtown Japanese American community that thrived in this urban neighborhood before World War II., After their day in public school ended, Japanese American children walked to the Language School to study the language and culture that were their heritage. Built in 1922 and expanded in 1926 with funds raised by the Japanese American community, the building became an important community center. In addition to teaching calligraphy, language, music, dance, and other traditions, the principal and teachers reinforced "haji," 恥 the moral concept of hard work, sacrifice and personal integrity so as not to bring disgrace to one's family or community., After the United States entered World War II, the government used the school in 1942 to register persons of Japanese ancestry for incarceration. Several former students served in the military while their families were incarcerated. After the war, many chose not to return. In 1993, UW Tacoma acquired the building. After the war, the building stood mostly vacant until 2004 when the wooden structure, which had deteriorated beyond repair, was demolished., The students who studied at this Nihongo Gakko went on to distinguished lifetime careers as physicians, dentists, nurses, engineers, attorneys, a federal judge, teachers, university professors and corporate managers. They served in the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the U.S. Army and in the Military Intelligence Service where bilingual skills were the prerequisite., The incarceration of U.S. citizens and longtime residents of Japanese descent is a dark chapter in the history of Tacoma and our nation. Ironically, some of the most enduring lessons taught at the Japanese Language School were those of integrity, respect, tolerance and the importance of community, lessons we must not forget., Masato and Kinu Yamasaki, Principal and Teacher , The Nihongo Gakko and its principal were one and the same, said former students of the school. These students recall the tremendous influence the principal, Masato Yamasaki, and his wife, Kinu, had in Tacoma's Japanese American community, as well as in the personal lives of their students. In their teachings, the Yamasakis personified the community's pride in being American while working to help children embrace their cultural heritage. They encouraged the children to live by a moral code that called for them to be highly ethical and respectful, to behave as model citizens representing their community, during a time when discrimination against Japanese and other people of color was commonplace., Former students of the Japanese Language School say they have carried their teachings throughout their lives and passed them on to their own children. Mr. Yamasaki, as a noted community leader, was among the first arrested as World War II began. He died in 1943 in the Lordsburg N.M. isolation camp. Mrs. Yamasaki passed away in 1946 in Tacoma., This memorial is dedicated to the memory of Mr. and Mrs. Yamasaki, the teachers and students of Tacoma's Nihongo Gakko, and the parents and community leaders who built and supported the school., Toyo Saka Noboru , (Rising Bright Sun), Nihongo Gakko school song written by Mr. Masato Yamasaki, Endowed with the spirit of Japan , Where the sun rises brightly, , Born in America under the star-spangled banner, , We have a mission., Surrounded by the magnificent ranges and deep blue Sound, , We must be diligent in pursuit of our ideals., In harmony let us continue to cultivate and discipline our minds, , To dedicate ourselves for the sake of the world and fellow man., With our heart great as the vast land and wide as the Pacific, , Let us fulfill our destiny with vigor and energy., Ah, students, 300 strong. , Soon to spread your wings, , To fly away to the wide world with hope and courage. , But please remember always your FURUSATO - your home.