The North American Post
@TheNorthAmericanPostThe North American Post is a Japanese newspaper published in Seattle, Washington. As the oldest Japanese newspaper, it widely covers the nikkei community in the Northwest region. Currently it's published weekly as a bilingual newspaper in Japanese and English. A Japanese magazine Soy Source is its sister paper.
Updated December 2014
Stories from This Author
Interview with Kaori Nakamura (Pacific Northwest Ballet School Faculty Member)
Jan. 16, 2018 • The North American Post
She puts on a fluffy dress, strides onto the romantic stage and dances splendidly. It’s the dream of many a girl to be a ballerina. Kaori Nakamura, a top dancer for Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB), lived that dream, dancing for years on center stage. Nakamura is also teaching in the Pacific Northwest Ballet School these days. We caught up with her to see what life is like for a star ballerina. Interview conducted by Naoko Watanabe, translated by Bruce Rutledge …
Interview with Nahomi Kawasumi (Seattle Reign FC Footballer)
Dec. 28, 2017 • The North American Post
I want to play well so our fans are satisfied Nahomi Kawasumi is a member of the Seattle Reign, a team in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She finished her third season with the team this year. The local media call her “Naho.” You’re likely to see her name pop up more and more these days. We sat down with her to discuss soccer and life in Seattle. Interview conducted by Naoko Watanabe, translation by Bruce Rutledge The …
Japanese Newspaper Reincarnates as Hokubei Hochi after the War ~ North American Post History
Aug. 3, 2017 • The North American Post
A noticeboard for a community anxious about its safety The compulsory expulsion of Nikkei during World War II had all but wiped out the Japanese American presence in Japantown. After the war, as people were released from the camps, they restarted their lives. Japanese-language media started to appear, and in June 1946, a publication that continues today, Hokubei Hochi, was published by Hochi Shinbun. The editor in chief was the same person who published Hokubei Jiji before the war, Sumio …
Hokubei Jiji The Pillar of Early Japanese Immigrants
Aug. 2, 2017 • The North American Post
A place to share information is part of an indispensable building block for the formation of immigrant communities. Today, various mediums serve as information transmitters that help support communities. In the early 20th century when Seattle’s Japanese American society was being formed, Japanese-language newspapers had substantial influence as the foremost source of information for Japanese immigrants. The Japanese community saw tremendous growth around 1900 with the transfer of the Consulate office from Tacoma to Seattle, and the opening of a …
Nikkei Politicians, Organizations React to WWII Incarceration "Precedent"
Dec. 28, 2016 • The North American Post
Japanese American politicians and national organizations shared their concerns in the past week on a recent controversial remark about World War II Japanese incarceration as a “precedent” for a potential immigrant registry. This came out after an interview on FOX News on November 16 that Carl Higbie, a co-chair and spokesperson for the Great America PAC for Donald Trump, discussed the future possibility of creating a Muslim registry. Statements included: U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono “The internment of Japanese-Americans during World …
Hori Bathhouse Restored
July 14, 2016 • The North American Post
Frank Hori recalled days when he enjoyed soaking in the family bathtub in the 1930s in a farming valley along the Green River in Auburn, Washington. He sometimes heard train sounds, but mostly there was silence, unlike today’s constant vehicle noise from State Highway 18. The Hori Furoba (bathhouse) at the historic Neely Mansion was restored this year after a long preservation project. The site is located in the back yard of the mansion, built in 1929 by Hori’s father …
Portland Japanese Garden aims to become Oregon's new center for Japanese culture, coexisting with nature, new facility to be completed next year
June 6, 2016 • The North American Post
The forest park that spreads out to the west of Portland offers a quiet natural area at a moderate distance from the city center. The Portland Japanese Garden features five garden elements in the nature of the Northwest. With an excellent balance of location and scenery, it is one of the city's famous sites, attracting 350,000 visitors a year. Currently, a new project is underway to build a cultural facility called "Cultural Crossing," and it is increasing its presence as …
New Exhibit Shares Memories of Hunt Hotel
March 9, 2016 • The North American Post
JCCCW President Kurt Tokita recalled a meeting over 10 years ago when the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington’s project was on the table. It was the first time he heard about his own connection to the building, where his father Shokichi and family lived temporarily from 1945 to 1947. “Since then, the cultural center project has become really personal for me,” Tokita said. Not only Tokita but the community still remembers rich stories of their “center,” which was …
Discovering a Forgotten Photographer Elmer Ogawa
March 1, 2016 • The North American Post
Elmer Ogawa: After hours with Seattle’s forgotten photographer is a unique biography that captures both the remarkable life of an almost entirely unknown figure and countless snippets of local history. Through Ogawa’s photographs and correspondence and interviews with what few colleagues, friends, and family he could find—including actress and singer Pat Suzuki—author Todd Matthews provides context and a platform for a wealth of photographs and corresponding anecdotes that may otherwise have gathered dust in the University of Washington Libraries Special …
Sharing Memories for the Future of Nihonmachi
Dec. 17, 2015 • The North American Post
There had, for decades, been many Japanese signs and Japanese was spoken by local merchant and visitors who came and went on the street. In the late afternoon, workers might come back to share the Japanese public bath, sento, to refresh themselves and enjoy swapping stories about their day. These nostalgic scenes are from Nihonmachi, located in a part of the current International District. From the late 19th century, the population of Japanese immigrants sharply increased while they resided in …
