Isn’t it remarkable how buildings can embody the spirit of a community? That’s precisely what the Nippon Kan Theater does.
Welcome to the Nippon Kan Theater a former Japanese theater right here in Seattle. It stands as a powerful reminder of the Japanese American community’s resilience. This building has seen it all.
Let’s step back in time. The Nippon Kan Company created this theater in 1908. Prominent Japanese businessmen in Seattle wanted a place for meetings, performances and housing for new immigrants. The building also would have served as an information hub. Japanese tourists planned to visit the city for the Alaska-Yukon Exposition. Thompson & Thompson designed the four-story building. It featured retail spaces and a hotel above the theater.
Construction started in 1909. The Japanese Association of Washington took control of the project. The Nippon Kan officially opened in January 1910. Initially Nippon Kan was the name of both the theater and the hotel. The hotel became the Astor by 1912.
Before World War II the Nippon Kan Theater thrived. It acted as a community center. Actors and musicians came from Japan to perform here. The theater hosted movies, concerts, judo, kendo and community meetings. Seattle’s only Japanese daily newspaper, Asahi News, operated in this very building.
Then tragedy struck. In 1942 the theater closed during the Japanese American internment. The U.S. government forced people of Japanese descent into camps.
But the story doesn’t end there. Seattle architect Edward M. Burke and his wife Betty lovingly restored the Nippon Kan. It reopened in 1981. The building earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2005, ABC Legal Services bought the building. The theater became office space. Yet the spirit of the Nippon Kan remained.
The original stage curtain survived. It now resides at the nearby Wing Luke Museum. The curtain is encased in resin because it contains asbestos.
Recently in 2023, Eric Hayashi an entrepreneur, bought the building. He is revitalizing the Nippon Kan.
In 2024, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell declared May 23 as Nippon Kan Theatre Day. The Nippon Kan Theater’s renaissance continues. It preserves the past while embracing the future.
The Nippon Kan stands as a testament to community. It represents resilience and cultural pride. Its story echoes through Seattle’s International District. This building has a history. The Nippon Kan Theater will continue to inspire for years to come.