Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial — Attraction in Bainbridge Island

Sobering and educational stop in Bainbridge. Very worth your time. You'll see where Japanese Americans stood as they were forced to board a ferry, not knowing when to expect next as they were headed to internment camps just for having Japanese heritage. At each step along the path, I learned something I didn't know. The quotes from Japanese Americans that were shared were powerful. I appreciated the spaces available for leaving paper cranes.

There is a walking path to get to most of the memorial that is pretty accessible. It is not steep and is fairly short (you can see the end of it from the parking lot) though some people may have difficulty. There is a resting spot partway if needed. And wheelchairs will be fine.

There is no cost to visit this memorial. It does close at 5pm, so you will want to go during the day. We went on a Saturday afternoon and did not feel crowded at all or have difficulty finding a...

This is an incredibly powerful memorial about the 200+ Japanese who were whisked away shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They were relocated into "camps" until the war was over. Most were American citizens.

All of them had their rights trampled despite our supposed adherence to a constitution. They were put into these camps out of fear and racism. Not because of any real threat.

In all, 120,000 People of Japanese descent were incarcerated in camps around the country. Many lost their lands and most of their possessions. Only recently have presidents apologized for these tragic events.

The big question is, have we learned our lesson? Would we ever again trample on the rights of our citizen simply because of a group's race, ethnic background or religion? What do our current presidential candidates...

The Park Ranger made all the difference. I did not PreArrange a tour but when people gathered, he started a very informative and interesting explanation of everything. The whole history of the internment is described on large walls and there is even a free jr ranger guide which is suitable for all ages. It was illustrated in anime style by a Japanese artist and contains fill in the blank questions that go with the presentation and the displays. It really leads one to connect with the feelings that took place in regards to the Japanese internment camp. We spent about an hour and a half then visited the Bainbridge Gardens plant store, which is owned by a Japanese family who returned from the...