World Beat Gallery: Japanese Voice from the Northwest

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Local Japanese American History
Featured in World Beat Gallery Exhibit

The World Beat Gallery exhibit, Japanese Voices from the Northwest, tells the tale of a small, vibrant Japanese American community that once thrived in the Lake Labish area of Salem, off present-day Portland Road. Members of this community were drawn to the area by landowner-legislators M.L. Jones and his son Ronald, and Japanese immigrant farmer, Roy Kinzaburo Fukuda, who saw the potential of the rich dark ”beaver dam” land. In its prime, Lake Labish was one of the most famous, prolific agricultural areas in the country.

“With their hard work and greenhouse farming techniques, the Japanese farmers of Lake Labish gained national recognition for their superior products, yet today few people in Salem know the community even existed,” Mako Hayashi-Mayfield, the exhibit cultural consultant, said. “While some local historians have worked to keep these stories alive, the reality is the Japanese community all but vanished after World War II. That’s why this exhibit was created. We hope it will help to preserve the Japanese legacy in Lake Labish and Salem through interviews, artifacts and historical articles.”

The World Beat Gallery helps to bring alive the evolution of the Japanese American community in our area, from the early Twentieth Century through today. The exhibit includes the stories of the people and places of those times. Several local Japanese families share their personal histories, memories, artifacts and photos, all of which will be on display.

The World Beat Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday. It’s closed all major holidays. The Salem Multicultural Institute was founded in 1997 to create an atmosphere of openness and appreciation for people of all ethnic backgrounds and its primary program has been the annual World Beat Festival. The World Beat Gallery opened in 2006 to showcase the cultures of local ethnic communities. The Salem Multicultural Institute is honored to present “Japanese Voices from the Northwest” as its 11th exhibit.

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Japanese Voice from the Northwest

World Beat Gallery
189 Liberty St. SE, Suite 211B
Reed Opera House, Downtown Salem, Oregon

Hours
Tuesday through Friday 10a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
and by appointment
(503) 581-2004