When the Mikado was Home

The Mikado Hotel and Bathhouse opened in the heart of Portland’s historic Japantown in 1908 and was a center of retail and activity until it closed in 1942 due to Executive Order 9066, which forcibly removed 110,000 Nikkei from the West Coast and incarcerated them in various confinement sites. When the Mikado was Home shares recollections of this special place through an intergenerational conversation between Joni Kimoto, whose family owned the Mikado, and her granddaughter, writer Lauren Yoshiko Terry.
This video was created by Derek Edamura, a Seattle-based documentary editor, teaching artist, and community organizer who creates meaningful partnerships that empower emerging artists to tell the stories that are important to them and represent their authentic experience. Over the past thirteen years, he has worked for corporate clients, non-profits, short independent films, and feature-length documentaries. Derek has worked as a teaching artist for secondary schools, community centers, and summer programs. Currently, he is the Digital Storyteller for the Port of Seattle focused on expanding the video program and integrating community storytelling into narratives.