First Day of Remembrance observance, 1978. Photo courtesy of the Mizu Sugimura Collection, Densho.
Day of Remembrance (DOR) 2026
Various Dates
The 2026 Day of Remembrance, Feb. 19, brings a number of events to commemorate the 86th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced incarceration of Japanese American citizens and their families during WWII.
Japanese American Remembrance Trail Tours are offered in February, March and April
Western Washington is hosting a dozen events, including several Japanese American Remembrance Trail tours by the Wing Luke Museum, which will inform and educate visitors and honor the survivors of the Japanese Incarceration.
Take this tour to visit the history of the vibrant Japanese American community before WWII and learn more about the historic preservation and re-emergence of present Japantown/Nihonmachi!
Tours dates include:
Saturday, 2/21, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Saturday, 2/28, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Saturday, 3/7, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Saturday, 3/14, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Saturday, 4/11, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Saturday, 4/18, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Participants on bus for the first DOR in 1978. Photo courtesy of the Mizu Sugimura Collection, Densho.
Beyond the Barbed Wire is Part of Day of Remembrance Activities Underway
One notable new initiative to support broader education is Beyond the Barbed Wire: Japanese American Stories of the Pacific Northwest, a project created in partnership by Friends of Minidoka in partnership with the Wing Luke Museum and funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project initiative.
This educational resource uses the transformative power of storytelling to make monuments of little-known historic sites. This digital experience tells a complete story about belonging and identity in America before, during, and after World War II. Through maps, oral stories, and artifacts, Beyond the Barbed Wire compels us to face — and learn from — the difficult truths of our past.
The first tour, Resisters of the Pacific Northwest, presents stories of resistance within the Japanese American community before, during, and after World War II. Another tour will launch this spring.
More Day of Remembrance events throughout February
For more information on events hosted by other organizations around the Pacific Northwest and throughout the nation, visit the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) national site through the button below.