Nikkei Lantern

Location

Narration

Narrated by: Kory & Jacqueline

Images

Nikkei Lantern Image 1
Nikkei Lantern Image 2
Nikkei Lantern Image 3

Audio Transcript

Have you ever walked down the streets of Japantown and noticed a big tall post standing at the edge of the sidewalk? That is actually the Nikkei Lantern!
Hi, this is Jacqueline and Kory and you are standing in front of the Nikkei Lantern.

The Nikkei Lantern was created to represent the optimism of the Japanese Americans despite their hardships. It is made of white steel, stands over 36 feet high, and it is lit from within by LEDs. This symbol is located on the corner of 5th Street and Jackson. Nikkei means “of Japanese descent.” It is a lantern because it lights up at night. The light at the top represents eternal hope. The lantern has an unusual bend. The lantern is bent to remind us of the hardships that the Nikkei faced. You will notice that inside the bend it says February 19, 1942. This marks the date that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. The order sent over 100,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor they thought the Japanese Americans were working for Japan as spies. Forced to relocate to the internment camps was a tragic event for Japanese Americans because many lost their homes and businesses. The Nikkei lantern was part of a project funded by California State Senate Bill 307 and the City of San Jose to commemorate the four generations of the Japanese American experience. It was completed in 2008.

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