Day 236: Nihon Go Gakko, Seattle, Washington
📌APIA Every Day (236) - The Seattle Nihon Go Gakko, established in 1902, is the oldest functioning Japanese language school in the U.S. Founded as part of an extensive network of Japanese language schools across the Pacific Coast, it served as an educational institution for Nisei and Sansei (second and third-generation Japanese Americans). The school operated as a supplementary education system, with classes held after regular public-school hours, typically running for two hours each weekday.
The institution's physical location changed several times during its early years. Initially housed on the second floor of the Furuya Company Building at 216 Second Avenue South, it relocated to the Buddhist Church basement in 1910. In 1913, community fundraising efforts yielded $10,000 for a dedicated building on Weller Street, which opened with 98 students across eight primary grades plus additional students in refresher courses. The school expanded significantly with new buildings added in 1917 and 1920, eventually reaching an enrollment of 1,800 students by the 1930s. Approximately 25 instructors, all trained in Japanese teaching schools, staffed the institution and provided weekend instruction in surrounding communities including Sunnydale, Bellevue, Green Lake, Vashon, and Sumner.
The school's operations ceased abruptly with the 1942 Exclusion Orders, leading to property confiscation by the federal government. During World War II, the facilities were repurposed for Army Air Force personnel training, while some former students served in the U.S. military as interrogators and document translators. Post-war, the building temporarily housed 27 Japanese American families for three years before resuming its educational function.
The modern Seattle Japanese Language School operates on a much smaller scale, serving approximately 100 secondary school students. A significant shift occurred in 1966 when Seattle's public school system began incorporating Japanese language instruction into six high schools' curricula. This integration into the public education system has reduced the financial burden of Japanese language education but has also diminished the school's original role as a dedicated center for Japanese language and cultural instruction. The institution remains operational today, having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982, though its function has evolved substantially from its original early 20th-century mission.
LEARN MORE:
National Archives Catalog: Nihon Go Gakko NRHP Form
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington: Seattle Japanese Language School
Historylink Tours: Japanese Language School or Nihon Go Gakko
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