Densho

This year, Densho turns 30. Executive Director Naomi Ostwald Kawamura reflects on the organization’s past, present, and future, honoring the community that built Densho and addressing the urgent work of protecting public history in an increasingly divided moment.

By preserving her testimony, Densho ensures that stories of resilience, injustice, and resistance, like Aiko’s, remain accessible for present and future generations. Your support makes this work possible. Please consider making a gift today: densho.donorsupport.co/-/XBJXRNPC

Aiko also served as a consultant to the Smithsonian Institution and the Justice Department’s Office of Redress Administration.

“We didn’t have separate rooms. It was like a regular barrack, we all slept next to each other.”

Become a monthly donor at densho.org/historykeepers Together, we can honor the past, adapt to the present, and build a lasting legacy for the future, where these stories—and the lessons they carry—remain visible, powerful, and protected.

History Keepers also gain access to membership benefits, more opportunities to engage with our community, and exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at the work that is made possible through your support.

For 30 years, Densho has preserved and shared the stories of Japanese Americans unjustly incarcerated during WWII, ensuring that their voices are never erased.

Explore how technology, community vision, and three decades of work have influenced the way Densho preserves and shares Japanese American history. Technology has changed dramatically since 1998, but Densho’s mission hasn’t. 🔗 Read more at densho.org/catalyst

In a new blog post, Archives Director Caitlin Oiye Coon traces the evolution of Densho’s digital archives—from those early experiments to today’s Digital Repository, which includes more than 1,000 oral histories and 150,000 historical photographs and documents.

What did the first Densho digital archive look like in 1998? Think: dial-up internet, computer kiosks at the Wing Luke Museum, and even a “tip sheet for computer novices” explaining how to use a mouse (which is the previous iteration of a trackpad, for those who may not know).