The basement of a Seattle hotel holds a secret history of Japanese Americans

March 21 marks 82 years since the U.S. government forced Japanese Americans into concentration camps following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
When released, they found refuge and stability in an unlikely place: Seattle hotels.
Some of those hotels that played roles in that story are still standing today. The Panama Hotel watches over Seattle's Nihonmachi, or Japantown.
Jan Johnson maintains the 102 rooms inside. The hotel had a lot of Japanese influence, as the owners before Johnson were Mr. and Mrs. Takashi Hori. The hotel was also built by the first Japanese American architect in Seattle, Sabro Ozasa.
However, the basement of the Panama holds secrets only a few know about.
The Panama Hotel's basement is home to items left by Japanese Americans who were imprisoned following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
READ MORE: www.king5.com/...

[@DBHawk3]

My heart is most definitely broken about this piece of history 😢.

[@JTSunriseMusic]

That where my recording studio is, leave me alone

[@mywayout9467]

My family was also sent to Minidoka and served in the 442nd. I've made the trip to see where my grandfather and family spent 3 years of their childhoods living in the middle of rural idaho behind armed guards and barbed wire. America just gaslight our american history. Thanks for preserving and documenting the historical hotel.

[@tracyroberts6800]

This is a good piece Jan.

[@digital_gadget]

Thanks for sharing a piece of Seattle history.

[@aftonair]

Thank you.

[@alohamom2380]

Thank you for sharing this story. I had the opportunity to take out-of-town guests to the hotel last week for a light breakfast and meet Jan. She is a delight and is very vested in preserving this part of WWII history. Definitely recommend visiting the Coffee/Tea Shop, the Japanese garden across the street and possibly staying for the weekend in one of the rooms!

[@judd442009]

Thanks, KING5, for producing this news feature. Documenting the tragic biographies of Japanese Americans serve as ongoing reminders of how flawed political movements were in the past and still are today.

[@rebeccapaul6455]

A very sad part of our nation's history. Don't forget.

[@jerryloufretz1797]

Wrongfully done

[@jerryloufretz1797]

...I have a friend who was born there.

[@GR3YD3ATH]

well repeat it they will. looking to repeat stalin and mao right now in seattle... move along.

[@michaelhood1291]

Horrible situation and many honest Asian-Americans paid a tremendous sacrifice for the actions of a few 😢But I can’t fault America for trying to prevent an internal invasion.

[@BlownMacTruck]

Uh what? Have you learned nothing g from history? Wow. Just… wow.

[@traysloane4630]

Bruh blacks been saying this since forever now ppl want to listen to

[@bey351]

Same thing they doing to palestine 🇵🇸

[@Matt-kt9nm]

With everything that happens.

[@GR3YD3ATH]

feel free to visit there if you believe that...

[@Tomdelongpenis]

2:35 the internment camps were a terrible attrocity that should never be forgotten bur concentration camp is tone deaf as hell