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National Park Service National Japanese American Memorial Foundation Recruits and Trains Ten Docents to Guide Tours of the National Japanese American Memorial in Washington, DC The National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II in Washington, D.C., honors the 120,000 Japanese Americans unjustly incarcerated during the war. Located a stone's throw from the u.s. Capitol, where laws were enacted forcing Japanese Americans into incarceration sites, the memorial is the only major location in the eastern United States that now tells this important story. Guided tours of the memorial offer visitors - including federal officials, journalists, civil rights leaders, educators, and the general public - insight into the memorial's origins, symbols, architecture and artistic elements, information that is not explained by signage. With a 2010 NPS Japanese American Confinement Sites grant of $38,909, the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation trained ten new docents to guide tours of the memorial. Previously, the foundation had only four docents, all of whom were members of the 442 nd Regimental Combat Team or had been confined in one of the incarceration centers. Now in their 80s and 90s, these docents could only accommodate approximately ten of the dozens of tour requests the foundation receives each year. The Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II in Washington, D.C. Davis Buckley Architects and Planners designed the memorial; Paul Matisse designed the memorial bell; and Nina Akuma created the "Golden Cranes" sculpture. Photo courtesy: Davis Buckley Architects and Planners Author and historian Dr. Franklin Odo developed training sessions in collaboration with the foundation to recruit a new generation of docents for the memorial. The docents are diverse in ethnicity, and range from students to retirees. Over a nine-month period, they were trained during five, two-hour workshops that included visits to the memorial, training regarding the memorial's development and design, and attendance at special programs that utilize tours, such as the Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk and the Day of Remembrance, which included a special screening of the documentary 442: Live with Honor, Die with Dignity and Q&A with filmmaker Junichiro Suzuki. They also learned about the fundraising efforts used to build a memorial on the National Mall. The docents will provide routine tours, as well as tours during events held at the memorial and for specific anniversaries. The grant also funded educational materials on the foundation's website at www.njamf.com. The website supplements the memorial's Wall of Honor, which lists the names of the 810 Japanese American men who died during World War II, with more information such as the men's ranks, medals received, and memories from family and friends. Volunteer docents-in-training, guest speakers, and project director Franklin Odo met at the Memorial during the first training session. From L-R: Raymond Murakami, Noriko Sanefuji, Ted Gong, Betty Taira, John Kusano, Mai Ichihara, Mike Balis (NPS), Warren Minami, Bruce Yamashita, Gale Awaya McCallum, Franklin Odo. Photo courtesy: National Japanese American Memorial Foundation 24