Ichiro's town: In Seattle, Japanese culture, art, and food are as popular as the Mariners' right fielder - Japanese Seattle, Washington; baseball player Ichiro Suzuki - Brief Article

Sunset, April, 2002 by Steven R. Lorton

The year was 1896, and a ship named the Miike Maru steamed into Seattle's Elliott Bay from Japan. Two hundred and fifty-three immigrants walked off the boat to begin a new life in Seattle.

Today the descendants of those early immigrants form a large and influential community, and Japanese culture has become such an integral part of the Seattle scene that you can't go far without noticing it. Japanese art and antiques fill shops and decorate the city's homes. Two cultural festivals, one in spring (April 19-21 this year), the other in autumn, draw crowds for everything from Taiko drum performances to miniwork-shops on how to fold an origami crane. And just about anytime, hungry Seattleites can be found gobbling noodles, sushi, sashimi, and tempura at restaurants all over the city.

Seattle's love affair with things Japanese has reached a whole new crescendo this year. When Seattle Mariners sensation Ichiro Suzuki runs out on the baseball diamond at Safeco Field, the crowd roars, Rising Sun flags wave frantically, and lines of blue-eyed blond guys stand up, flaunting huge letters painted on their bare chests: I-C-H-I-R-O.

Akira Takeda, who works with the Pacific Center for Cultural Arts, isn't surprised that Japanese culture has been so successfully assimilated. "Of course, there is the trade and global proximity. But, like Japan, both mountains and water shape Seattle. There is a love of natural forms and an appreciation of understated elegance. And, like the Japanese, Seattleites have a streak of zany eccentricity that shows up at unexpected times."

Just ask Ichiro's wacky fans.

The best of the Nipponese Northwest

Discovering Japanese Seattle can be a delightful citywide treasure hunt.

First stop should definitely be Uwajimaya. Opened in 1928 by Fujimatsu Moriguchi, it is today the largest family-owned Asian food market in the Pacific Northwest, now housed in a grand 54,000-square-foot home. Thirty thousand shoppers come here weekly in search of everything from green tea and tsukemono (pickled vegetables) to paper lanterns. Don't miss Kinokuniya Bookstore in the northeast corner of the building, where you will find everything from collections of Japanese poetry to books on the art of bonsai.

Shops filled with Japanese art and antiques dot the city. Look for Edo period screens at Honeychurch Antiques. At Azuma Gallery you might fall in love with a contemporary etching by noted Kyoto artist Ryohei Tanaka. Kris Kadoshima of Design Concern sells handsome and unusual contemporary home accessories. And you'll find exquisite Japanese antiquities at Kagedo Japanese Art.

But to really savor the essence of Japanese Seattle, you must visit a Japanese garden. The mild Puget Sound climate provides a perfect environment for the maples, bamboos, azaleas, broad-leafed evergreens, and conifers that are the backbone of Japanese garden design. The Seattle Japanese Garden at Washington Park Arboretum covers 31/2 acres and is widely considered one of the best outside Japan. Just reopened after a six-month renovation, the park will have wisterias and cherries in full flower this month.

Kubota Garden celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. This 20-acre garden was the liying laboratory of landscape designer and contractor Fujitaro Kubota. The gardens were acquired by the city of Seattle, thanks to the generosity of Kubota's sons, Tom and Takeshi, and now open to all as a public park.

Whether garden touring or shopping, take a break at one of the dozens of Japanese restaurants ranging from mom-and-pop noodle or tempura houses to chic eateries where you might order quail eggs. With the regional abundance of fresh seafood, sushi and sashimi are especially popular: Seattleites consume a ton of local raw fish daily, supplemented by exotic specialties flown in from fish brokers in Japan.

That's a lot of sushi. It's also tangible proof that the great American melting pot still works.

RELATED ARTICLES: Uncovering Japanese Seattle

For more on Japanese culture in Seattle, contact the Consulate-General of Japan (2 Union Square, Suite 500; 206/682-9107 or www.cgjapansea.org).

Festivals

You can get fun introductions to Japanese culture at two major festivals, with demonstrations of everything from classic dance to aikido martial arts. You'll also find traditional foods, folk arts, and the timesaving gadgets for which the Japanese are famous.

Aki Matsuri Fall Festival. Sep 14--15; free. Bellevue Community College; (425) 861-9109 or wwwenma.org.

Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival. Apr 19--21; free. Seattle Center; (206) 723-2003.

Shopping

Azuma Gallery. Closed Sun-Mon. 530 First Ave. S; (206) 622-5599.

Design Concern. 1420 Fifth Ave., Suite 201; (206) 623-4444.

Honeychurch Antiques. Closed Sun--Mon. 1008 James St.; (206) 622-1225.

Kagedo Japanese Art. Closed Sun--Mon. 520 First Ave. S; (206) 467-9077.

Kinokuniya Bookstore. 525 S. Weller St.; (206) 587-2477.

Uwajimaya. 600 Fifth Ave. S; (206) 624-6248.

Gardens

Kubota Garden. Open dally during daylight hours; free. Rent on Ave. S and 55th Ave. S; (206) 725-5060.