On Sunday, July 27, Nikkei Manor celebrated its annual Bon Odori Summer Festival at its senior care facility in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.
The booms from taiko drums ricocheted off the walls, turning the quiet, unassuming parking lot in front of the Nikkei Manor Assisted Living facility into a bustling scene.
Performances by the Okinawan Kenjinkai, Northwest Taiko, and Seattle Matsuri Taiko captivated listeners.
Children dressed in colorful yukata bounced between vendor booths and ran between walkers lined up against the curb.
Residents and community alike enjoyed traditional bon odori foods, yakisoba from Doskoi, kori (flavored snowcones) from Nikkei Manor staff, and onigiri (rice balls) from Onigiri Sanzan. And some not-so-traditional treats, like coffee jelly from local phenomena Koto Jelly Coffee.
Ayame Kai Guild volunteers sold home baked goodies, kimono, and home goods to fundraise for Nikkei Manor.
Residents, friends, family, and community of all ages enjoyed bon odori traditions in this free open-to-the-public event.
Keiro Northwest, the operator of Nikkei Manor Assisted Living facility is a community-based nonprofit organization in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, dedicated to serving elders. It was founded in 1975.
To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Nikkei Manor staff and board members displayed a new historical exhibit exploring Keiro Northwest’s rich history and impact in Seattle.
Nikkei Manor is Seattle’s oldest Asian American Pacific Islander senior care facility and continues to provide culturally-responsive health services for Seattle’s communities.
Theodore Kenzo Dante Bickel is a Seattle-based photographer who has contributed to the International Examiner since 2024. He uses visual storytelling to showcase the vitality of the Chinatown-International District and contemporary Asian American communities in Seattle. He is Shin-Nikkei Japanese American. Born in Portland, Oregon, he grew up in the wilds of southwest Washington state. Theo, or “Tay-o” as his friends call him, found himself putting down roots in the C-ID shortly after arriving in Seattle in 2013. He has spent over a decade working in C-ID community non-profits in development, community engagement, civil rights advocacy, and communications. Theo was one of seven Seattle-based Asian American photographers that published the photography exhibit “Through the Eyes of a Tiger” in May 2023. The photo exhibit blended holistic, not homogenous, views of the C-ID in a critical time of regrowth and development.
