HistoryCraft invites you to move beyond the history textbook and into a hands-on, collaborative journey through the Japanese American World War II experience.

CREATED BY YOU, NOT FOR YOU
This isn’t a passive exhibit or a pre-made gallery. In HistoryCraft, participants are the creators, and the depth of the journey is found in the act of making. You aren’t just walking through a story – you are discovering it as you build it.

Each HistoryCraft session will result in the transformation of a blank space into a unique, immersive history environment created entirely by the collective work of the group.

THE EXPERIENCE
In this immersive storytelling workshop, you won’t just learn history, you’ll help build it. Working in small, creative teams, you will:

• Craft with Your Hands: Use physical art materials to build tangible pieces of a family’s journey.
• Construct a Narrative: Use your creations to tell the personal story of an individual family member navigating the challenges of the wartime era.
• Collaborate on Building an Immersive Environment: Watch as your team’s unique story weaves into a larger, overarching tapestry of a Japanese American family’s life and the community’s collective history.

WHY IT MATTERS
HistoryCraft is more than an art project – it’s a bridge between the past and our world today. It’s designed to spark deep reflection on justice, resilience, and why these lessons are more urgent than ever in our modern landscape.

WHO IS THIS FOR?
Everyone of all ages! Whether you’re a history buff or know nothing about the subject, you belong here.

No prior knowledge of Japanese American history is required. Just come with an open mind and a willingness to share.

HISTORYCRAFT SESSIONS
May 30, 2026 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (Printable Flyer)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Elsewhere in the U.S. or internationally, we can also facilitate schools and community/educational organizations to host HistoryCraft in your local area. Please fill out this interest form if you’re interested.

PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE
Each team will be assigned a specific family character (father, daughter, etc.) about whom they will be creating a narrative throughout the entire experience.

The experience will be divided into four narrative segments that pertain to specific chapters in Japanese American incarceration history: forced evacuation, camp hardships, dealing with hardships (gaman), and resettlement after the war. Sessions will cover two of the four narrative segments.

In each narrative segment, each team will create a short story about how they feel their assigned character would react or behave based on the situation or prompt. Teams will have a specific amount of time to complete their short story.

Teams will use physical and/or digital media to create 2D or 3D artwork that they can use to help tell their character’s story. Paper, pens, tape, glue, and other materials are provided on each table. Access to printers or other technology is also available.

At the end of each narrative segment, each team takes turns to share their story about their assigned character. Teams can decide on their own how they want to share their stories (e.g., one person talks, the entire team takes turns talking about each media piece, roleplay, etc.)

MORE INFORMATION
To get on to our sign up list or for more information about HistoryCraft, please fill out this interest form.

HistoryCraft was made possible with support from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program.

HistoryCraft is a production of Japantown Productions.