In the early 1900s, Sacramento had the fourth-largest Japantown on the West Coast. So what happened to it? After worship service on September 20, Karen Tsugawa will help trace that history as the designer of the exhibition “Sacramento Japantown: Destroyed By Design,” opening at the Sacramento History Museum on November 6, 2026, and running through May 2027. Karen was also the artist for the Sacramento Japantown mural at Capitol Mall and 4th Street that depicts the history of the Japantown prior and during redevelopment in the 1950s. As a fourth-generation mixed Japanese American, Karen is helping to preserve the history of Sacramento’s Japanese pioneers through art and storytelling alongside her own family history.

The Japantown Museum Exhibit Project is raising funds for the community events that will accompany the exhibit — including a Japantown Matsuri street festival, a walking tour, and an event honoring civil rights hero Fred Korematsu. Please visit https://abaslawfoundation.org/projects-japantown-exhibit/ to read more about the exhibition and to support this fundraiser.

Karen Tsugawa in front of the Sacramento Japantown mural she designed
and brought to life with the help of volunteer painters. Click here to read more about it.