The Japan Information & Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan, together with the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA), is proud to present “Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts.” This exhibition tells a patriotic story, through the photographs taken by Armed Forces and Japanese American veterans, of Americans of Japanese Ancestry who fought in WWII. This exhibition features rare photographs and documents depicting Japanese American WWII military service.
Eighty years ago, Americans of Japanese Ancestry volunteered for military service in the United States Army and became part of the famed all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team. As a unit, they fought bravely in the European theater of war. The US Army continues to recognize them as the most decorated unit for their size and length of service in US military history. Japanese Americans also served as linguists in the Pacific theater, making tremendous contributions to the Allied victories.
Parts of this exhibit have been shown in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, which was adapted and shown there for more than 25 years. Come and join us at the JICC for a talk from historian Eric Saul about the photos on diplay on November 8, 2023 (Details to be published here at a later date).
The exhibition is free and open to the public. The exhibition will run from September 21 through December 15 and will be open to the public during regular JICC hours, 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. The JICC will be closed on October 9 for Columbus Day, November 10 in observance of Veterans Day, and November 23 to 24 for in observance of the Thanksgiving Day holidays.