At the podium is Vickie Sakurada Schaepler, coordinator of the Japanese Hall and History Project at the Legacy of the Plains Museum. Seated are (front row, from left) the Honorable Jun Yanagi, consul general of Japan in Chicago; the Honorable Jim Pillen, governor of Nebraska; Hod Kosman, CEO/president of Platte Valley Bank; and Jane Fliesbach, president of the Fliesbach Family Foundation and (back row, from left) Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, president-elect of the University of Nebraska System; Kent Ewing, mayor of the city of Gering, Neb.; and Mike Boyle, president of Kawasaki Motors Manufactduring Corp., U.S.A. (Photo: Kay Hall/Nebraska Public Media)
The Gering, Neb., project is dedicated to the Japanese American community and its future generations.
By Stephen W. Kay, Contributor
The grand opening/ribbon-cutting celebration of the Japanese Hall at the Museum of the Plains in Gering, Neb., took place on the morning of June 8, drawing some 500 people from across Nebraska and the United States, including Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, to witness the historic event.
“This project is dedicated to the Issei, Nisei and Sansei who have gone before and our future generations who will know this history!”
— Vickie Sakurada Schaepler
Among the event’s performers and presenters were Denver Taiko, the Omaha Japanese American Citizens League Dance Troupe, Mogen Dojo: Martial Arts of Medieval Japan, Denver Buddhist Temple Minyo Kai, Tomoko Sheperd, Julie Ushio and History Harvest. It is estimated that approximately 1,000 attendees came to the museum during the day for the activities.
A banquet that was attended by 400 participants was held at the Gering Events Center in the evening. Welcoming remarks and introductions were made by David Wolf, executive director of the Legacy of the Plains Museum, and Vickie Sakurada Schaepler, coordinator of the Japanese Hall and History Project.
Japanese Hall program cover (Photo: Steve Kay)
John Miyoshi gave a traditional Japanese kanpai toast. The Honorable Jun Yanagi, consul general of Japan from Chicago, also made remarks on behalf of the Chicago Consulate. Jill Dolberg, interim director of History Nebraska, and Mike Boyle, president of Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. U.S.A., also spoke.
Schaepler noted in her welcome: “It has been an incredible journey as we have connection with people throughout the state, the region and the nation and other countries to create this museum. These stories of people connect the late 1800s to today. And we have enjoyed building a community of people of all ages and backgrounds, scholars and historians, everyday people and others who shared stories, artifacts and skills that contributed to our success.”
She further remarked, “This project is dedicated to the Issei, Nisei and Sansei who have gone before and our future generations who will know this history!”
Numerous individuals, families, businesses, civic organizations and foundations, including the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, contributed to this project.
The Japanese Hall opening celebration drew a crowd of more than 500. (Photo: Kay Hall/Nebraska Public Media)
Japanese Hall in Scottsbluff was built in 1928 and was used for Japanese language classes, dances, festivals, theater productions, sports clubs and church services. In December 2019, the hall was moved from Scottsbluff to the Legacy of the Plains Museum. It has been renovated and contains exhibits featuring collections from the Japanese community in the Nebraska Panhandle. Japanese Hall and the heritage of the Japanese community will now be preserved for future generations.
For information about tours and admission charges, contact David Wolf, museum director, at (308) 436-1989 or email info@legacyoftheplains.org.
Japanese Hall is located at:
The Legacy of the Plains Museum
2930 Old Oregon Trial in Gering, Neb.
The museum hours are:
Summer (April 2-Oct. 30)
9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Monday-Saturday) and 1-5 p.m. (Sunday)
Winter (Jan. 1-April 1)
9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Monday-Saturday) and 1-5 p.m. (Sunday)
