IMMERSION PAGE

It was a great experience for me to walk down Jackson Street to immerse myself into the Japanese culture. In a way, I was Sal Paradise in search of adventures. Though walking down Jackson Street is not the first time that I did, considering that I frequently took the bus there towards home, I certainly felt a sense of belonging and lingering to the beauty of the street full of different color backgrounds and heritages. This page is dedicated entirely to the walking tour and narration of my journey into the unknown, the incredible world of Jackson street.

My dad dropped me and my mother off in front of the Nikkei Manor on the corner of Sixth and Lane street. Nikkei Manor is the Japanese nursing home where my mother works. It was march 10 which was a Friday and it was raining really hard on the afternoon. Just to let you know, these pictures were taken days after my tour on Jackson Street because of the fact that it was raining that day. With my head covered carefully with an umbrella, I began a stroll on Jackson Street.

Perhaps the largest Japanese supermarket in Seattle, Uwajimaya stands out as one of the beautiful Asian heritages in Seattle. It is a two story building with the top one selling all kinds of merchandise. On the second floor, there are magazines, flowers, plants, books, stamps, statues of Buddha, figures of samurais, movies, etc. There is also a book section with all having to do with the Japanese Interment Camp. I read some of the books there and took off.

Next, I made my way to Union Station in International District and I saw these pictures of the clock tower near the Kingdome. The clock seems to be very old, probably was constructed no less than ten or twenty years ago. Then I remembered the description of the clock tower by Okada in No-No Boy and wondered if this is the same clock tower that Ichiro mentioned at least two or three times in the novel. I contemplated the clock and sure enough an idea just popped into my mind. When Ichiro's first released from jail, he looks at the clock tower and his eyes are full of contempt, rebellion, and hopelessness. Then at the end of the book, when he looks at the clock tower again, his hatred, and rebellion vanish, and he is full of hope again. The clock tower represents the length of time for an individual to completely understand the concept of life in order to change one's personality.

I then passed by the Japanese video stores, restaurants, and baking store. These places really make me feel belonging and comfortable. I loved the smell of baking cake, and the mellifluous sound of Japanese musics. The baking store was the place where I met an old Japanese and talked to him about the Japanese internment camp. He was very generous and gave me a cup of tea while talking to me. I left when the rain started to abate.

This is where my tour ends. On the left side is a picture of me walking down the alley. The reason for this is that I want to feel what Ichiro feels when he is first released from jail and head home. To be honest, I think that Jackson street is really dirty and you could literally see garbages on the street. The other picture is the one I just took for fun because I like to take pictures.