Former Alliance Resident Julie Ushio will provide a lecture about Early Japanese Settlers on the High Plains at noon on Saturday during the grand opening of the Japanese Hall at the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering.
Ushio will share the stories of Japanese immigrants to the United States who came to call Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming their home and how the communities grew around them. Ushio’s family operated the Alliance Cleaners for 65 years, and were members of the Japanese Hall.
The Japanese Hall, which was constructed in Scottsbluff in the early 1900s, provided a space for Japanese immigrants to come together.
When the building was scheduled to be torn down, Vickie Sakurada Schaepler, who coordinated the project, wrote grants and secured the funding needed to secure the building, which was moved to the Legacy of the Plains Museum in December of 2019.
The Grand Opening of the Japanese Hall at the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering will take place on June 8, with a ceremony set to begin at 10 a.m. The event is free to the public, including admission to the museum.
The day is expected to be filled with activities, including dance troupe performances, Taiko Drums, a Koto performance and a medieval martial arts demonstration. There will also be opportunities for origami, calligraphy and games.