YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — The Japanese population in Wapato has dwindled but the spirit is strong as the Buddhist Church prepares to feed 1,500 at Sunday’s sukiyaki dinner in the church gym.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reports about 120 volunteers are helping the 18 remaining church members honor the legacy of Japanese pioneers in the Yakima Valley. In the early 1900s they put land into farm production and dug some of the first irrigation canals.
The first sukiyaki dinner was held in 1961 as a fundraiser for the church that served Japanese-American families who returned after the World War II internment.
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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakimaherald.com
