Recovering a Neighborhood: Nihonmachi

At the Museum | Farrand Auditorium

Archaeological investigations of Santa Barbara's Nihonmachi (Japantown) neighborhood have been ongoing since the late 1960s, yet there is still much to understand about this neighborhood. During this free public screening presented by the Santa Barbara County Archaeological Society, UCLA Anthropology Assistant Professor Koji Lau-Ozawa, Ph.D., will discuss recent efforts to revisit this work by reconstructing excavation reports, re-cataloging existing museum collections, and analyzing newly excavated materials.

Working with students from UCLA and colleagues from multiple universities, Dr. Lau-Ozawa's findings from the material remains of Santa Barbara's Nihonmachi neighborhood have forced a reappraisal of the dynamics and history of the site. From cosmopolitan consumption patterns to local networks, the life of a once-vibrant neighborhood comes into focus as a complex and everchanging entity, transcending the boundaries of an "ethnic enclave."

No tickets or reservations required. Contact sbcas@sbnature2.org for more information.

Photos courtesy Koji Lau-Ozawa