Julene Tripp Weaver

Seattle’s Panama Hotel is a designated National Historic Landmark. Owner Jan Johnson bought the building in 1985. On a tour with her she said, “I was unemployed, I had no money, and I was a woman.” But, she knew she wanted to preserve the building and revive the history of  ”Japan Town.” The owner, Mr. Hori, came to trust her and when he decided to sell it to her, despite other offers with cash in hand, they made it happen.

Jan Johnson works on a continual process of restoring the building and has photos to show before and after; it still functions as a hotel upstairs, and at street level there is a large restored two-room teahouse full of the neighborhoods’ history. Photos from city archives line the walls, locals come in and sign the photos they find themselves in as children, or when they find their ancestors. They give exact addresses. A map is being put together of the neighborhood through time.

The basement has trunks that are full of belongings left behind by Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps during WWII. Given two days to pack a suitcase of belongings to take with them, they asked the first owner of the hotel if he would store their trunks. When Jan learned about the trunks she would not let them be thrown away, instead she has made it possible for them to be exhibited. Thirty-seven trunks have toured to Ellis Island Immigrant Museum, the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, and the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta. There is now a hole in the floor covered with glass so you can look downstairs to see the trunks. The ones that went to exhibits are still in bubble wrap.

Also, one of the only remaining Japanese bathhouses is in the basement. On the tour Jan takes people down to see it with the only remaining key for the door. When asked why it has not been fixed up and reopened, her answer was simple, “Money.” Jan has worked to support the renovations. She now has support of many organizations, including the University of Washington. She proudly shows us projects students have taken on. One professor at the UW gives his students extra credit for work they do for the Panama Hotel.

In the front windows of the teahouse are large Kines, which were used to make mochi. Of course, she found them in the basement. The last issue of the Japanese newspaper, which stopped its publication by order of the American government, hangs framed in the front of the teahouse. She read to us the editorial written for the final issue.

At the beginning of the tour Jan asked whether we were there because of the book. What book? Turns out Jamie Ford wrote a novel, Hotel at the Corner of Bitter & Sweet, a love story set in 1942 to 1986, which is bringing more attention to the Panama Hotel. The main character searches the trunks to find links to his first love.

Being a tea drinker the Panama Hotel is one of my favorite teahouses in Seattle. It is a great getaway. A place to sit in a couch, a comfy chair, or at a table with a pot of tea and a good book, or on a computer since they have WiFi available. Many writers have made use of this space including Tom Robbins. The hotel even has a ‘Writer’s Suite’ available. A group can easily gather in the adjoining room to the cafe where there is one long wooden table.

The menu has a wide selection of teas including Hojicha Lattes among other specialties such as Rishi Teas. Their teas from around the globe include selections from Japan, China, Sri Lanka, India, Egypt, Thailand, and the Pacific Northwest. They have coffee as well, sandwiches, and traditional Japanese sweets that include mochi treats and green tea shortbread. Jan mentioned that the vegetables in the sandwiches are from the local markets. With further research I learned the mochi treats come from a local Japanese Chef Chika Tokara at Tokara Japanese Confectionery in Greenwood.

I encourage you to visit this teahouse and learn some of the history from what was once a thriving “Japan Town.” In 1938 it had a population of 8,500. Call them to find out when the next tour is scheduled. The cost, $11, is well worth it, and far better than any history course I took in school. It is a living history where the people in the community are participants. The value is tangible, when you walk in you’ll see and feel how the Panama Teahouse is alive.