Born in Mountain View, California in 1924, Doris Haruno Abey began studying traditional Japanese dance at age seven. Incarcerated with her family at Tule Lake and Topaz camps, this Japanese American teen began performing and teaching young children from behind barbed wire.

Over a career that spanned eight decades, this master dancer performed on Broadway and in 45 states; she started her own dance company, teaching countless students on both coasts. After moving to Oregon, Sahomi continued to perform and teach until the age of 95, retiring just two years ago. In 2021, Sahomi received the Emperor’s Commendation Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays -- Japan’s highest civilian honor.

This year, Tachibana will donate the papier mache sword she used in her camp Kabuki performances to the Topaz Museum in Delta, Utah.

Join us for a virtual event: Sahomi Tachibana: American Legacy of a Japanese Dancer on March 3 from 5-6 PM, hosted by documentary filmmaker Lauren Kawana, featuring archival footage of Sahomi dancing at Jacob’s Pillow, and talks by Sahomi’s daughter, students and Japanese American Kabuki performer, Bando Hiroshichiro on the legacy of this living treasure of Japanese Dance. This virtual event is presented by the Friends of Topaz Museum & NextGen: Geijutsuka.