Join Us for the 2025 Wakamatsu Pilgrimage

Honor the Pioneers. Discover Your Roots.
Join us for our fourth biennial pilgrimage to the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony, the site of the first large Japanese settlement in America. This is your rare chance to walk the grounds where Japanese pioneers made history, and to visit the gravesite of Okei, the first Japanese woman to die in the U.S.

This event is more than a historical tour—it’s a vibrant celebration of our shared heritage. Explore the 1850s farmhouse museum and learn about the colony’s fascinating history. You’ll have the opportunity to meet the largest gathering of descendants of the Wakamatsu colonists, including five originally from Japan. You can also participate in FREE family history consultations with volunteers from the California Genealogical Society. The day will also feature lively cultural performances, including Bon Odori dancing to honor ancestors and powerful taiko by Koyasan Kongo Gumi. And for a unique treat, enjoy a sake tasting with Gekkeikan!

To make your journey easy and enjoyable, we offer convenient bus and bento packages from San Jose, San Francisco, the East Bay, and Sacramento. We look forward to seeing you there as we continue this living legacy together.