The Jerome Rohwer Committee and the Jerome Rohwer Pilgrimage Planning Committee invite you to register for our upcoming 2025 Jerome Rohwer Pilgrimage in Little Rock, AR, May 21-24, 2025. Register here
The Pilgrimage offers camp survivors, descendants, and others the opportunities to connect with fellow Pilgrims from around the globe. Last year we had Pilgrims from as far east as Europe, and as far west as Hawaii. You will learn about and discuss the legacy and aftermath of WWII era concentration camps in the USA. One day of the Pilgrimage is a journey to each concentration camp site in Jerome and Rohwer, where the sacred Ireichō (a book with names of over 125,000 innocent Japanese and Japanese Americans imprisoned during WWII) will be honored and short services will be held. We will have lunch in McGehee, AR, home to the WWII Japanese Internment Museum, followed by a program that includes taiko drummers and a short Obon festival to honor the spirits of our ancestors. There will be two full days of programming in Little Rock, with historical sessions, survivor perspectives, generational and intergenerational discussions, social activities, and opportunities to research family histories and to stamp the sacred Ireichō. Learning and open conversation lead to understanding and healing.
Program Highlights
- Pilgrimage to the historic grounds of the Jerome and Rohwer Concentration Camps
- Sharon Yamato, a renowned filmmaker, will present her new database of historical information and photographs of the 16 temporary detention facilities. She will also premier portions of her documentary about the process of developing the database co-researched with Stan Honda. Sharon will focus on the Fresno and Santa Anita Detention Facilities, as many of the inmates at those prisons were shipped to Jerome and Rohwer.
- Angelia Payne and her staff at Rising Above, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, will update attendees on the project’s recent progress on their substantial collections related to Jerome and Rohwer, that include a virtual 3-D tour of a Block in Rohwer and highly informative, interactive maps. Rising Above will be onsite to assist attendees with digitizing family albums and collections at no cost. Details about digitizing will follow in a later email.
- Some of the other Featured Speakers include Regina Boone, photojournalist at the Richmond Free Press; David Inoue, Executive Director JACL; and Rob Buscher, Recent past president Philadelphia JACL, and past executive director of Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium.
Details
- Dates: May 21-24, 2025. Onsite registration starts at 1:00 PM, May 21.
- Accommodations: A block of discounted rooms have been reserved at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, 2 Riverfront Pl, North Little Rock, Arkansas, 72114. To take advantage of the discounted rates, reservations must be made before April 30, 2025. The link for the discounted rate is Wyndham Discount. If you choose to call Wyndham to make your reservation, the number is 1-866-657-4458. Be sure to mention that you are making a reservation to attend the Jerome Rohwer Pilgrimage.
- Cost: The registration fee is $350. If you are in need, and you are a survivor of one of the concentration camps, or you are 25 or younger, please email us at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to obtain a discount code for registration. - Registration Deadline: The final date for registration is April 21, 2025. Due to space concerns, we will only be able to accept 200 registrations. Please note that at the bottom of the registration form, you will be offered the opportunity to donate to the event platform, Zeffy, that specializes in serving nonprofits like ours. They are able to offer their services at no cost to nonprofit organizations through user donations. If you choose not to donate to Zeffy, or if you wish to donate a different percentage than the menu offers, click on “OTHER” to enter $0.00, or your desired Zeffy donation amount.
- Essay Contest: The Jerome Rohwer Committee is pleased to announce an essay contest open to all. A generous donation from one of our committee members allows us to offer two free registrations as awards (value $350 each). Details are at Essay Contest.
- Ireichō: You will need an appointment for stamping the Ireichō at the Pilgrimage. Follow the link for Information about the Ireichō and a link for requesting an appointment.
For any inquiries or further information, contact us at
To secure your spot, please complete the registration form at the following link: Registration by April 21.
We look forward to joining you in Little Rock, for a memorable and enriching experience.
Warm regards,
