What is The North American Post (napost.com)?

Updated

The North American Post (napost.com) is a Seattle-area newspaper founded in 1902 and described on its site as the largest and oldest Japanese-language newspaper published in the Seattle area. It serves the Nikkei — Japanese American — community, and its coverage runs across community news, history, culture, events, and people, with content in both English and Japanese.

Who it's for

The paper's own framing is "Voice of the Nikkei community since 1902," and its tagline is "Seattle's Japanese Community News." That points to a readership centered on:

  • Japanese American families in the Seattle region, across generations (the site references Issei, Sansei, and Yonsei readers)
  • People interested in Japanese and Nikkei history, heritage, and culture in the Pacific Northwest
  • Anyone looking for local community events, memorials, festivals, and organizational news

If you're outside Seattle or outside the Nikkei community, the site is still readable as a regional ethnic-press archive and events source, but the local community is clearly the primary audience.

What's on the site

The homepage organizes content into recurring sections and columns rather than a single news feed. Visible categories include:

Area Examples from the site
Community Sansei Journal, Tough Tofu, That Hapa Kid, JCCCW Omoide Story
News & opinion People, Politics, Business, Money Talk
Culture & heritage Culture, Heritage, Health, History
History series "History of Seattle Nikkei Immigrants from 'The North American Times'", Days of the North American Post, Discover Nikkei
Food & arts Food, Art & Trend
Events Event Calendar, "Share your event information," Classifieds
Japan-related Discover Japan, Tokyo History Walk

Recent featured items shown on the page include coverage of a renewed Ishigaki wall and accessible pathway at the Seattle Japanese Garden, an interfaith memorial service for Hiroshima/Nagasaki atomic bomb victims, the Japan Fair's 10th anniversary, and profiles such as "Ahead Of Her Time – Dolores Sibonga" and a remembrance of Staff Sergeant Grover Nagaji.

Language

The site presents both English and Japanese content — the navigation includes a 日本語 (Japanese) link alongside English sections, and the paper is described as a Japanese-language newspaper. In practice, you'll find English-language articles and columns alongside Japanese-language material and Japan-focused coverage.

Practical things to know

  • Events: There's an Event Calendar and a form to "Share your event information," so community organizations can submit listings.
  • Archives: The site links to The Nikkei Newspapers Digital Archive (NNDA), useful for historical research.
  • Advertising and notices: There are pages for Advertise, Classifieds, and a New Year Greeting advertisement order form.
  • Subscriptions: The site has a Subscribe page, which indicates paid subscription options exist. Specific pricing isn't stated in the material available here, so check that page directly for current rates and terms.
  • Contact and background: About, Corporate Info, and a history page ("History of The North American Post") cover the paper's background.

When it's useful to you

  • You want Seattle-area Japanese American community news and event listings in one place.
  • You're researching Nikkei history in the Pacific Northwest and want a long-running primary source plus links to a digital archive.
  • You're organizing a community event and want to submit it or place a classified or ad.
  • You read Japanese and want local coverage in Japanese.

If you need national Japanese American news, Japanese-language news from Japan, or general Seattle news, this is a community paper with a specific focus rather than a general substitute for those sources.