Documentary on Seattle’s Bush Garden Will Be Screened Tomorrow at Tacoma Film Festival | Eater Seattle

"I learned that Bush Garden, established in 1953 in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, was the nation’s first restaurant karaoke bar and Washington state's second Japanese restaurant; over decades it became a vital meeting place for activists like “Uncle” Bob Santos who fought gentrification. I recall its popular happy-hour fare — gyoza, onion rings, and shareable yakisoba, pork kimchi, or steak dishes — and a generous pour at the bar that helped make it an ideal community hub. After the historic building was bought by a developer called Vibrant Cities in 2017 the community rallied to save it, but the restaurant ultimately had to close during the pandemic; its furnishings and memorabilia are now stashed in storage under current owner Karen Akada Sakata. The documentary about Bush Garden presents the spot as culturally important and a symbol of hopeful resistance against displacement." - Eater