During its July 28, 2026 meeting, the City Council adopted the name Isan Park for the park at Main Street and 112th Avenue SE. Based on community input, the Parks & Community Services Board recommended the name, and the council unanimously agreed with that choice. Isan means “legacy” or “heritage” in Japanese and honors the Japanese American community’s contributions to Bellevue, both historically and today.
Isan Park was constructed by Sound Transit as part of the development of the Link Light Rail 2 Line and was transferred to the city in 2024. A local, community-based organization and the city have a partnership agreement to develop an installation in the park to commemorate Bellevue’s Japanese American community and increase understanding of the impact of World War II incarceration on the city’s Japanese American residents.
The commemoration project is intended as an addition to the park’s current amenities, designed to inspire education and reflection while preserving the pathways, open space, and gathering areas that currently exist. The project timeline is based on reaching key fundraising milestones: schedule updates will be posted on this webpage. The park itself will continue to be open to the public until construction of the commemoration project begins.