Corporate & Company Events
A gala venue with a story your donors will actually remember
Nippon Kan Theatre was built in 1909 by Seattle’s Japanese American community, funded by the community, for the community. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was fully restored in 2024. For a nonprofit, that history isn’t a backdrop. It’s the same thing you’re asking your guests to believe in: that people show up for each other and build something that lasts.
Est. 1909
Built by Seattle's Japanese American community
Up to 460
Guests — seated, standing, or theatre-style
10,000+ sq ft
Main floor and mezzanine across two levels
Open vendors
Bring your own caterer, planner, and team
32 on-site stalls
Private parking — rare for downtown Seattle
10% off
Registered nonprofits and schools, any day of the week
What we host
The right room for the work you’re raising money for
Nippon Kan adapts to the format your event needs, from a 400-person gala to a 60-person donor dinner, without losing the character that makes it worth choosing.
Annual Galas & Benefit Dinners
Round tables across the main floor, the stage for your program, and a mezzanine for cocktails and silent auction. Seats up to 300 for dinner. The room already feels like an occasion, so your budget goes toward the mission instead of transforming a blank ballroom.
Benefit Concerts & Performances
A working theatre with a real stage, theatrical house lighting, and up to 400 theatre-style seats. Built for live music, dance, spoken word, and community performance. Multi-night runs welcome.
Annual Meetings & Community Town Halls
Rows facing the stage, a projector and screen, and a setting that signals this gathering matters. Works for member meetings, board retreats, and public forums.
School & Student Events
Graduations, showcases, recitals, and fundraisers for schools and youth organizations. Schools receive the same discount as registered nonprofits.
Volunteer & Award Recognition
The stage, the sightlines, and the architectural weight give a recognition night the gravity it deserves. Honorees walk up to a real stage, not a riser in a hotel conference room.
Cultural & Community Celebrations
This building was created to hold community gatherings, and it still does. Heritage celebrations, cultural festivals, and neighborhood events are part of what the theatre was made for.
Live & Silent Auctions
A built-in stage with real sightlines for your auctioneer and paddle raise. The mezzanine works naturally as a silent auction and check-in level, keeping bidding tables out of the dinner flow. House microphones and speakers reach every seat.
Donor Appreciation & Cultivation Events
Intimate enough for a cocktail reception of 80, with the scale to grow when you’re ready. A historic landmark is the kind of place donors want to be invited to, which makes the follow-up easier.
AV & Production
Most historic venues make you rent everything. Nippon Kan is a working theatre, so the infrastructure is built in.
Full theatrical house lighting Dimmable stage and house lighting, not just overhead fluorescents
Projector and screen 19-foot front-facing, stage-integrated. Perfect for impact videos, donor slides, and live auction displays
Microphones and house speakers Covering the full main floor and mezzanine
AV technician available A venue-approved tech can be added to your rental. They connect with your program lead or production company in advance, walk through every input, and stay on-site through your event
Full production and livestream Multi-camera recording, audio mixing, stage lighting design, and streaming are available and quoted based on your event
If you’re bringing in an outside production company, they’ll work with our technician. If you’d rather have it handled in-house, we can do that too. Either way, nobody is figuring out the AV at 6pm the night of your gala.
Capacity & layouts
Flexible enough to work the way your fundraiser does
Theatre / Program Style
Rows facing the stage. Up to 400 guests. For benefit concerts, annual meetings, keynotes, and panel programs.
Banquet / Gala Dinner
Round tables across the main floor. Up to 300 guests. The standard for annual galas, benefit dinners, and seated award nights.
Cocktail / Standing Reception
Open floor plan, up to 460 guests. For donor receptions, silent auctions, community celebrations, and anything built around mingling.
In the heart of Seattle's International District.
628 S. Washington St. — minutes from downtown Seattle, Pioneer Square, the stadium district, and some of the best restaurants in the city.
32 private on-site parking stalls included with your rental — uncommon for a historic downtown Seattle venue
10-minute walk to light rail, King Street Station, and multiple bus lines
Close to downtown hotels — Embassy Suites Pioneer Square, Courtyard Seattle Downtown, Silver Cloud Stadium, and more
Valet and shuttle service available through our preferred transportation partner
Easy rideshare drop-off directly at the venue entrance
Every rental includes
Everything you need to start. Nothing you don't.
Every rental is a full day, 11am to 11pm, and comes with furniture, the house AV system, and on-site support, so your committee can focus on the program instead of logistics.
Seating 300+ white and 100 black folding chairs
Tables
28 round (60")
7 banquet (72")
8 cocktail (30x42")
AV system
Projector, microphones, house speakers
Stage lighting Theatrical house lighting system
Setup & teardown
Layout prep before your event + cleanup after
On-site rep
Venue representative present throughout your event
Climate Control
Heating and AC year-round
Parking
32 private on-site stalls
Nippon Kan Theatre is not fully ADA accessible. The venue involves multiple stairways and does not have elevator access. We’re happy to discuss your event’s specific needs in advance so we can plan thoughtfully for all guests.
Good to know for fundraisers
A few things that make nonprofit planning easier here
Nonprofit pricing. Registered 501(c)(3) organizations and schools receive 10% off the base rental, any day of the week.
Open vendor policy. Bring your own caterer, bartender, auctioneer, florist, and planner. No required vendor list and no markup on outside vendors. If you’d like help sourcing, we offer a Venue Concierge service that finds options within your budget.
Bar service. Alcohol is served through licensed bartending vendors. We can connect you with ours or you’re welcome to bring your own licensed team.
Extra days. Need the room for setup, rehearsal, or a sound check the day before? Additional days are priced at half your rental rate, subject to availability.
Custom proposals. Every quote is built around your actual event. Tell us your guest count, format, and budget and we’ll show you what’s possible.
Most galas happen in the same rotation of hotel ballrooms. The room is neutral by design, and your guests have been in it for three other organizations’ events this year.
Nippon Kan is a landmark. It was built by a community that pooled its resources to create a place to gather, and it survived decades of neglect to be restored and opened to the city again. When your guests walk in, they’re standing inside a story about what community investment makes possible.
Let's talk about your event.
Whether you’re planning a 60-person donor dinner or a 400-person gala, reach out and we’ll learn about your mission, walk you through the space, and build a proposal around your actual needs and budget.
Check Our Availability
Curious if your date is open? Take a look at our availability calendar below. If you have a date in mind, questions about the space, or just want to talk through what you’re planning, we’d love to hear from you.
(866) 660-2599
sales@kobeparkevents.com