Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington

The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington (Japanese: ワシントン州日本文化市民会館) (JCCCW) is a registered nonprofit organization that was formed in 2003 after the merger of the Japanese Language School and the Nikkei Heritage Association of Washington.[1] Its headquarters are located in the Little Saigon neighborhood of the Seattle International District, and offers a number of programs, events, and classes opened to the community. The organization's mission statement is "To build and grow a central gathering place for sharing and promoting Japanese and Japanese American culture and heritage."[2]

History

Founded in 2003 by Seattle community leaders such as TV Anchor Lori Matsukawa, Judge Ron Mamiya, and former state Representative Kip Tokuda, the JCCCW is dedicated to preserving, promoting and sharing Japanese and Japanese American history, heritage and culture.

History and heritage projects

Omoide Project

Omoide means "memories" and is a workshop and publication project developed to collect and share childhood recollections of Japanese Americans during World War II. These personnel accounts are intended to educate future generations to "encourage open dialog and discussions on constitutional rights, personal history, cultural development, immigrant experience in the US, family values, and multi-cultural issues."[3]

Northwest Nikkei Museum

The Northwest Nikkei Museum are small exhibits dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Nikkei from the Pacific Northwest. Exhibits have included:

  • Bases as Bridges: Baseball from Japan to Washington
  • Art Behind Barbed Wire: A Pacific Northwest Exploration of the Japanese American Arts and Crafts Created in World War II Incarceration Camps
  • Unsettled~Resettled: Seattle's Hunt Hostel (current project set to be completed March 2016)

Events and programs

Events

  • Kodomo ni HI (Children's Day): A number of activities held for young children.
  • Kenjinkai Day: A gathering of local kenjinkai (lit. Prefectural peoples association) that people can join or learn about what makes each Japanese prefecture unique.
  • All Things Japanese Sale: An annual sale of gently used donated goods that help benefit the JCCCW.
  • Bunka no Hi (Culture Day): Similar to Kodomo no Hi, but with more emphasis on cultural activities for visitors.
  • Yuji's Omusubi: An inaugural event held to bring Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals together to "facilitate international exchange and fellowship."[4] This event was named after a former intern of the Hyogo Business & Cultural Center.[4]
  • Tomodachi Luncheon: A fundraising event that honors the contributions of individuals or groups in the community that have promoted Japanese and Japanese American culture or worked to strengthen cultural ties between the US and Japan.
  • Seattle Mochitsuki: A collaboration with other community organizations to make mochi in celebration of Oshogatsu.
  • Summer Camp: A youth summer camp that offers an introduction to basic reading, writing, and conversational Japanese language skills as well as cultural activities.

Programs

  • The Seattle Japanese Language School: The original organization that owns the Cultural Center complex, it is now the premier program that offers Japanese language courses to children and adults.
  • Taiko: Home to four different Taiko groups: School of Taiko, Northwest Taiko, Kaze Daiko, and Inochi Taiko.
  • Martial Arts: Home to the Budokan Judo and Seattle Seido Karate dojos.

References

  1. ↑ Mochizuki, Ken (November 15, 2006). "Japanese American Cultural Center closer to becoming a reality". International Examiner.
  2. ↑ "Mission, Vision, Core Values". Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington.
  3. ↑ "Omoide Project". Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington.
  4. 1 2 "Yuji's Omusubi". Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.