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Japanese Cultural Center Of Hawaii (JCCH)

What’s Happening at the JCCH
Now Open: Second Chance Silent Auction

Did you miss our last auction? This is your second chance to browse and bid! Auction items include travel, artwork, clothing, gift certificates for local restaurants and activities, and more. Proceeds from this silent auction will benefit the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi's efforts to share the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawaiʻi through community programs, historical archives, and educational resources.

Place your bids before the auction closes on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 11:59 PM HST.

View Auction Items



Next Weekend: JCCH Craft & Collectibles Fair

Learn about culture while you shop at the next JCCH Craft & Collectibles Fair. Meet our local small business vendors and browse their unique selection of Japanese and Japanese-inspired items. The
JCCH Gift Shop and Historical Gallery will also be open.

KIMONO SALE*: Beginning on June 8th, receive 20% off kimono, yukata, and accessories at the JCCH Gift Shop. Find pieces for your next bon dance outfit here!

A YUKATA WORKSHOP: Learn how to dress in yukata with Mei & Kei Kimono-Ya right before obon season! Two sessions will be offered on 6/8 in the JCCH ʻOhana Room (5th floor). Register online to participate.

Saturday, June 8, 2024 | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Join Our Team!

The JCCH is seeking to hire a motivated, hard-working individual for the following position:

•   
Gift Shop Assistant (Part-Time)

This position will be responsible for supporting the
JCCH Gift Shop operations. Duties include supervising volunteers, assisting with special events, servicing visitors and customers at the Center, and more.


JCCH Office Featured Ikebana

Each week, our
ikebana volunteers generously donate an ikebana arrangement to display in our administrative office lobby. We hope you enjoy this special design!

Ikebana by:
Brennan Yamaguchi
Sogetsu
More Upcoming JCCH Programs and Events

Tanoshii Hawaiʻi: Keiki Summer Camp | June 24 - 28, 2024
This is the last chance to register your keiki for our annual summer camp program. For one week, kids (ages 8-13) will learn about Japanese and local culture through activities like mochi-making, taiko, bon odori, gyotaku, and more! Registration is open through Friday, May 31, 2024, or when max capacity is reached.

TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui (Cohort 2)
In partnership with the TOMODACHI Initiative and Odyssey Nature Japan, we will travel to Tohoku, Japan with high school juniors and seniors directly impacted by the Maui wildfires to learn about community recovery after disaster. Key program dates are listed online. Applications for Cohort 2 (July 2024) will be accepted through Friday, May 31, 2024.
感謝 - With Gratitude
Maui Matsuri 2024

Last Saturday, we participated in
Maui Matsuri 2024. Crowds of people came out to celebrate Japanese culture! We hosted friendly games of regular and giant hanafuda (Japanese card game), and provided stamping activities.

Mahalo to the students from the
Lahainaluna Japanese Club (and Cohort 1 of the TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui program) for volunteering with us!

Watch Our Instagram Recap Reel

Community Announcements
Invitation Program for Japanese American Students

Sponsored by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu is seeking applicants for a program which includes traveling to Japan from August 19 - 27, 2024. This program aims to provide Japanese American high school students with an opportunity to learn various aspects of Japan (politics, economy, society, history, culture, language, etc.). Interested applicants may email their application form information to Takuya Higuchi at takuya.higuchi@mofa.go.jp.

Program Description  |  Application Form

Applications are due by Friday, June 14, 2024

34th Annual Obon Celebration

Join
Hawaii's Plantation Village for a night of dancing under the stars while enjoying tasty treats including andagi, shave ice, and waffle dogs. This event will feature ten bon dance groups, two taiko performances, and emcee and singer Hikariyama Torao.

Learn More

Saturday, June 1, 2024
4:00 - 10:00 PM

17th Mini Bolts of Fabric & Fun

Join
Temari Hawaiʻi at the Okumura Building in Kaimuki for curated selections of textiles, sewing items, and one-of-a-kind treasures at bargain prices. Find vintage aloha shirts from Sig Zane, Reyn Spooner, and Tori Richard for sale on Temari's treasures table.

Learn More

Sunday, June 2, 2024
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

"Candlelight: The Best of Anime"

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Honolulu. Discover the best of anime at The Salvation Army Kroc Center Hawaii under the gentle glow of candlelight.

Learn More

Friday, June 7, 2024
9:00 PM


JCCH Exclusive Pin

Custom designed by
Venus Gurlz, the new JCCH おかげさまで Okage Sama De pin features elements that remind us of our unique Hawaiʻi Japanese American culture. Sugarcane is a reminder of our plantation roots, while the hibiscus flower and torii gate hold significance in both Hawaiʻi and Japan. This Japanese phrase is translated as "I am what I am because of you," an expression of gratitude to those who have come before us.

This pin is now exclusively available for purchase at the
JCCH Gift Shop!

Gift Shop Hours
Wednesday - Saturday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

*2-hour parking validation with a $10+ purchase at the JCCH Gift Shop.

TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui

In partnership with the
TOMODACHI Initiative and Odyssey Nature Japan, we will travel to Tohoku, Japan with high school juniors and seniors directly impacted by the Maui wildfires to learn about community recovery after disaster. Key program dates are listed online.

Applications for Cohort 2 (July 2024) will be accepted through
Friday, May 31, 2024.

Learn More

A Yukata Workshop

In preparation for the festival season, we are hosting a workshop in partnership with
Mei & Kei Kimono-Ya to learn about dressing in yukata 浴衣 (light cotton kimono) for bon odori 盆踊り (bon dance). This is the perfect opportunity to get ready for Obon season!

This workshop will include a live demonstration by
Allegra Soumei Matsuo Mossman and Chris Chieko Minn, yukata styling tips, and a JCCH Gift Shop discount.

Register Here

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Tanoshii Hawaiʻi

The registration deadline for our
keiki summer camp has been extended!

For one week, kids (ages 8-13) will learn about Japanese and local culture through activities like mochi-making,
taiko, bon odori, gyotaku, and more!

Register Here

June 24 - 28, 2024
JCCH Office Featured Ikebana

Each week, our
ikebana volunteers generously donate an ikebana arrangement to display in our administrative office lobby. We hope you enjoy this special design!

Ikebana by:
Barbara Tinius
Ikenobo

感謝 - With Gratitude


Irasshai: Eat, Drink, Kanpai! presented by aio Digital + WKF, Inc.

Last Saturday, over 450 people joined us at the Center for
Irasshai: Eat, Drink, Kanpai! presented by aio Digital + WKF, Inc. Inspired by the street festivals of Japan, our 2nd annual fundraising event featured food, drinks, entertainment, and more!

With the help of over 70 volunteers, the evening was a success! Our guests enjoyed a cultural experience and gave their compliments about the taste and quality of the offerings. We also met people who were visiting for the first time. Mahalo to everyone who attended and supported the event, and many thanks to our volunteers, vendors, and Irasshai committee! We have so much gratitude for the outpouring of aloha that we have received.

Check out our recap video below by JCCH volunteer
Fernando Pacheco. Thank you to JCCH volunteers Brandon Miyagi and Tyson Yamada for taking our event photos.


Community Announcements
Oʻahu Bon Dance Schedule

HONOLULU Magazine has shared a helpful schedule that lists upcoming bon dances on Oʻahu. The first one is at Hawaii's Plantation Village on Saturday, June 1, 2024. This year’s festival season will continue through late September.

View the 2024 Schedule


National Student Art Competition 2024

Inspired by Edo invites students (grades 1-12) to submit their original art inspired by a lesson in the Edo curriculum. Students can create the art in class, as a club activity, with their friends, or on their own. The finalists' art will be framed and exhibited in Los Angeles in Summer 2024.

Learn More

Submission Deadline: Monday, May 27, 2024

Support the JCCH








Copyright (C) 2024 Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii
2454 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96826





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The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i (JCCH), a non-profit organization, strives to share the history, heritage and culture of the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawai‘i. Located at 2454 South Beretania Street in Mō‘ili‘ili, the Cultural Center features a Community and Historical Gallery, Resource Center, Kenshikan martial arts dōjō, Seikōan Japanese teahouse and Gift Shop. The Cultural Center presents various programs, festivals and exhibitions throughout the year.

Motto

Honoring our heritage. Embracing our diversity. Sharing our future.

Vision

We aspire to co-create a society where a deeper knowledge of one's heritage and a profound understanding of oneself will enable enlightened connections among all people.

Mission Statement

To be a vibrant resource, strengthening our diverse community by educating present and future generations in the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawai‘i. We do this through relevant programming, meaningful community service and innovative partnerships that enhance the understanding and celebration of our heritage, culture and love of the land. To guide us in this work we draw from the values found in our Japanese American traditions and the spirit of Aloha.

History

The seeds of thought and planning which had since developed into the solid concrete of Phase I and the working committees of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i were sown over two generations ago. Minds and hearts of Issei and Nisei (first and second generations) forebearers set themselves to the tasks of survival, later to national heroism, and later still to the responsibility of restoring the concept of cultural pride in themselves and their community. Emotions generated by the Kanyaku Imin (125 Years of Japanese In Hawai‘i) celebration in February of 1985 spurred the devotion of major Japanese groups in the community to initially conceptualize the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i.

In 1986, The Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce (HJCC) initiated the Japan-Hawaii Cultural Center project, "The Dream," for the purpose of bringing together related organizations in Hawai‘i to work in a common effort to preserve the legacy and history of the pioneers who came to Hawaii from Japan, and whose sacrifices and contributions made it possible for the younger generations to become integral members of American society. It was planned to be a legacy where future members of our community could look back and be fully conscious of their roots. The Center would also foster relations by promoting harmony and mutual understanding between Japan, Hawai‘i, and the United States.

The Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce was willing to accept the enormous responsibility of immortalizing and cultivating the legacy of the Japanese in Hawai‘i by making a commitment to plant and nourish the seedling. Many community organizations supported the creation of a Japanese cultural center, as indicated by a survey to assess the need and expectations for a center.

Courses of action plans were implemented to create Ad Hoc Committees composed of the various Japan related organizations, and to organize a fund-raising organization to raise funds from the community within the State of Hawai‘i as well as in Japan. Committees set in motion to carefully plan, develop, and research in establishing the Cultural Center. The inception of some committees were: Steering, Planning, Public Relations, Historical Research Program, Program, Membership and Property Management. A schedule of "Milestone" tasks for these committees were implemented to prepare for the tremendous work that lay ahead in the formation of the Cultural Center.

On May, 28, 1987, the birth of a new direction and a new step toward the dreams of our forefathers emerged as the Cultural Center was incorporated under the laws of the State of Hawai‘i as a non-profit corporation to develop, own, maintain, and operate a Japanese cultural center in Hawai‘i. As an independent entity, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i would play a most crucial role in perpetuating the cultural heritage we inherited from our Issei forefathers into the lifestyles and values of our children's children.

Revamped, Revved and Ready... the Cultural Center Boards and staff moves forward with great aspirations

The Board of Directors consists of 15 community leaders from O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i counties who lead the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i by establishing policies and strategic direction. Each Director either chairs and /or is a member of the Executive Committee, Governance Committee, Membership Development Committee, Fundraising Committee, Facilities & Operations Committee, and Budget & Finance Committee. The Board members are elected by the membership as a whole.

The Board of Governors currently has forty (40) members who advise and make recommendations to the Board of Directors, and oversee the implementation of programs and activities of the Cultural Center. The Board of Governors also assist and maintain the fiscal well-being of the Center by supporting its fundraising activities. The Board of Governors are appointed by the Board of Directors.

The staff of nine full-time and two part-time employees is led by the President & Executive Director who administers the day-to-day operations of the Cultural Center.

The Board of Directors, Board of Governors and the staff, and volunteers work in unison to carry out the many exciting plans at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. When put together these individuals, though all unique in their background, create a dynamic, capable and passionate group who are dedicated to the Cultural Center's mission of sharing the history, heritage and culture of the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawai‘i.

HOURS

Historical Gallery & Gift Shop: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Resource Center: By Appointment Only

Administrative Office: By Appointment Only


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