As a show of deep community and generational support, one of the oldest Japanese community organizations the Japanese Community Service of Seattle (JCS) donated $50,000 to one of the youngest. The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington, becoming the JCCCW's newest Founding Family that will list the names of all past and current presidents of the JCS. "The generous donation from the JCS was a delightful surprise", JCCCW President Lori Matsukawa said "and we are humbled by this vote of confidence from the longtime caretakers of the Japanese Language School. We cannot and will not let them down."

"Now that the merger (between the Nikkei Heritage Association of Washington and the Japanese Language School) is complete (to create the JCCCW), the only thing the JCS thought about was how to show our full support and to make sure that the project is successful," JCS President Tsutomu Tomai Sasaki said at the JCCCW's June Board Meeting. "We have been watching and evaluating how (new CEO Clarence Moriwaki) has stepped in and taken charge. We are very comfortable with his ability to follow through and the board' leadership, and therefore we are committing basically 100% of our savings to fund this project."

Sasaki hopes that their generous gift will inspire support and contributions to the JCCCW from other Nikkei and Japanese American organizations and individuals.


JCCCW Wins $75,000 Partners in Preservation Grant


Thank you all for voting (and re-voting) for the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington and for supporting our successful Kodomo no Hi open house event!

After a month-long flurry of activity, your strong support helped us win the 4th highest amount awarded from the $1 million grant competition from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for noteworthy historic sites in Puget Sound! (For full details click here: http://www.preservationnation.org/partners-in-preservation/seattle/

Our $75,000 grant will help restore the main facade of our National Historic Register buildings by replacing the existing asbestos and vinyl siding and restoring them with original wood siding and windows. Out of 25 finalists, the JCCCW was honored to be one of the 11 major grant award winners.

Thank you again for all of your support we couldn't have done it without you!

Congratulations to Town Hall and Schooner Adventures for their virtual First Place tie in winning the Partners in Preservation grant competition – Great organizing and great projects! And once again - Thank you ALL for voting over the last month! Our hearts are filled by your support and effort on our behalf.


Project Community Graduation

On Sunday July 18th, the JCCCW's youth leadership program Project: Community! had its first annual graduation ceremony at the JCCCW. Around thirty members of the community turned out to support the inaugural class. The graduation program included introductory speeches from JCCCW CEO Clarence Moriwaki and JCCCW Board President Lori Matsukawa but the real highlight was hearing from the graduates themselves. All five graduates of Project: Community! spoke at length about the ways that the program helped them to develop a greater sense of their Japanese American identity and allowed them to build community and fellowship with other Japanese American youth. The graduates all felt that they took away something valuable from Project: Community! and everyone in attendance was touched to hear the students talk about what the program meant to them.

The graduates also presented their final project, a canvas modeled after the patchwork stage curtain that hung from the old Nippon Kan Theater. Each panel on the canvas was drawn by one of the graduates and represented a certain part of the International District/Nihonmachi. The graduates generously donated their final project to the JCCCW where it will hang for display to the public. All five students received diplomas certifying completion of the Project: Community! program as well as gifts including signed copies of Roger Shimomura's Yellow Terror catalog. After the graduation program concluded there was a potluck reception and a good time was had by all in attendance.

The JCCCW would like to thank the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the JACL, Karen Yoshitomi, Karen Akada, Roger Shimomura, Uncle Bob Santos, InterIm, Idea Space, Panama Hotel and Tea House and Jonathan Chan for their generous contributions of time and support to the Project: Community! program.

Project: Community! will be an annual program at the JCCCW and while the first class has graduated another one will be starting in the near future. The goal of Project: Community! is to educate and empower the future leaders of the community through a series of hands on sessions, field trips and special activities. If you or someone you know is interested or would be interested in participating in the next class please contact us at projectcommunity@jcccw.org and look for more updates from the JCCCW sometime during the last quarter of 2010.



Rummage Sale a Great Success!

Droves of community members attended the JCCCW's 2010 Community Rummage sale held on July 10th at the Cultural Center. Thousands of items were on sale and shoppers found great deals on a wide variety of goods ranging from Japanese antiques to sporting goods. Through the sale the JCCCW was able to raise $11,600 making the 2010 Community Rummage Sale the JCCCW's most successful to date. All of the proceeds will go directly toward funding programs at the cultural center.

The JCCCW would like to thank everyone who attended and participated in the 2010 Community Rummage Sale especially the over 170 dedicated Yoisho! Volunteers who donated over 1,000 total hours in the sweltering summer heat.


Miss Seafair 2010-2011 Crowned - Kisara Nishimoto

On July 31st Japanese American Community Queen Kisara Nishimoto was crowned the 61st Miss Seafair at 7:30 pm. After weeks of tough competition Kisara was selected based on her academic achievement, community involvement, public speaking and creative expression. The JCCCW would like to congratulate Kisara on her achievment and thank her for her strong representation of the Japanese American community.


Foster Japanese and Japanese American Relations

On August 28th the JCCCW in conjunction with the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center will be hosting a social get together for Japanese and Japanese American young adults ages 18-30. The event will take place from 11:30 AM-4:00 PM at the JCCCW and will feature a cooking class, potluck lunch, and group discussion of issues concerning Japanese and Japanese American young people.



This social is part are of a joint effort by both the JCCCW and Hyogo to create a cultural exchange between Japanese and Japanese American communities in the Seattle area. Admission is free but if you are interested please RSVP by emailing Program Director Bif Brigman at: bif@jcccw.org. Please help work with the JCCCW and Hyogo to build a joint Japanese/Japanese American community and join us on the 28th!


Seattle Buddhist Temple Kids Summer Program Students Visit the JCCCW

On June 30th, a group of middle and elementary school students from Seattle Buddhist Temple's Kids Summer Program (KSP) paid a visit to the JCCCW for an afternoon of fun and culturally educational activities. The students had the opportunity to learn and practice origami, dress up in traditional Japanese kimono and participate in a Judo demonstration with Budokan Dojo. The JCCCW focuses on making youth education interactive and fun and the KSP students had a great time.

Student visits to the Cultural Center are an example of one of the many ways that the JCCCW is working to pass on Japanese and Japanese American culture and heritage to future generations. The JCCCW welcomes all youth groups to come tour the cultural center and participate in the many activities that we have here. For more information about scheduling a trip to the JCCCW please contact Program Director Bif Brigman at bif@jcccw.org.

Visiting Students from Japan at the JCCCW

In the month of August the JCCCW will host two groups of High School exchange students from Japan, one from Okinawa sponsored by the Compass USA Exchange Program and the other from Hyogo Prefecture sponsored by JCCCW partner the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center). Both groups will be touring the greater Seattle area, participating in cultural exchange with American students, as well as working on improving their English skills.


Part of the JCCCW's mission is to facilitate good relations betweens citizens of Japan and the United States and in that spirit the Cultural Center is proud to welcome these two groups.

Nikkei Genealogy Connects Community with Heritage

There was a great turnout for the JCCCW's second Nikkei Genealogy Workshop and over twenty Nikkei of all generations participated in the workshop. With the assistance of JCCCW program director Bif Brigman, participants used a variety of online and print resources to trace their roots back to Japan. No matter how much or how little information they had prior, everyone was able to learn something new about their heritage and family history.

The next round of workshops will be held on September 13th and 27th from 10am-12pm at the JCCCW. Space is limited so to reserve a slot please sign up today by contacting Bif Brigman at: bif@jcccw.org or visiting our website .

Programs Classes and Workshops


Sign Up Now For Next School Year!

With Japanese Language School summer classes in full swing, now is the time to begin enrolling for classes this fall. The Japanese Language School year starts on Saturday, September 11 from 9-11:30 AM, with beginning to advanced Japanese language classes for children ages 6 and up. New evening Japanese language classes for adults begin on August 16 and run for eight weeks, for beginning and intermediate skill levels.


For more infoformation please contact JLS Head of School Machiko Wada at MachikoW@jcccw.org or 206-568-7114.

Volunteers Needed for JCCCW's Resource Center
The JCCCW's Resource Center is a library of English language sources that cover a range of topics Japanese and Japanese American heritage and culture. Currently the Resource Center is is not open to the public and the JCCCW needs help organizing, cataloging and eventually staffing the center.

Job Description: Resource Center Volunteer duties include:
· Cataloging English language resources into online Resource Center database
· Locating new sources for the Resource Center
· Organizing books, DVDS, etc.
· Planning and organizing
· Policy development

Qualifications:
· Ability to work with a team
· Research ability and experience
· Interest in Japanese and Japanese American culture, literature, history and heritage

How to Apply: If interested, please email us at: admin@jcccw.org or call at: 206-568-7114. For more information, visit the JCCCW website.

Practice Judo with Budokan Dojo

Founded in 1968 BUDOKAN DOJO is the premier Judo dojo in the Seattle area with a history of producing top level athletes, coaches and referees. Many of its coaches are active international and national level competitors with years of teaching and tournament experience. Judo is a fantastic sport and martial art for all ages and Budokan Dojo has classes for both kids and adults. Whether you are interested in getting a great workout, competing at the local club level or aspire to be an elite competative player Budokan Dojo has something to offer you.

Registration and membership are very affordable. The Budokan Dojo is located in building 2 (the eastern most building) of the Japanese Culture Community Center (JCCCW) located at 1414 South Weller Street, Seattle. Classes are held on Teusday and Thursday nights. For more detailed scheduling information please visit their website.




Karate Classes now at the JCCCW

The JCCCW in partnership with Seattle Seido Karate offers karate classes every Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Head instructor Tom Tanaka is a distinguished karate practitioner with thirty years of teaching experience. Sensei Tanaka teaches Seido Juku Karate a traditional Japanese style of Karate-Do that emphasizes personal development and meditation in a graded series of promotions of increasing skill and complexity. In addition to his many years of experience, Sensei Tanaka has a unique and personable teaching style that has made him beloved by his students and has contributed to an atmosphere of respect and dedication. The JCCCW is happy to partner with Seattle Seido Karate and Sensei Tanaka to offer quality instruction to the community.

Want to enroll in Tom Tanaka's Karate class? New student tuition rate is only $50! For existing students, tuition is $100 per person for the 8-week course. Tuition must be paid by the first week of class. Register now by clicking here.

Let the JCCCW Help You Uncover Your Family's History

As a part of its Nikkei Genealogy Workshop, the JCCCW will offer translation services for family documents written in Japanese on August August 25th and 26th. Many people in the community have in their posession written materials such as family trees, letters, and government documents, however do to a lack of Japanese language ability cannot read what they say. Even people who can speak and read the language struggle to read and translate these documents because they are writtem in Old Japanese which is difficult to understand even for native modern Japanese speakers. The JCCCW, however, has several expert linguists who can read and translate these older dialects into English.

If you are interested in having something translated please email Bif at bif@jcccw.org . Please include a detailed description of the document that you would like looked at. If it sounds like something that we could help you with we wll have you bring an original as well as a copy of it down to the JCCCW on August 25th or 26th from 1 to 4. We will not ask you to leave the orginal with us but we would like to see it to make sure that the copy is accurate. Keep in mine that it will take time to translate but we will get back to you as soon as we can with the translation. While this translation service is a part of the JCCCW's Nikkei Genealogy Workshop program, prior attendence and participation is not a prerequisite. The cost is only $15 per document so please contact us and let us help you uncover your family's history.

Additional Classes

This is just a fraction of the many different classes and programs that you can participate in at the JCCCW so please visit our website for more information.

The JCCCW's LGBTQQIA API Affinity Group provides a safe and nurturing place where Asian Pacific Islander (API) community members can come together, get support, develop friendships, share in community and plan and participate in activities, events and special occasions. The LGBTQQIA API Affinity Group is proud to partner with Tadaima, a group devoted to promoting social justice and activism within the Japanese and Japanese American communities.

Contact Bif at bif@jcccw.org for more information.

Yoisho! JCCCW Volunteering

"Yoisho" is a Japanese word used to express physical effort. Likewise, the JCCCW's Yoisho! Program is the part of the organization that allows us to provide programs and events for the community and achieve our goal of promoting and sharing Japanese and Japanese American history and heritage. This vital piece of the JCCCW's operation, of course, is our volunteers. Our volunteers come from various cultural, social, and education backgrounds, which makes it such a great learning experience.

The goal of the Yoisho! Program is to engage people throughout our community in volunteerism and foster leadership. Yoisho! also strives to maximize the learning experience of volunteers involving them in our organization more so than most volunteer opportunities allow. Since volunteers are the backbone of the JCCCW, another goal of Yoisho! is to acknowledge the hard work of volunteers and offer appreciation for their devotion. To be a part of this program, visit our website to register online JCCCW. You can also call our office: 206-568-7114, or email us: Admin@jcccw.org and let us know what your interests are. We would love to have you share your skills with us!

The Seattle Mariners will celebrate the contributions that Japanese and Japanese American ballplayers and fans have contributed to the game of baseball at their Japanese Heritage Night on Monday, August 9th at Safeco Field. The game is against the Oakland A's and first pitch is at 7:10 PM. The game will feature two of the best Nikkei players in baseball, catcher Kurt Suzuki of the Oakland A's and of course the Mariner's Ichiro Suzuki. Specially priced tickets are available for this game and can be ordered through the Mariners website. Fans will receive a free t-shirt if they buy their tickets before August 6th.



For ticket information please visit http://www.mariners.com/japannight. We hope to see you there!

The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
NEW EXHIBIT:A Refugee's Journey of Survival and Hope May 14-December 12, 2010

See life through the eyes of a refugee through personal stories, moving photographs and multimedia. Hear first-hand accounts of how refugees survived war, violence and oppression with hopes for a better future for their families. Ponder the trials of starting a life with nothing, in strange places and foreign cities, and having to call this new place a home.

7PM - 8PM: Open to public | Free admission | No RSVP required


Wing Luke JamFest August 5th

Join the Wing Luke Asian American Museum for Summer JamFest on August 5th. JamFest, in Seattle's International District, takes place from 6-9 PM on every first Thursday of the month and features music, entertainment and more. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $5 for Wing Luke members and can be purchased from the Wing Luke Museum located at 719 South King Street, Seattle, WA.






For more information visit their website http://wingluke.org/jamfest/ or call Jessica Rubenacker at (206) 623-5124 x.109.