Alicia Nicole Watanabe is a student volunteer here at the JCCCW and helps out with filing and various tasks around the office as well as volunteering for major events like Bunka no Hi and the Community Rummage Sale. A pre-med student and current junior at the University of Washington majoring in medical anthropology, Alicia learned about the JCCCW two years ago after doing service learning for an Asian American studies class taught by UW professor Gail Nomura. From that experience she decided to continue volunteering for the JCCCW because she "saw the importance and the potential of the center in the Japanese American Community". A sansei, Alicia is very active in the Japanese American community as a princess for the Seattle Japanese Queen Scholarship Program, member of the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee and a member of the Mosaic Multi Ethnic Heritage group at the JCCCW.


Alicia's enjoys volunteering at the JCCCW because is gives her the opportunity to meet and interact with leaders and other members of the Japanese American community. She feels that the JCCCW is important because it gives younger generations an opportunity to learn about their culture and heritage while simultaneously preserving it for future generations. "Its important to represent your culture because it defines who you are."



Jonathan Lin

Jonathan Lin is the current Nikkei Bunko Library Intern at the JCCCW and is responsible for cataloging and updating the libraries substantial Japanese language collection. Jonathan is currently in the process of uploading the Nikkei Bunko catalog onto the internet so patrons can find out what books the library has on its shelves through the library website. He is also modernizing the libraries catalog system to improve ease of use and organization, quite a feat considering the Nikkei Bunko Library contains over 9,000 books, magazines and comics.



Jonathan found out about the JCCCW at Aki Matsuri last year and decided to volunteer because there was an opportunity for him to use some of his skills to benefit others. Jonathan enjoys working at the JCCCW because it gives him an opportunity to be part of a community and share his love of Japanese language (Jonathan has passed the level 2 Japanese Language Proficiency Test) and culture. Thanks to a generous grant from the Tateuchi Foundation Jonathan is at the Nikkei Bunko Library on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays so why not come down, check out some books and see the great work he is doing at the JCCCW.




JCCCW and Community News and Notices


Ambassador of Japan Visits the JCCCW

On Thursday, September 16th, the JCCCW was happy to host the Japanese Ambassador to the United States Ichiro Fujisaki who took time out of his Seattle visit to take a tour of the Cultural Center campus. Ambassador Fujisaki’s tour included the Japanese Language School, NW Nikkei Museum, Japanese Language Library, the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center headquarters and gallery, Budokan Judo Dojo, taiko practice studio and the photo exhibit "Made In Minidoka". For more information about the Ambassador's visit be sure to check out our new print newsletter available online by clicking here.





New JCCCW Print Newsletter


JCCCW has a new print newsletter out this month detailing everything that is currently going on at the Cultural Center right now. Click here to read it online!

















New Expanded Library Hours











The JCCCW is happy to announce that starting in October the Nikkei Bunko Japanese Language Library will feature expanded hours of operation. Due to popular demand the Nikkei Bunko will be open from 10 am - 2pm Tuesday through Saturday to give the public more access to its unique resources. Nikkei Bunko is now open almost everyday of the week so what are you waiting for? Come down and visit the Nikkei Bunko Japanese Language Library today! Nikkei Bunko is located in Building 3 of the JCCCW located at 1414 S. Weller Street just behind the two main buildings. For more information visit the library website or call (206) 568-7114.





JCCCW VOLUNTEERS WANTED

THe JCCCW is looking for volunteers and interns to staff the following positions during the Fall/Winter at the Cultural Center:


BUNKA NO HI VOLUNTEERS: Bunka no Hi is the JCCCW's biggest annual event with hundreds of participants and dozens of activities, games, cultural performances and booths for different community organizations and small businesses. Consequently the JCCCW is actively seeking volunteers to staff the event to make sure that Bunka no Hi 2010 is the most successful one yet. Bunka no Hi 2010 is on Sunday November 7th from 1pm - 5pm but volunteers will be needed to help set up and organize the event as well so if you can't make it on the day of you can still pitch in and help out. No matter your age, interest or talent the JCCCW can use your help! So please feel free to volunteer for Bunka no Hi 2010 today!


BILINGUAL LIBRAY ASSISTANT: The Bunka no Hi Japanese Language Library is in the process of expanding its hours and is in need of a Bilingual Library Assistant on Saturdays from 10 am-2 pm. The Bilingual Library Assistant must be able to speak and read Japanese at a high level and will be responsible for stocking shelves, working with volunteers and greeting and assisting patrons.


GANBARU STUDENT INTERN: The JCCCW is looking for Ganbaru Student Interns to fill a variety of positions at the Cultural Center during the Fall semester. Depending on their interests and skill set Ganbaru Student Interns work closely with JCCCW staff in a variety of roles including program and event coordination and implementation, non profit management, volunteer coordination, communications, as well as general administrative duties and other tasks. During their internship with the JCCCW student interns gain valuable work experience and acquire meaningful skills that will help them in their future careers while simultaneously making an important contribution to the JCCCW.


If you or someone you know is interested in working with the JCCCW in the following capacities or just generally interested in volunteering at the Cultural Center please contact the office at admin@jcccw.org or call (206) 568- 7114.



Kokoro Kai Volunteers Needed

Kokoro Kai is a program operated by Nikkei Concerns. The program serves Japanese seniors 65 years of age and older with physical and/or mild cognitive impairments, requiring some supervision and support throughout the day. Services are offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Kokoro Kai provides praticipants with the opportunity to participate in exercise, singing, arts and crafts, cooking, discussion sessions, intergenerational activities and Japanese lunches. Kokoro Kai is located at 700 6th Ave. South, Seattle, Washington, 98104.




Kokoro Kai is looking for Volunteer Drivers to fill afternoon time slots on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Some restrictions and qualifications are required so for more information please contact: Naoko Ulstein, Director, Kokoro Kai. Telephone number: 206-726-6474. Email address: naokou@nikkeiconcerns.org.



Programming at the JCCCW

While we are planning and building toward the future the JCCCW is currently fully operational right now and sponsors a whole host of different cultural programs, classes, workshops and clubs suitable for any interest, experience level or age group. Come down to the JCCCW any night of the week and you may (or may not) be surprised to find taiko practice, Judo class and a variety of different club meetings all taking place at once. Organized around the five organizational pillars of community gathering place, multicultural education and language, Nikkei heritage, arts and culture and international exchange the programs, classes, workshops and clubs offered at the Cultural Center all work to facilitate the JCCCW’s mission of preserving, promoting and sharing Japanese and Japanese American culture and heritage while creating a strong cohesive community here in the Pacific Northwest. If you are interested in any of our different program offerings or want to suggest something that we don't currently offer please don't hesitate to contact us at Admin@JCCCW.org to sign up, get more information or to get involved. The JCCCW is open for business so check out our new print newsletter for comprehensive coverage of all of our programs.

On Sunday October 10th the Okinawan Kenjin Kai is putting on its popular annual Ryuku Charm Charity Taiko Concert at the IKEA Performing Arts Center located at 400 South Second Avenue, Renton WA. The concert promises to be entertaining fun for the whole family and will feature performances from acclaimed international artists such as the Okinawan taiko group Chujinshu and singer Miyagi Mamoru. Tickets for this event are only $20 for adults and $10 for students. This concert is always extremely popular and has sold out consistantly in past years so make sure to buy your tickets soon before it is too late! Half of the proceeds of the concert will go towards the JCCCW so not only will you get to watch some fantastic performances but you will be able to help support the Cultural Center at the same time. To purchase tickets or for more information contact the JCCCW at (206) 568-7114 or visit our website at jcccw.org. We hope to see you there!

Bunka no Hi 2010 is slated for Sunday November, 7th from 1pm - 5pm at the JCCCW located at 1414 S. Weller St. Bunka no Hi (Culture Day) is the JCCCW's premier cultural and community event that attracts hundreds of patrons from all throughout the Greater Seattle area. This year's Bunka no Hi is poised to be the biggest one yet with performances, games and activities, cultural demonstations and as always dozens of booths from community organisations and small businesses. Bunka no Hi is truly a community wide event with something to offer everyone regardless of age or interest so please come visit the JCCCW on November 7th and partake in a day of culture and community. For more information about Bunka no Hi please visit our website at jcccw.org or send an email to admin@jcccw.org.










Two new Mosaic Events!

The JCCCW's Mosaic Mixed Heritage Group is happy to offer the following events to the public this October:

Kip Fulbeck and Maya Soetoro Ng Conversation Screening - 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm October 12th, 2010

Doubles Screening - 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm (Japananese) and 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm (English) October 26th, 2010

The Kip Fulbeck and Maya Soetoro Ng Screening is a screening of their conversation at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles and details their experiences and thoughts on the mixed race experience. Doubles is a documentary produced by Regge Life that details the experiences of Japanese Nationals and Japanese Americans of mixed heritage. Both films will be shown at the JCCCW (1414 S. Weller St.) and feature an accompanying discussion where participants will get an opportunity to share their thoughts and reflect on their own experiences. For more information contact the JCCCW at admin@jcccw.org or call (206) 568 -7114.