June 2-3: 50th Anniversary Buchanan Street Mall Celebration

The 50th Anniversary Buchanan Street Mall Celebration is Saturday, June 2, and Sunday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Japantown Buchanan Street Mall between Post and Sutter Streets.

The celebration is sponsored by: Japantown Task Force, Inc., Nihonmachi Parking Corporation, and Japantown Community Benefit District, Inc.

Kimochi is having a table with cookbooks and Kimochi jerseys available for sale. They will sell raffle tickets, $5 for one (1) ticket or $25 for six (6) tickets. Grand prize is two roundtrip tickets to Hawai'i!

Raffle prize winners will be announced at the 25th Anniversary of Kimochi's Old Timer's Fun Basketball Tournament on Saturday, July 7, 2018, at The Center (JCCCNC) Gym on 1840 Sutter Street in San Francisco. Free admission. You do not have to be present to win.

CaliforniaJapantowns.org describes the history of the mall: During the mid-1960s, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency created a plan for the Buchanan Plaza that included a sculpture at the entrance of the Buchanan Mall. The sculpture design was changed to a gate-like structure. The gate and the rest of the Buchanan Plaza were completed in 1976.

Artist Ruth Asawa was commissioned to design the origami sculpture/fountains that join the cobblestone "river" which flows toward the Peace Plaza. The flat concrete pathway on both sides of the "rock river" was created to provide a corridor along the "river" edge. The cobblestones "river" is a reference and a reminder of the early San Francisco streets.

51st Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

Each year, over 220,000 people attend this dazzling display showcasing the color and grace of the Japanese culture and the diversity of the Japanese American community. The 51st annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15 and 21-22, 2018.

The festival will be held within the borders of Laguna and Fillmore streets between Geary Boulevard and Bush Street. There will be food booths, musical and dance performances, martial arts, live bands, and more.

Ongoing cultural displays and demonstrations will feature bonsai, suiseki (natural stone artwork), chanoyu (tea ceremony), ikebana, doll-making, Japanese pop culture, swords, karuta (poetry card game), kendama (traditional Japanese toy), origami, shishu (embroidery), and shodo (calligraphy).

Festival highlights include the following.

• The Northern California Cherry Blossom Queen Program is dedicated to mentoring young women so they may develop the leadership skills and community connections necessary to promote not just stronger individuals, but also a stronger community. The event will be held on Saturday, April 14, at 6 p.m. at the AMC Kabuki 8 Theater on Post between Webster and Fillmore.

• Sakura 360 honors the modern “360 degree” fusion of pop-culture exchange between Japan and America, involving anime, gaming, fashion, music and dance. Visitors are invited to enjoy and participate in contests, activities, live performances, and exclusive merchandise. This year, Sakura 360 will be located on Buchanan between Sutter and Bush both weekends, featuring a new Artists Alley with artists inspired by Japan’s pop culture.

• The second annual Cherry Blossom Film Festival showcases nine of Japan’s best films and anime, reflecting the diverse and unique legacy of Japanese cinema. Screenings will be held on April 14-15 and 21-22 at New People Cinema, 1746 Post St.

• “Kabuki Hayashi: Sound of Japan” on Sunday, April 15, at 1:30 p.m. (doors open at 12:30 p.m.) at AMC Kabuki 8. Tickets: $15 at the door. Supported by Soke Nishikawa Kai California and Toyokuni Sumie Doodle from Tokyo.

• Friendship Reception, a dinner and gathering to welcome guest participants from Japan and Hawaii, on Friday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m. at Hotel Kabuki, Post and Laguna. Registration at 6 p.m. Tickets: $35 at the door. Best opportunity to catch their performances in one evening.

• Cherry Blossom Taiko Festival on Saturday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter St. Featuring Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka and San Francisco Taiko Dojo with special guest Sacramento Taiko Dan. Tickets: $30 for adults, $25 for students and seniors.

• Senior Appreciation Brunch on Sunday, April 22, at Hotel Kabuki, Post and Laguna. The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival’s Senior Appreciation Brunch started 30 years ago to thank seniors in the local Japanese American community for their volunteer services. Each year, honorees are nominated by senior centers and receive certificates of commendation from elected officials. Following the brunch, they are recognized at the Peace Plaza Stage.

• The Grand Parade begins at the Civic Center on Sunday, April 22, at 1 p.m., proceeding up Polk to Post Street, and ending in Japantown at Post and Fillmore streets. A number of performers from Japan will participate. Japanese classical (buyo) and folk dance (minyo) groups representing the Bay Area will perform throughout the parade route. Boy Scout troops from the Japanese American communities will march proudly along the streets. Streams of colorful floats will be carrying young women representing Japanese American and other Asian American communities.

World-renowned San Francisco Taiko Dojo will keep the parade upbeat with the thundering sound of drums, and this year’s queen and her court will cascade their way to Japantown. Anchoring the parade is the exciting Taru Mikoshi, which will be hoisted by over 100 strong individuals from throughout the Bay Area.

This year’s grand marshal is figure skating and “Dancing with the Stars” champion Kristi Yamaguchi. The community marshals are civil rights attorneys Dale Minami and Donald Tamaki.

For a complete schedule, visit https://sfcherryblossom.org.

Mary Ishisaki's Legacy Gift to Kimochi, Inc. and San Francisco Japantown Foundation

Mary Ishisaki, longtime community supporter, businesswoman and philanthropist, recently announced a generous legacy gift to Kimochi, Inc. and the San Francisco Japantown Foundation.  The gift is a property located on the Buchanan Mall in San Francisco's Japantown, to be shared equally by the two community non-profit organizations.

"My late husband, Ben and I purchased the property to save it from a tax sale with the intent that it eventually be gifted to the community.  We strongly believed this legacy gift be shared equally between Kimochi, Inc. and San Francisco Japantown Foundation.  Each of their missions promote and preserve the specialness of our Japantown community - Kimochi through its culturally-sensitive programs and services to our Bay Area seniors which allow them to live with dignity and independence, and the Japantown Foundation for its support of cultural, community and educational activities through its annual grants program."

Mary Ishisaki also serves on the Board of Directors for both organizations and knows intimately of their service performance, integrity and commitment to mission.  Mary has also been an active volunteer with Kimochi for over 25 years. Says Ishisaki, "This gift is from our hearts - and it was Ben and my hope that it inspires others to remember the organizations that do so much for our community and to give with an open heart."

Kimochi, Inc. is a nationally recognized, community service organization established in 1971.  Kimochi provides a continuum of culturally sensitive programs & services to help Bay Area seniors preserve their dignity and independence.  Kimochi serves 3,000 Bay Area seniors and their families & caregivers annually - and now extends support into San Mateo County.

The San Francisco Japantown Foundation's mission is to support cultural, community and educational activities for San Francisco Japantown.  Its vision is to preserve and honor Japantown's history by fostering and providing funding for activities that reflect the Japanese American heritage, and to engage Japanese of all generations and all experiences.  The Foundation was formed in December 2006 through generous endowments by Kintetsu Enterprises of America, Jack Hirose, Hats and Amey Aizawa, Union Bank, and Minami Tamaki LLP.  Since 2007, the Foundation has provided more than $800,000 in funding to the community.

Mourning the Loss of Bob Hamaguchi

We mourn the loss of Bob Hamaguchi, our friend and board member who passed away on September 4, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.

As executive director of Japantown Task Force, Inc., Bob was a critical leader in Japantown, in San Francisco, and in the Japanese American community.

"Bob is one of the reasons why the San Francisco Japantown Foundation not only exists today but has grown each year, enabling us to annually distribute tens of thousands of dollars in grants in support of Japantown," said Donald K. Tamaki, board president of the San Francisco Japantown Foundation.

"He was an effective leader because of his charisma, wisdom, common sense, integrity, genuine affection for others and self-deprecating sense of humor. He was universally liked and respected—that’s kind of rare in a community wherein internecine battles are not uncommon. We mourn his passing, but we are so grateful for the legacy he has left behind."

Our deepest thanks to you, Bob, for your service and contributions to preserving and uplifting Japantown. You will be sorely missed, but your spirit will always live on in Japantown and in our hearts.

A Celebration of Life for Bob will take place on Saturday, September 23, at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC), from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Casual attire (golf shirts and aloha attire) requested. Email hamahawaii2016@gmail.com to receive updates.

Update: Grant Applications Now Closed

UPDATE 8/19/17: The grant applications period is closed. Thank you to everyone who applied! Questions about the grants program may be directed to Japantown Foundation board member Diane Matsuda at dianematsuda@hotmail.com.

The San Francisco Japantown Foundation today, July 14, starts accepting applications from qualified organizations for grants of up to $10,000. The application deadline is August 18, 2017.

The Japantown Foundation provides grants for programs and for planning purposes. Applicants must choose one type of grant for their submission.

The rules and application forms are available here: Download the form in Word format or PDF.

These grants are made possible through the original endowments by Kintetsu Enterprises of America, Jack Hirose, Hats and Amey Aizawa, Union Bank, and Minami Tamaki LLP. We also use proceeds from our annual Osechi Ryori New Year’s Celebration Fundraiser, supported by generous sponsors and guests.

Another significant portion of the funds available for these grants comes from our philanthropic partnership with Hotel Kabuki. The Japantown Foundation receives funds raised through the hotel’s You Can Make a Difference program, which asks guests to make a donation when they stay at the property. The Japantown Foundation expresses our appreciation to the Hotel Kabuki and to General Manager Craig Waterman for continuing this valuable partnership. Craig is also a member of our foundation board.

Since 2007, the Foundation has provided more than $700,000 in funding to the community.

Join our email list to be notified about grants program updates. Questions about the grants program may be directed to Japantown Foundation board member Diane Matsuda at dianematsuda@hotmail.com.