Deepest Appreciation to COVID-19 Community Fund Donors

With heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, the San Francisco Japantown Foundation recognizes the following donors to the COVID-19 Community Fund.  These donations will make it possible for Japantown community partners to continue providing essential services and protecting the heritage of one of three remaining Japantowns in the country. 

CHRYSANTHEMUM LEVEL – $20,000

Zoe and Aly Gregory • Yuichi Yamakawa - Read about our generous donor Mr. Yamakawa

PLATINUM LEVEL - $10,000

Anonymous • Hotel Kabuki • Mary Ishisaki in Memory of Ben Ishisaki • Don Tamaki and Suzanne Ah-Tye • Tamlyn Tomita and Daniel Blinkoff • Union Bank

GOLD LEVEL - $5,000

Joan Mei Haratani • Japan Center Parking Corp. • Glen S. Fukushima • The Lee Family • Minami Tamaki LLP • Allen and Pat Okamoto

SILVER LEVEL - $3,500

3D Investments, Japan Center West Associates LP • Anonymous • B of A Matching Gift (Bruce and Dauna Erickson) • Bruce and Dauna Erickson • David A. Ishida • Steve and Liz Isono • Kikkoman, USA • Ninomiya-Koda Foundation

BRONZE LEVEL - $1,000

Alice Kamiya • Bank of San Francisco • Claudine Cheng • Chip Conley Foundation • Fukami Nakano Trust at the East Bay Community Foundation • Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California • Katherine Okamoto • Misako Sack • Tokioka Foundation Inc. • John and Marjorie Tsukamoto

COMMUNITY FRIEND - $999 and Below

Anonymous • Cal Abe and Donna Fujii • Betty and Bill Akagi • Michelle Au • Christina C • Christina Castro • Kenny Cen • Namiko Chen • Rodney Chin • Stephanie Hagio Chin • Linda A. Cicero and Robert Kennedy • Igor J. Desouza • Leo DiPierro • Lisa Driskill • Ryan Dumlao • Nathaniel Durbin • Gabrielle Dyer • Shoji Hishida • Mariko Falke • Alyssa Fareelly • Lucy Takesue Fisher • Lisa Flynn • Lawrence Fodge • Koichi Fukuda • Shig Furuta • Christian Gadia • GGE Media • Lynn Hamrick • Jane Hashimoto • Richard Hashimoto • Hawaii Bae Area Crew • Hediguchis • Shoji Hishida • Ashlyn Hom • Grace Horikiri • Vivian Huey • Kathryn Igarashi • Isara • The Isbisters • Ina-Lee Family • Kris Iwasaki and Tom Steele • Romario Joseph • Jackie Kashima • Jana Katsuyama • Reverend and Mrs Masato and Alice Kawahatsu • Timothy Kawakami • Andie Kimura • Russell & Harumi Kishida • Julia Kochi •  Kathryn Kojimoto • Pricilla and Keith Kojimoto • Gayle Kojimoto-Hume • Melvin Kon • Olivia Lam • Carol Neishi Larsson • Wilson and Vivian Lem • Deborah Lim • Karen Liu • Elaine Low • Erin McCann • Parker Magnuson • Lorianne Masuoka • Tami Masuoka • Lori Matoba • Sandi Matoba • Alexy Mikhailichenko • Kelly and Aaron Mikuni • Jeff and Sandy Mori • Mark and Masako Moriguchi • Morrison & Foerster Foundation Matching Gift (Misako Sack) • Emily Murase and Neal Taniguchi • Denise Naganuma and Kalli Lim • Brian Nagata • Aki Nagatomi • Mathew and Aki Nagatomi • Benh Nakajo • Marcia Nakamura • Cindy Nakashima • Penny Nakatsu • Kathy Nelsen • Nobuo Nishi and Linda Omori • Nhi Nguyen • Bill Nhiayi • Wesley and Lynn Nihei • Merry C. Nishimura • Kevin O'Donnell • Joyce Oishi and Dii Lewis • Norman Ogawa and Tamié Yusa-Ogawa • Koji and Jessica Oka • Jennifer O'Keefe • Erica Okamura and Jegan Chen • Van Okamura and Glynis Nakahara • Akemi Ooka • Paul Osaki • Suzanne Oshima • Mary Osborn • The Mesina Ouellette Family • Ryan and Mary Oyama • Peter Panos • Dr. Terry K. Park • Kairie Aiona-Peppers • Roberto Roman • Jack Quon • Robert Sakai and Margaret Orozco-Sakai • Kinko Sakamoto • Shinichi Seino • Joy Shigaki • Mark and Judy Shigenaga • John D. Shima • Erika Shimizu • Hiroshi and Susie Shimizu • Veronica Shinzato • Craig So • Mike Sosa • Thomas Steele • Takuya Suda • Nicole Suganuma • Mike and Cyndy Sugawara • Hisashi Sugaya • Amy Sujishi • Kenji G. Taguma • Kiyomi, Ken and Himari Takeda • Fred and Margo Takemiya • Toshio Takeshita • Asumu Takikawa • Shirley Tan and Jeff Woo • Gail Tanaka • Sheridan Tatsuno • Clint Taura, DDS • JB Tengco • Garret Tom • Lydia Tom • Patricia Tubbs • Union Bank Matching Gift for Wendy Wong • Dawn Watkins • Kim Tuey Yee and Larry Wong • Jeremy Wallenberg • Alexandra Walter • Yuka Walton • John H. Ware • Craig Waterman • Zachary West • Lindsey Keiko Wong • Wendy Wong • Rebecca Woo • Sandy Woo and Tobias Mezger  • James Woodyatt • Michiko Yamada • Lori Yamauchi and James Eagler • Joyce M. Yamamoto • Takeshi Yamashita • Nikki Yoshikawa • Vivian and Tony Zaloom

As of March 18, 2021

Meet Yuichi Yamakawa - President of Kintetsu Enterprises Co. of America

When the SF Japantown Foundation first announced its matching fund campaign to raise funds to help Japantown nonprofit organizations overcome the financial hardship they are facing because of the COVID19 crisis, one of the first donors to come to the rescue was Yuichi Yamakawa, President of Kintetsu Enterprises Co. of America.  Mr. Yamakawa remains our largest donor of this campaign.

Now residing in Southern California, Mr. Yamakawa was transferred to San Francisco from his head office in Japan and served as Kintetsu’s Controller here from 1982-1988.  Even though it has been over 32 years since his transfer to SF, he continues to hold fond memories of his experience here and thus generously wrote a personal check of $20,000 without any hesitation.

“When I worked in San Francisco, I lived on 6th Avenue in the Sunset District, and my daughter was born there in 1986.  At that time, the interest rates were very high and the unions were very strong so running the hotel was quite a challenge.  However, our company made a commitment in the 1950s to make an investment in San Francisco even though we were not able to make a profit for the first 30 years here and therefore we had to do the best we could have given the external circumstances that we faced.

I was born during the baby boomer era where we learned about the Flower Power movement in San Francisco so I was excited about my transfer to SF.

During my time there, I met many Taisho born people [persons born between 1912-1925] including Jack Hirose, one of the founding members of the SF Japantown Foundation.  It was a great experience getting to know them and working with them.  My grandfather was a teacher so I think I learned about Japanese Americans and their history before moving to the US but to actually have an opportunity to work with them and attend their events was something that I will always remember and look fondly upon.

Japantown was very active at that time with many activities. All of my weekends were filled with Japantown related events.  There was Sakura Matsuri; activities planned by the Japantown Merchants Association; summer and fall festivals,  and the yearly mochi pounding at New Years where I was named the “man of physical labor” because I was the youngest staff member and was often required to participate in manual labor work.  I even remember that I had to wear a Santa Claus suit throughout the entire month of December in 1983!

I want to see SF Japantown continue to exist for the future.  Even though our company no longer has property in Japantown, I believe it is still important to support it and I thank the community for the wonderful memories and experiences it has provided me.”

Thank you Mr. Yamakawa, both for your generous support and your wonderful reflections on your experience in Japantown and how it is important for us to keep our community alive!

Hotel Kabuki Donates $34,000 to Japantown Foundation

Hotel Kabuki General Manager Alex Prouty presented San Francisco Japantown Foundation Board President Donald Tamaki with a check for $34,000 at our New Year Celebration with Osechi Ryori event on January 9, 2020, held at Hotel Kabuki.

The generous donation continues the foundation’s philanthropic partnership with Hotel Kabuki that started in 2013. The Japantown Foundation receives funds raised through the hotel’s You Can Make a Difference program, which asks guests to donate when they stay at the property.

The donations from Hotel Kabuki – combined with proceeds from our annual New Year Celebration and from our original endowment – enable us to provide annual grants to qualified Japantown community organizations.

The Japantown Foundation board of directors expresses its appreciation to Prouty, who is also a foundation board member, and the staff of Hotel Kabuki for continuing this valuable partnership.