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42nd Anniversary Celebration & Awards Dinner

When

Thu, Jun 22, 2023 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Where

Isamu Noguchi Plaza
244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90012

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About

This year's theme is "Yume: Imagine the Possibilities".  We will imagine the possibilities and share our plans to ensure that JACCC continues to nurture and elevate Japanese and Japanese American arts and culture for many years to come - thus fulfilling the hopes and dreams (yume) of JACCC's founders.




 

Honorees

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Terasaki Family Foundation
2023 Chairman's Award
IW Group, Inc.
2023 Chairman's Award
Hirokazu Kosaka
2023 President's Award
The Terasaki Family Foundation has supported the Japanese American
Cultural and Community Center, since its beginning, around 40 years ago.
Our family is very honored to win the JACCC Chairman’s Award.
Our family grew up in the area and has always looked to visiting Little
Tokyo to learn and experience our Japanese heritage. Of course, the
JACCC is the main center to learn about Japanese Culture in Little Tokyo,
with its wide variety of presentations and exhibitions.

I remember my parents coming to the JACCC for various events. We would
often use the Center as an area where our relatives could gather together
to attend an event.

We have seen many interesting shows and events at the Aratani Theater.
Now that the Watanabe Culinary Center is up and running strong, it gives us a chance to meet and have a nice meal together.

We would like our younger, and future generations, to be exposed to
our Japanese heritage. As the world changes, we don’t want the Japanese
culture to fade out of existence. It’s a difficult time, with many social
problems around the world. As Japanese Americans spread out from this community, both geographically and through the blending of multiple
cultures, it is becoming more and more difficult to maintain interest and
access to Japanese culture. We need to try to educate the young of all
races, as there are so many interesting things to learn and experience. We
believe this is the role of the JACCC, and why our family foundation
continues to support this organization.
Founded in 1990, IW Group is a fully integrated marketing communications and experiential marketing agency that is at the forefront of creating unique multicultural and cross-generational solutions for its clients. As Ad Age's 2022 Multicultural Agency of the Year, the agency prides itself in the ability to provide timely strategic counsel and deliver quality results for the corporations and organizations it represents, and it’s on a mission to create extraordinary brand experiences through culture and innovation. Headquartered in Los Angeles with additional offices in New York, San Francisco, and the metaverse, IW Group’s capabilities and extensive experience include advertising, multicultural/multigenerational marketing, crisis communications, experiential/event marketing, augmented and mixed reality, cross-cultural training, activations, media relations, traditional and digital media planning/buying, market research, and community relations.
Photo of Hirokazu Kosaka
Since joining JACCC’s staff in 1983, Master Artist in Residence Hirokazu Kosaka has been actively advocating for Japanese arts and culture. Over the past forty years, he has curated more than 200 exhibitions and 40 “Kotohajime” (The Beginning of Things) new year performances, as well as written and directed original performances throughout Los Angeles, including at the Aratani Theatre and a solo exhibition at MOCA. In 2012, the Getty Museum’s Pacific Standard Time (PST) commissioned Mr. Kosaka to create a performance to open the PST series for which he transformed the Getty Center's Arrival Plaza into a sculptural and performative installation. In 2013, a retrospective of Mr. Kosaka’s works (1967-1974), “Project Series 46: Hirokazu Kosaka on the Verandah,” was exhibited at the Pomona College Art Museum. In 2017, for his excellence in creative accomplishments in performance and theater, Mr. Kosaka received the prestigious US Artist Fellowship from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Mr. Kosaka is currently working with scholars to provide his personal and historical knowledge to transcribe, translate, and digitize the Los Angeles Issei Poetry Collection. This impressive collection, assembled by the prolific Issei writer Morio Hayashida (Mr. Kosaka’s grandfather), consists of Japanese-language writings by Issei authors, much of which were thought lost due to World War II and the incarceration camps.

To honor Mr. Kosaka’s work with esteemed culture-bearers in preserving and nurturing Japanese and Japanese American art forms, JACCC is poised to open the Kosaka Center for Arts and Culture. Hosting classes in kadō (way of the flower), sadō (way of tea), shodō (way of writing), and more, the Kosaka Center will become the only place in Southern California where–under one roof–these art forms are studied.

Born in Wakayama, Japan, Mr. Kosaka graduated from the Chouinard Art Institute, Los Angeles in 1970 and has since continued to study in the fields of Traditional and Contemporary Art. He is an ordained Shingon Buddhist priest and a master of the art of kyudō (Japanese archery).

Entertainment

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David Ono
Master of Ceremonies
Nobuko Fukatsu
L.A. Japanese Music Ensemble
Isaku Kageyama
L.A. Japanese Music Ensemble
David Wells
L.A. Japanese Music Ensemble
Yuki Yasuda
L.A. Japanese Music Ensemble
Walter Nishinaka
L.A. Taiko Collective
David Ono is the co-anchor for ABC7 Eyewitness News at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Since joining ABC7 in 1996, David has witnessed history worldwide, covering Hurricane Katrina, Haiti's earthquake and Japan's tsunami. He traveled across Europe and Asia chronicling brave acts of the Nisei soldier from World War II. He attended the Royal Wedding in London, tracked drug runners through Central America and reported from Paris on a terrorist plot to bring down the Eiffel Tower.

Ono has trained with the FBI and the elite Los Angeles Sheriff's SWAT team. President Obama invited him to the White House for an exclusive interview. And he witnessed white smoke at the Vatican twice - in 2005 for the selection of Pope Benedict the 16th and 2013 for the selection of Pope Francis. Recently, Ono surfaced in Boston, chronicling the marathon bombing. He has won nine Edward R. Murrow awards and 28 Emmys.

David grew up in Texas and is a graduate of the University of North Texas.His career has included stops at KOVR in Sacramento, KDBC in El Paso, KOSA in Midland/Odessa and KXAS in Dallas. He has also hosted ABC7's half-hour show Eye on L.A.
Nobuko Fukatsu is a biwa player based in Los Angeles. A long-term student of the prominent biwa musician Yoshiko Sakata, Nobuko performs at various cultural gatherings, festivals, and educational settings in the Los Angeles area, as well as participated in recordings for entertainment media music. Her repertoire includes classical narrative biwa music such as the Tale of Heike, narrative pieces written in modern Japanese, and modern instrumental pieces. Nobuko plays on instruments that survived the Japanese-American WWII internment experience and were later given to her. She also researches the history of biwa and its music in the Japanese immigrant communities in the US.
Isaku Kageyama is one of the most recorded taiko artists, combining decades of training in Japan with modern music production techniques to produce work that is authentic and creative. His unique skillset as a performer, producer, and engineer has made Isaku a first-call collaborator for the recording studio as well as live performances.

His resume includes recordings for video games such as Ghost of Tsushima, tours with the Japan Foundation, residencies with The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, and performances at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Dedicated to promoting the beauty of Japanese music, he has produced virtual instruments, sample libraries, and loop packs that showcase the breadth of traditional Japanese instruments including Kageyama Taikos, Hybrid Studio Taiko, and Onshoku: Taiko Rhythms.

Formerly a principal drummer of Tokyo-based taiko ensemble Amanojaku, he holds a Bachelor of Music from the Berklee College of Music and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Additionally, he is a two-time National Odaiko Champion, becoming the youngest person to win the highest honors at the Mt. Fuji Odaiko Contest in 2000, and Hokkaido in 2003. Isaku has held clinics at Berklee College of Music, Brown, Cornell, UC Davis, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Connecticut, Wellesley, North American Taiko Conference, East Coast Taiko Conference, Intercollegiate Taiko Invitationals, and Los Angeles Taiko Institute.
David began his musical journey as a clarinet player under the guidance of his father, a professional jazz musician. In 2003, he discovered Stanford Taiko, performing internationally with the group and eventually serving as Artistic co-Director. Since then, David has trained extensively and has performed with such groups as the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble, TAIKOPROJECT, On Ensemble, and Unit Souzou. He is also passionate about teaching taiko, an enthusiastic workshop leader, and an avid composer.
Japanese koto player Yuki Yasuda is based in Los Angeles, California. She was born in Japan and began playing the koto at the age of twelve. Yuki majored in koto music at the Takasaki Junior Arts College and also learned from Tadao Sawai and Kazue Sawai, masters of the great modern koto music. She also served as an uchi-deshi (special student) at the Sawai Koto Institute. Since moving to New York in 2009, and to Los Angeles in 2014, Yuki performed extensively as a soloist, with ensemble groups, and collaborated with musicians and composers of various genres. She has toured in Asia, Europe, North, Central, and South America. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2014, she has been performing and teaching koto privately in Torrance.
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Sponsors

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Kiku
Sakura
Ume
Fuji
Tsubaki
Momo
Ajisai
Shobu
Asagao
Aratani Foundation
Terasaki Family Foundation
U.S. Bank (formerly Union Bank)
Kawaguchi-Kihara Memorial Foundation
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
Sugimoto Family Foundation: George, Lisa & Nathan
Aspen Healthcare Inc.
The Doizaki Family
Enterprise Bank
Gonsaku & Mine Ito Family
Frank & Betty Hiji
Glenn & Michiko Inanaga
Kanai Foundation
John & Suzy Sasaki
FIA Insurance Inc.
Fukui Mortuary
IW Group Inc.
Thomas & Barbara Iino
Nikki Kodama & Family
Matsumoto/Minami Families
Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas)
Dolly & Rick Oishi
Lauren Ohata-Chang
Dennis & Joani Sugino Family
Suntory Holdings Ltd.
David & Helen Yamahata
Bette Hiramatsu
JSL Foods, Inc.
Gary & Toni Kitazawa
Kosaka Family
Randy & Amanda Masada
Nolan Maehara & Sandy Sakamoto
Gordon & Joanne Sasaki
Russel Tsuda & Vicky Murakami-Tsuda
Tokio Marine
Centenary United Methodist Church
East West Players
Japanese American National Museum
Keiro
Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin of L.A.
Little Tokyo Service Center
Omotesenke Domonkai So Cal Region USA
Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment
So-Phis
West Los Angeles United Methodist Church

Donors

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Table Centerpiece Sponsors
Table Wines Sponsors
Significant In-Kind Support
Add'l Donations of $500+
Auction Donors
American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA)
Ikenobo School of Ikebana
Ohara School of Ikebana
Sogetsu School of Ikebana
Scott Yamabe, Southern California Flower Market
B. Kosuge Wines
Black Stallion Estate Winery
Et Fille Wines
Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Freeman Vineyard & Winery
Kazumi Wines
Noria Wines
Paulownia Wines
Six Cloves Wines
Mutual Trading
Nestlé
Starbucks
Suntory Holdings Inc.
Takara Sake USA
Carol Tanita & Wayne Nagao
James Anderson
Matthew & Miho Blumkin Foundation
Justin Carroll
Jan Fukuhara Dyck
Robert Hori, in honor of Hirokazu Kosaka
Bill Imada
Glenn Inanaga
Hana Isode
Lorraine Ito
Gary Kawaguchi
Sadao Kimura
Rafael Lopez-Barrantes
Mardy Maehara
Nolan Maehara
Nancy Matsui
Lynn Miyamoto
Wilson Morishita
Wayne Nagao
Rev. Mark. M. Nakagawa
Kari Nakama
Dwight Otani
Yoshihiro Sano
John Sasaki
Gordon Sasaki, MD
George Sugimoto
Cooke Sunoo
Mitch Taguchi
Craig Tomiyoshi
Uyesugi Family Rev Trust
Alaska Reel
Black Stallion Estate & Winery
Dalla Valle Vineyards
Masa Endo
Et Fille Wines
Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Freeman Vineyards & Winery
Gerald Fukui
Gary Kawaguchi
Christine Hernandez
Hikari Pearls
Bette Hiramatsu
Imperial Hotel Tokyo
Japan Airlines
Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Lance & Natalie Kakimoto
Kale Wines
Kazumi Wines
Kenzo Estate
Timothy & Akiko Manaka
Randy & Amanda Masada
Nancy Matsui
Ken & Ellen Minami
Mutual Trading
Lauren Ohata-Chang
Rick & Dolly Oishi
Chris Ono
Helen Ota & Michael Palma
Palmaz Vineyards
Paulownia Wines
Michael Richards
Robert Mondavi Winery
Dave Roberts & Red Stitch Winery
Sandy Sakamoto & Nolan Maehara
Sakura Winery
John & Suzy Sasaki
Schramsberg Winery
Shiba Wichern Cellars
Six Cloves Wines
Noriyoshi & Miyako Tachibana
Taira-Welch Communications
Tanaka Farms
Wilson Creek Winery
Danny Wong
Paul & Marianne Yamaguchi
David & Helen Yamahata
Stephanie Yamasaki
Yoshiko Yamasaki

Committee

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Co-chairs
Members
Thomas Iino
Suzy Sasaki
Gerald Fukui
Jennifer Hirano
Atsuko Kanai
Toni Kitazawa
Randy Masada
Nancy Matsui
Alan Miyatake
Dolly Oishi
Nancy Okubo
Sandy Sakamoto
Joanne Sasaki
Lisa Sugimoto
Carol Tanita
Stacy Toyota
David Yamahata
Stephanie Yamasaki

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Anyone can attend the event with the purchase of a table or ticket. You must be 18 years and older to bid on our online auction and 21 years and older to bid on any alcohol-related package.

We are only accepting checks by mail and online credit card payments. Please make the check payable to ‘JACCC’ and in the memo, write in the ticket, sponsorship level, or indicate it’s a donation.

To make sure we receive the payment on time, send all checks before May 31st.

If you are a sponsor or donating to JACCC, your contribution is tax-deductible (minus goods and services received).

Auction packages won above the fair market value are tax-deductible in the amount of the difference. For federal income tax purposes, you may be able to deduct the portion of your purchase price that exceeds the item’s fair market value (FMV), if you paid the excess with the intent to make a charitable contribution. Please note that transaction fees and taxes associated with your contribution are not tax-deductible. For any additional questions, please consult your tax advisor.

Acknowledgment letters and tax receipts will be mailed the week following the event. You will also receive a receipt for your purchases automatically after payment on GiveSmart.

To ensure your letter and receipt are correct, please make sure to double-check the spelling of your name, email, and mailing addresses.

GiveSmart Questions

For technical questions regarding the usage of GiveSmart, click here to view a video on instructions for registering and making auction bids.

Steps:

  1. Go to jaccc42.givesmart.com and click on the button that says "Buy a Table/Tickets".
  2. Select the table/ticket and quantity.
  3. (Optional) Select add-ons and quantity for each.
  4. (Optional) Make a tax-deductible donation.
  5. Add purchaser information.
  6. Enter the desired recognition name.
  7. Answer meal preference question(s) and invite additional attendees.
  8. Enter credit card information to complete payment.
  9. Check the Terms and Conditions box.
  10. Check Text Messages (for bids, purchases, and event announcements).
  11. Check that I'm not a robot and click "Pay".
  12. Once an order is submitted, purchaser registration is automatically complete.
  13. Create a username and password to be able to update order information.

Click here to register. If you previously registered for our prior GiveSmart events, you will need to register again for this event for security reasons.

Yes. Upon checking out, you will need to pay a 3.5% transaction fee for GiveSmart's credit card processing. By paying the transaction fee, you ensure more money goes to JACCC’s mission.

For physical auction items, there will also be a 9.5% CA tax surcharge. For charity auctions in California, the state tax is deducted from the contributions for sales of merchandise in the internet, live, and silent auctions. For additional details, read our auction rules and regulations.

Auction Questions

Anyone 18 years and older can participate. However, you must be 21 years and older to bid on any alcohol-related auction package.

To participate in the online silent auction you need to be registered on GiveSmart. Bidders will be responsible for paying immediately upon winning and must pick-up their items during the event or coordinate a post-event pick-up date/time. Instructions will be sent to winners after the auction closes.

To view and bid on auction items, you will need access to a computer or mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet with an internet connection. You will be required to enter your mobile phone number to participate, as you will receive text notifications regarding your bids. We recommend that you check GiveSmart or your text messages periodically to see the status of your bids. If you need any assistance prior to June 22nd, contact us at info@jaccc.org.

Click here for a video tutorial on bidding.

Yes, all bids are anonymous in GiveSmart.

Send an email to info@jaccc.org before June 21st for assistance. For additional details, read our auction rules and regulations.

To receive your items, you must pay online by credit card.

Pick-up will be on Thursday, June 22 during the event. For post-dinner pickup, please contact Akiko Manaka at akiko.manaka@gmail.com. For additional details, read our auction rules and regulations.

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