jcccnc / about / press / yori wada commemoration

“The goal of the JCCCNC should be to meet the most pressing needs of the Japanese American community.” - Yori Wada

SAN FRANCISCO (September 1, 2003) - The legacy of the late Yori Wada will be commemorated at the 30th Anniversary Community Celebration of the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) on Saturday, Sept. 20. The event will be held beginning at 3 p.m. at JCCCNC, 1840 Sutter St., San Francisco.

“As we mark our 30 years in Japantown, it’s fitting that we reflect upon Yori’s leadership, passion and vision to create JCCCNC,” said JCCCNC Executive Director Paul Osaki. “In spite of countless other commitments, Yori took it upon his shoulders to organize the volunteer effort and raise millions of dollars to build this center.”

When Wada agreed to lead the JCCCNC fundraising campaign, he envisioned a facility that would nurture a sense of community amongst all Japanese Americans – a facility that would bring the generations together under one roof. But, noted Osaki, “Yori also reminded us that this center could not remain static, and that we had to evolve over time and generations.”

In one speech, Wada stated, “I believe that we who are here today have a continuing role to play in the history of these times. The task before us is to create institutions that are willing and capable of continuous change and continuous response to human needs.”
Osaki said that over the past 30 years, JCCCNC has worked to adapt and embrace the challenges and changing demographics of the Nikkei community. “Yori’s words still resonate for all of us who work and volunteer for the JCCCNC,” he said.

Evidence of that is reflected in some of JCCCNC’s highpoints over the past three decades. It was JCCCNC that led the fight to keep the YWCA, actively lobbied for state funding to preserve the three remaining Japantowns, participated as a founding member of the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council (CJACLC), organized the annual Shinzen 2003 (Nikkei Youth Goodwill Basketball Program) cultural exchange program for youth event, provided affordable program and office space for community groups, including Hapa Issues Forum (Dedicated to enriching the lives of Asian Pacific Islanders of mixed heritage and developing communities that value diversity), Nobiru Kai (Japanese Newcomers Society), fostered relations with the neighboring African American community on common issues impacting bordering localities, advocated for the preservation of Japantown Bowl, created numerous programs and classes keeping the aged, youth, and families active and engaged in the community, promoted youth and adult creativity through art and music classes and performances, and brought together communities sharing similar histories and experiences, such as Arab American and Muslims communities.

Yori placed great importance on having a centralized Japanese American hub in San Francisco and had always hoped that the entire Japanese American community as well as the wider bay area would be welcome. In the 1980s, Yori Wada boldly led the JCCCNC “Vision 80s Capital Campaign” to raise millions of dollars to build this community center. Inspiring the support of Issei, Nisei and Sansei, as well as community leaders and business people in Japantown and throughout the city and state, he successfully completed the campaign and the JCCCNC retired its mortgage in 1996.

On this 30th anniversary, we rededicate JCCCNC to Yori Wada’s dream of creating a home for us today and for generations yet to come.

The 30th anniversary celebration is free and open to the public. For more information, call JCCCNC at (415) 567-5505.

About the JCCCNC

Envisioned by the Japanese American community, JCCCNC will be an everlasting foundation of our Japanese American ancestry, cultural heritage, histories and traditions. The JCCCNC strives to meet the evolving needs of the Japanese American community through programs, affordable services and facility usage. The JCCCNC is a non-profit community center based in San Francisco.

For more information, please contact:

Paul Osaki, Executive Director
Sandy Kajiyama, Marketing and PR Manager
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC)
415.567.5505