Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California

 

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Dana O.

San Francisco, CA

I'm currently taking a pottery class and while I've seen slightly cheaper classes, I've never seen another class where you can experiment with so many different clay bodies and where the clay supply is pretty much unlimited. This center seems to be empty at night except for a group of taiko drummers in the gym. There is tons of space for rental I'm sure.

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Elite '08

55

641

Jennifer A.

San Diego, CA

When I visited Jill K. we went to a Mochi Workshop at the JCCCNC (so many Cs!) and it was a lot of fun!

Being 3.5 generation Japanese American I didn't grow up learning a lot about my family's culture.  It was awesome to see the process of mochi making and to get some hands on experience!  

They seem to offer other interesting workshops that I wish I was able to attend.

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30

j. z.

San Francisco, CA

JCCCNC: Japanese Cultural and Community Center Nor-Cal
is a really good center that provides different community events, it also has different tenants in the building such as: AACE Educational Services TS (Daly City), the Kimochi (elderly-service), Nobiru-Kai (Japanese new immigrant service), Jap-Am Historical Archive, etc.  They also have basketball and volleyball leagues there as well. For basketball league it is on Monday and Wednesday night. Pretty nice location and building.

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Elite '08

946

1968

Kristina R.

San Francisco, CA

FIELD TRIP!!

The kids went here for Children's Day, which is confusing to me because my mother always said "Every day is children's day...now hand me Uncle Johnny Walker over there."

KIDDING!  I'm really very well adjusted and from a good, respectable home.  It's Korean, though, and that automatically sends it into the "psycho Asian mother" category.  In short, I am completely f#@ed up.

But anyhoo, the kids loved this place.  They got to see the fabulous little exhibit of Japanese dolls, the armor of  a Japanese warrior, and other valuable and irreplaceable artifacts that (let's face facts, here) should not be near children hyped up because they're not in school and on a cool-ass field trip.  

Here's how the tour of the exhibit went:  They looked sneaky.  I gave the stink eye.  They grabbed.  I grabbed.  I was like a hockey goalie, batting them back into the ring my volunteer parent chaperones and I made with our bodies.

Later on, the docents taught the kids how to make Japanese paper dolls made to look like little boys and girls.  They also made neat-o koi fish out of paper that they hung with strings and whapped each other with until one of the rugrats got a paper cut and started screaming.  De-lightful!  

FIVE STARS for the awesome Japanese Cultural Center!  They are a genuine gem in San Francisco among a sea of crappy video games and violent television shows.  Kids actually get to learn stuff...and LOVE doing it.  Kudos to you!

Except one kid did eat the glue.  He put a big glop of it on his finger and stuck the nasty thing in his mouth.  Then, he smiled...like it was friggin' peanut butter.  Oh well...better than a booger, I say.

It's the little things in life, people.  Treasure these precious moments while you can!

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Elite '08

374

233

stephanie i.

San Francisco, CA

Factoids:
1) 2006 marks SF Japantown's Centennial!

2) The SF Japantown is the oldest and one of the three remaining Japantown's in the U.S.

3) And while it may feel like private investors/developers are starting to change the face of Japantown, the JCCCNC is firmly rooted in the community and strives to keep Japanese culture alive in SF.

So let's see...
- My better half practically grew up in and around this center - and many of his friends still play basketball on Mon and Wed night league (which I believe is open to the public)

- My mother in law has been taking ukulele lessons here for years, from an amazing Hawaiian ukulele master.

- My son has been to every Halloween party they throw for neighborhood kids - we're talking hundreds of kids and parents, a parade, we're talking "the works!"

- The handful of employees that I know who work there are all SF natives

- They have a huge lunch program for local seniors

From educational programs, to organized sports and youth development the JCCCNC really has it all!

WHAT AN AMAZING GEM OF A CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY CENTER  IN OUR MIDST. And to think... I was going to make a joke about their name having too many C's in it. ;)

How lucky we truly are.

Their mission:
The JCCCNC strives to meet the evolving needs of the Japanese American community through offering programs, affordable services and facility usage. The goals are:

   * To manage and maintain a multi-service community center which is owned and operated by the Japanese American community.

   * To organize and provide educational, cultural, recreational and social programs that meet the growing needs, interests and concerns of the community.

   * To preserve and promote the Japanese American cultural and historical heritage.

   * To enhance understanding and appreciation among the Japanese American community, American public and people of Japan.

   * To provide administration and program space for non-profit organizations in the community.

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Elite '08

139

178

Keith K.

San Francisco, CA

Home to many of Japantown's functions and activities, the JCCCNC is an anchor of the community.

The center will host the annual Day of Remembrance on Feb. 17, 2007.  On Feb. 19, 1942, Frankling Roosevelt sign an executive order allowing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, one of our country's most shameful actions.

http://dayofremembranc...

One example was a film showing on Dec. 6 at 7pm. The JCCCNC, along with the Hawai'i Chamber of Commerce of Northern California and the Center for Asian American Media (formerly NAATA) will premiere a film by one of Hawai'i's most respected political observers explaining why the government during World War II did not mass intern Americans and immigrants of Japanese ancestry living in what would become the 50th state. Check out http://www.myspace.com... for more information on the film.

Info on Japantown's centennial celebration in 2006:
http://www.sfjapantown...

Info on the new San Francisco Japantown Foundation:
http://www.sfjapantown...

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