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Nikkei Youth Athletics Bursary is currently accepting applications

Both individuals and organizations are eligible to apply. Apply online by August 31, 2021 to be considered for the 2020-21 recipient.

The Nikkei Place Foundation is currently accepting applications for the Nikkei Youth Athletics Bursary

The Nikkei Youth Athletics Bursary is a $1,000 bursary, administered by Nikkei Place Foundation, that recognizes the achievements of Canadian Nikkei youth student-athletes who foster excellence in sports, academics and community leadership.

This bursary aims to support and encourage youth engagement in their community and the building of healthy communities through athletics. One recipient is chosen annually, and is presented with it at the Foundation’s annual spring gala (event currently TBD due to the pandemic).

The bursary launched in 2016 and was made possible through a generous donation by the Nikkei Hockey program, which ran from 2000-2012.

“The vision of the sponsors of the bursary was to enable Nikkei youth to advance in their sport or endeavor and learn a bit more about their Japanese roots” says Paul Kariya, one of the organizers of the Nikkei Hockey program.
“The Nikkei Hockey program combined great ice hockey with education about Japanese ancestry and cultural exchange. The early teams like Team 2000, 2002 and 2004 competed in Japan’s U-18 national selection camps, so the hockey was very high calibre. Japan wanted tough skilled Canadians to challenge their youth. When not on the ice, our players got to visit the Japanese Diet, meet the Canadian Ambassador, learn about Japanese history, culture and visit historic sites. The boys worked hard to make the teams as hockey players but came away rewarded with so much more – an understanding of where their bachans or gichans (grandmothers and grandfathers) had come from.”

The Nikkei Place Foundation extends thanks to Paul Kariya, Ian Burgess, Dan Nomura, and Ken Takeuchi who are pleased to represent the many contributors to the past Nikkei Hockey Club.

“The Nikki Youth Athletics Bursary is a wonderful example of how donors can come together to create a lasting impact on members of future generations.” says Naomi Kawamura, Executive Director. “The Foundation is excited to help another Nikkei youth this year with their academic and athletic aspirations.”

Both individuals and organizations are eligible to apply. Apply online by August 31, 2021 to be considered for the 2020-21 recipient. Previous recipients include competitive kendoka Kianna Darbshire (2019-2020), and the Shin Asahi Baseball Team (2018-19).

Apply Now

Lindsay Hoy 2021-01-08 Lindsay Hoy 2021-01-08

Monthly Donations Update (November 30 - December 20, 2020)

The Foundation acknowledges gifts we receive for Nikkei Place. Thank you to our recent donors from November 30, 2020 - December 20, 2020 inclusive!

Important Notice:

Since March 18, 2020, Nikkei Place Foundation has transitioned all staff to work remotely until further notice, in response to the rapidly evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Until we are able to resume normal office operation, we are unable to recognize Tree of Prosperity donors by their Leaf Colours. We thank you for understanding during this challenging time. Rest assured, we are still accepting donations, but encourage you to donate online to avoid any delays with receiving your tax receipt. For any questions or concerns, we can be reached at gifts@nikkeiplacefoundation.org or 604.777.2122.

Thank you to our recent donors!

Gifts listed from November 30, 2020 - December 20, 2020 inclusive

We apologize for any errors or omissions on this list. If your name has not been included, and you think it has been missed, please contact us and we will look into this right away.

DONATIONS

Anonymous (16)
Lois Atagi
Christine Chiba
Ruth & Michael Coles
John Coulthard
Denise Egami
Karen & Brian Esson
Kenneth Ezaki
Etsuyo Fujiwara
Toshimi Goto
Grout McTavish Architecture Inc.
S. Charlotte Gyoba
Aiko Marlene Hamakawa
Taeko Hamakawa
George & Elaine Homma
Toshie Hosonuma
Masako Hori
Hiroshi & Takako Iura
Sydney Iwata
Joan & Brian Jalmarson
Lily Kamachi
Paul & Diana Kariya
Michiyo Katayama
Glen Katsuyama
Soya Kayo
Akiko Knobloch
Yuki Kurozumi
Molly & John Kewley
Yukimasa & Tamiko Kishimoto
Nobuo & Nana Kitsuda
Dick Koyanagi
George Koyanagi
Kazuko Koyanagi
Nora & Ronald MacArthur
Cherie Markiewicz
Jack & Takayo Matsuda
Ruth & Bruce Matsuda
Terumi Matsunaga
Richard & Nancy Minato
Hiroshi Minemoto
Eileen Miyanaga

Junji Mizutani
Masashi & Reiko Moizumi
Anne Motozono
Donald & Misaye Munro
Richard Murakami
Ray Murao
Kazuto & Mary Nakamoto
Yoshiye Nakata
Jean Neher
Peter & Aster Nimi Family
Terence & Susan Nishi
Clara & Mac Norris
Sachiko Ohara
George & Linda Oike
Kevin Okano
Maryka Omatsu
Hideko Onouye
Shigenari Onouye
Oomomo Canada Ltd.
Margaret & Juergen Peters
Ken Schultz
Hiroko Shimizu
Gentaro & Rose Shimizu
Keiji & Melody Shudo
Kumi Sutcliffe
Cheryl Suzuki
Thomas Suzuki
Rick Tajiri
Minoru Tanaka
Mitsuo & Nancy Takasaki
Norman & Marion Takeuchi
Tom Teranishi
Shizuka Tsuzuki
Kishiko Uchida
Mark & Paula Waslen
Peeranut Visetsuth
Fred Wiley
Fred & Linda Yada
Dorothy Yamamoto
Setsuko Yamashita
Chieko Yano
Yuko Yasutake

NNMCC Resilience Fundraiser

Akiko Gomyo Foundation
Akiye Kay Akada
Anonymous (13)
Grace Asao
Lillian Blakey
Marnie Carter
Teesa Christie
Sylvia Christopoulos
Den Enjo
DMCL Chartered Professional Accountants
Kathy Harris
Shirley Isojima
Don & Kumiko Iwanaka
Ellen Kadonaga
Paul & Naoko Kadota
Bill & Toshiko Kajiwara
Fortis BC (Art Kanzaki)
Elsie Komori
Bill McNulty
Patrick T. Miki
Tsuneo & Noriko Miki
Fumiko Miyahara
Harry & Akemi Mizuta
Derek Okamura

Dr. Jeffery & Susan Okamura
Dr. Wayne Okamura
Herbert Ono & Tara O’Connor
Dr. Santaro Ono & Gwendolyn Yip
Toshiko & Ernest Quan
Chikako Rahman
Salim Rahman
Michiko Sakata
Rumi Sasaki
Howard & Sher Shikaze
Howard Shimokura
Norman Shuto & Patricia Wallace
Debra Suzuki
Kenneth & Rosemarie Takeuchi
Christine Tamaki
Charles Tasaka
Janine Tasaka
Harry Tonogai
Toshiyuki & Yukiko Tosa
Ronald Ui
Margie Uyeda
Roy Yabuki
Fred & Linda Yada
Christine H. Yoshida

Christmas Extravaganza

Christmas Tree
Louise Akuzawa & Ronald Kruschen
Sam Yamamoto

NNMCC Japanese Canadian War Memorial Committee

Minoru & Lydia Yatabe

HONOURS & TRIBUTES

In Honour of Dr. Takashi Ono &
Mrs. Sachiko (Morita) Ono
Dr. Santa Ono & Gwendolyn Yip

In Memory of Shigeru & Emi Amano
Wendy & Edward Merlo

In Memory of Dale Banno
Anonymous
Victor Banno & Deborah Griswold
Glenn & Wendy Hara
Sandra James
Deborah MacDonald
Norman Shuto & Patricia Wallace

In Memory of Robert Banno
Anonymous
Victor Banno & Deborah Griswold
Sandra James
Karen Kobayashi

In Memory of Patricia Clever
Heinz Doerfert
Sanny Nishi

In Memory of Tamiko Corbett
Wendy & Edward Merlo

In Memory of Shin & Reiko Endo
Henry & Patricia Tanaka

In Memory of Shoji & Fumi Hamagami
Gerry & Russell Nakamura

In Memory of Sunako Hinada
Estate of Sunako Hinada

In Memory of Susie Inouye
Marvin & Brenda Gaertner

In Memory of Richard (Seiji), June & Darren Kadonaga
Anonymous

In Memory of Eikichi Kagetsu
Anonymous

In Memory of Takeo Kawasaki
Teesa Christie

In Memory of Kiyouki (Jimmy) Kondo
Kevin Kondo

In Memory of Robert M. Marubashi
Wendy & Edward Merlo

In Memory of Yoshiko Matsumoto
Gerry & Louis Horii
Tatsu & Karen Mizushima

In Memory of Okinu, Robert, Ichio Miki
Patrick T. Miki

In Memory of Nancy Mizuno
Mark Kagetsu

In Memory of Dennis Okada &
Chieko Okada
Lisa Okada

In Memory of Dean Okamura
Derek Okamura
Dr. Jeffery & Susan Okamura
Dr. Wayne Okamura

In Memory of Sumiko & Tadashi Sato
Anonymous

In Memory of Jane Shimokura
Norma Doucette

In Memory of Tomiko Aoyama Spain
May McFarland

In Memory of Taeko Faye Takahashi
Michael Takahashi

In Memory of Sachie & Isaburo Tamaki
Christine Tamaki

In Memory of Arizo & Hatsue Tasaka
Charles Tasaka

In Memory of Dr. Florence Yakura Anonymous

MONTHLY GIVING CLUB

Anonymous (2)
Carina Abe
Ian & Debbie Burgess
Brian & Marcia Carr
Patricia H. Chan
Michael & Ruth Coles
Grant Dustin
Masami Hanashiro
Junichi & Atsumi Hashimoto
Tad & Mitsuko Hosoi
Shaun Inouye
Kenneth & Bernadine Isomura
Tomoko Ito
Mary F. Kawamoto
Satoko Kobayashi
Katsuko (Kitty) Kodama
Greciana Langamon
Tommy Li
Stewart Kawaguchi
Ted Kawamoto
Catherine Makihara
Masako & Ken Moriyama
Anne Motozono

Daigo Naito
Roberta H. Nasu
Takeshi & Mizuho Ogasawara
Chris Oikawa
Hanako Oye
Linda Kawamoto Reid
Jim & Norma Sawada
Audrey Shimozawa
Eva Shiho
Barbara Shishido
Charlotte Takasaki
Sharlene A. Tabata
Joyce C. Takeshita
Darlene Tanaka & Trevor Jones
Grace Tanaka
Ginzo & Harue Udagawa
Hisako Wada
Fred & Linda Yada
Chris, Jan Yamamoto & Family
Norine K. Yamamoto
Sam Yamamoto
Tatsuo & Mariko Yamamoto
Gwendolyn Yip & Santa Ono

HERITAGE ESTATE GIVING CIRCLE

Carrie Okano
Linda Kawamoto Reid
Richard & Gail Shinde
Norman Shuto
Haruko Takamori
Sian Tasaka
Fred & Linda Yada
Sam Yamamoto

Tamiko Corbett
Yoshiharu Hashimoto
Mitsuo & Emmie Hayashi
George & Elaine Homma
Betty Issenman
Sato Kobayashi
Gordon Kadota
Cathy Makihara
Robert & Jane Nimi

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Happy New Year!

President’s Message from Brian Tsuji

President’s Message

from Brian Tsuji

Dear Friends,

2020 has been a challenging and transforming year. In response to the COVID-19 virus, the Foundation’s staff adapted to new ways to work remotely, we shifted our calendar of activities, and we cancelled our annual fundraising gala. However, the Foundation was fortunate to have the continued kindness, support and generosity of our donors. In this past year, we have found more donors giving online than ever before. Donors came together this past Giving Tuesday to raise over $6500 in a single day in support of Nikkei Place charities!

2020 also marked the passing of Robert Banno, Q.C., the founding President of the Nikkei Place Foundation. Robert was instrumental in the Foundation’s growth and current success. The Foundation and the Japanese Canadian community will miss his strong leadership, his kindness and generous spirit and heart. As the new President, I look forward to continuing what Robert began. While he leaves behind big shoes to fill, it is my hope to continue with his vision. Our thoughts are with Cathy and his family.

With the vaccination program now being implemented in British Columbia, we are hopeful that COVID-19 will be brought under control and that we will be able to come together in 2021.

We look forward to hosting our annual Foundation Gala to honour the outstanding achievements of some of the members of our Japanese Canadian community and join in an enjoyable evening of friendship and fundraising for Nikkei Place. We will keep you posted on our plans for the Gala in 2021!

This year, we will also see the temporary departure of Naomi Kawamura who has been our NPF Executive Director since 2017. Naomi has done an excellent job in her position and has helped to make our organization more efficient and collegial. We will miss Naomi who will be taking a leave of absence to concentrate on her PHD studies at UBC.

As we begin 2021, we look forward to a better year ahead, sharing more opportunities to build community and connection.

Sincerely,

Brian Tsuji
Board President

Lindsay Hoy 2020-12-18 Lindsay Hoy 2020-12-18

2020 in Review: Highlights and Hopes for the coming year

We take this opportunity to share highlights from this year and hopes for the next.

Highlights and Hopes

This year has been unlike any other — the challenges brought on by the pandemic has tested all of us in many ways, but together, we continue to be resilient. We extend our deepest appreciation to our supporters. Nikkei Place would not be here to serve the community without your help and generosity. We share with you highlights from the year from each Nikkei Place charity, and our hopes for the coming year ahead.

Our organizations have been proactively responding to COVID-19 by adapting our operations so that we can continue to serve our community while keeping staff, volunteers, residents, seniors, and visitors safe.

NIKKEI NATIONAL MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTRE

Since gradually reopening the Centre under new health and safety regulations in early June, the NNMCC faces new operational challenges, as our regular lifelines of revenue from venue rentals, fundraising events, and public, school and recreational programs are significantly affected. We have worked diligently to reduce expenses and optimize government and foundation grants. In anticipation of further risk of closure throughout the winter, we launched our Resilience Fundraiser to help raise essential operational funds for this year.

Amid these challenges, we have been able to offer limited but continued in-person programming, and more virtual events and resources than ever before. In the summer, we reimagined our annual Nikkei Matsuri festival into a multi-week small Japanese cultural marketplace. In September, the museum team livestreamed the opening of the BROKEN PROMISES exhibit, which explores the dispossession of Japanese Canadians in the 1940s. This year we also marked the 20th anniversary of the NNMCC which we commemorated through a ceremonial tree planting with the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners’ Association.

NIKKEI SENIORS HEALTH CARE & HOUSING SOCIETY

The NSHCHS responded quickly to COVID-19 by implementing an Infection Prevention Plan, closing to the public, and increasing PPE usage and sanitization across Nimi Nikkei Home and New Sakura-so. The pandemic changed the ways we facilitate everything from meals to activities and programs, and the daily life of our residents. We have been incredibly effective in keeping our seniors and staff safe, with no outbreaks to date.

To combat isolation, we started a ‘Send Letters to Seniors’ initiative, and have received many heartwarming letters and drawings from kids in the community. We also launched new activities including social visits via Zoom and small group crafts like knitting. As we continue to face many challenges, we have been able to persevere thanks to the generosity, support and kindness of our community. Our residents and staff have been on the receiving end of many gifts like masks, hand sanitizers, flowers, and meals for staff that have lifted their spirits. We look ahead now with new leadership from Jay Haraga, as Cathy Makihara retires as Executive Director after 25 years of dedicated service. We feel hopeful for better times ahead, as we continue to navigate these uncertain times.

NIKKEI PLACE FOUNDATION

The NPF remains operational, with staff now working remotely. We thank everyone for their patience as we adjust to new operational processes. In June, the Foundation was deeply impacted by the sudden passing of our founding Board President Robert Banno. We honour his decades of support, leadership, and philanthropy to Nikkei Place with a donor tile on our Legacy Giving Wall. This will be on display at Nikkei Centre in 2021. In September, the Foundation made its annual disbursements to both the NNMCC and NSHCHS, with hopes that our annual giving will increase in the upcoming year. Highlights from the 2019 fiscal year have been published in our annual report, now available here. As we pivot online now more than ever, we have expanded the availability of resources on our website which includes new Tribute Pages that allow you to dedicate a gift to Nikkei Place in honour or in memory of a loved one.

We recognize that this has been a difficult and challenging year and we continue to work towards serving you and the community as best we can. We would like to learn more about our supporters and your thoughts about the future. Please consider answering our short online survey at your convenience here. You can also request a hardcopy by contacting us.

As the year comes to a close, please consider making a year-end gift to Nikkei Place, to help us persevere through COVID-19. Donate online or find out how to make an offline donation here.

If you have already made your year-end gift, we thank you. We also appreciate all of you for your kind words, cooperation and commitment to stay healthy.

Sincerely,

Nikkei Place Executive Directors

Naomi Kawamura
Nikkei Place Foundation

Karah Goshinmon-Foster
Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre

Cathy Makihara and Jay Haraga
Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society

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Monthly Donations Update (November 1-29, 2020)

The Foundation acknowledges gifts we receive for Nikkei Place. Thank you to our recent donors from November 1-29, 2020 inclusive!

Important Notice:

Thank you to our recent donors!

Gifts listed from November 1-29, 2020 inclusive

We apologize for any errors or omissions on this list. If your name has not been included, and you think it has been missed, please contact us and we will look into this right away.