Contents

  1. Tomodachi Night @ Citi Field
  2. JAA 117th Anniversary Gala Dinner
  3. The 54th JAA Scholarship & The 18th Honjo Scholarship Award Dinner
  4. The 28th JAA Art Exhibition of Japanese and Japanese American Artists in New York 2024
  5. The 30th JAA Charity Golf Tournament
  6. The 3rd Japan Parade in New York
  7. Memorial Day Service
  8. The 2024 NYC Tanabata Festival
  9. JAA Business Women
  10. 2024 The Summer Flea Market
  11. Karatsu Doll Joruri
  12. Congratulations!
  13. KEIROKAI
  14. Obituary

Tomodachi Night @ Citi Field

( l to r )Mr.Moriwaki, Ms. Azuma, Mr. Maeda, Mr. Kageyama, Mc.McCormac and Ms. Bannai

After the first pitch by JAA President Koji Sato on Tomodachi Night on September 3rd, Mets’ Amazin Awards were given out to Japan-related organizations in NYC for their community contributions and work on US-Japan relations: JAA, accepted by Julie Azuma, Japan Society, accepted by Gary Moriwaki, U.S.-Japan Council, represented by Susan McCormac, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York – JCCI NY Inc., accepted by Masaaki Maeda, The Nippon Club, accepted by Makoto Kageyama, and the Japanese American National Museum, accepted by Kathryn Bannai. Other highlights included a great video about Japanese and JA baseball history in New York, Amazin recipients standing on the warning track, a funky special edition Mets cap, and great support from our friends at the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY) and the Consulate General of Japan in New York! Please see https://f.io/b43wHnbY

The first pitch by JAA President Koji Sato

JAA 117th Anniversary Gala Dinner

Honoree
Ito En (North America) Inc. and Ms. Julie Azuma

Entertainment by
Soprano Singer, Sachie Ueshima
New York Mixed Chorus

Friday, December 6, 2024 at the Harvard Club
6:00pm-7:00pm Reception at Cambridge Room (2nd floor)
7:00pm– 9:00pm Dinner and Program at Harvard Hall (Ground Floor)

Gala Sponsorship

  • Platinum (a table for 10) $15,000.00 Includes Premium Logo Placement
  • Gold (a table for 10) $10,000.00 Includes Premium Logo Placement
  • Silver (a table for 10) $7,500.00 Includes Prominent Logo Placement
  • Bronze (a table for 10) $5,000.00 Includes Preferred Logo Placement
  • Gala Tickets $500.00 / person

Festive Attire
Space is limited. Please reserve your table(s) and seat(s) by November 20, 2024.
Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsors:
Please e-mail your company logo to noda@jaany.org by November 15, 2024

Please make your reservation at
https://jaany.org/event/jaa-117th-anniversary-gala-dinner
Donate:https://jaany.org/donate-new

The 54th JAA Scholarship &
The 18th Honjo Scholarship Award Dinner

All photos by Masao Katagami

 

Awardees Mr. Endo Ms. Kobayashi

At the 54th JAA Scholarship and the 18th Honjo Scholarship Award Dinner, 14 high school seniors and 5 graduate students were recognized for their academic excellence, interest in U.S.-Japan relations and dedication to community service. It was held on May 31 at the Harvard Club and well-attended with 163 guests. JAA President Mr. Koji Sato led the evening’s program, which included remarks from Deputy Chief of Mission Akira Endo of the Consulate General of Japan in New York, and Mr. Satoshi Kawamura, CEO of Nomura Holding America, Inc., Chair of the Scholarship Committee. As a keynote speaker this year, Sayaka Kobayashi, a graduate student at Columbia and the protagonist of the non-fiction book “The Bili Gal”), told the winners, “I want you to continue to take on challenges without giving up and cultivate an eye for seeing things from various angles.” Co-chair of the Scholarship Committee, Mr. Satoru Murase, expressed gratitude to all the guests, donors, staff and volunteers who made the event possible.

14 students entering college this fall were awarded a combined total of $77,000 in scholarships and two All Nippon Airways roundtrip tickets to Japan. The Honjo Scholarship Award provided a total of $30,000 to five graduate students. On behalf of the high school awardees, Ms. Reia Lee, who won the Murase Family Scholarship, and Ms. Eleanor Lenoe, who won the JAA Honjo Scholarship, expressed their gratitude to the JAA community. Congratulations to all the scholarship awardees! List of supporters/donors and awardees are below.

***JAA sends gratitude and best wishes to Deputy Chief of Mission Akira Endo who concluded his assignment in New York at the end of September. He was a great friend of our community. We also send warm wishes to his successor, DCM Kazuya Mori. ***

54th JAA Scholarship Awardees (Total $77,000)
(for graduating high school students)

  1. The Murase Family Scholarship
    ($12,000 plus Round Trip Air Ticket to Japan, courtesy of All Nippon Airways)
    Reia Lee / Bergen County Academies, will attend Brown University
  2. MUFG Scholarship ($10,000)
    Jane Mitsuko Robinson / Hunter College High School, will attend Columbia University
  3. Eri Kakuta Scholarship ($8,000)
    Julia Kaitlyn Miyasaka / The Dalton School, will attend University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  4. Dr. Soji Tomikawa Scholarship ($7,500)
    Tai Nakamura / Bergen County Academies, will attend Columbia University
  5. Mitsui USA Foundation Scholarship ($5,000)
    Aya Indie Schwartz / John Jay High School Cross River NY, will attend Harvard College
  6. Orient Corporation of America Scholarship ($5,000)
    Aki Densmore / New Paltz High School/Palm Bay Magnet High School, will attend Florida Institute of Technology
  7. Dr. Robert K. Emy Scholarship ($5,000)
    Sonia Pollock / Lawrence High School, will attend University of California Los Angeles
  8. Ichinohe & Horishige Scholarship ($5,000)
    Emily Kawakami / Jericho High School, will attend University of Pennsylvania
  9. Dr. George Nagamatsu and Mrs. Kazuko Nagamatsu Scholarship ($5,000)
    Jake Steck / Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts – Manhattan, will attend State University of New York (Binghamton)
  10. Yayoi Asoma Memorial Scholarship ($5,000)
    Eve Kamidoi / Northern Highlands Regional High School, will attend the University of Michigan
  11. NHK Cosmomedia America Scholarship NHK ($3,000)
    Martin Bassett / Fort Lee High School, will attend Rochester Institute of Technology
  12. Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya Scholarship ($3,000)
    Maya Ayla McCosker / Rutherford High School, will attend University of Michigan
  13. Moto Saito Scholarship ($2,500)
    Andrew Kojima / Saint Joseph High School, will attend University of Texas (Austin)
  14. ANA Japan Travel Scholarship 
    ($1,000 from JAA plus Round Trip Air Ticket to Japan, courtesy of All Nippon Airways)
    Joseph Saito / Edgemont Jr/Sr High School, will attend John’s Hopkins University

18th JAA Honjo Scholarships Awardees (total $30,000)
(for graduate students)

  1. Eleanor Lenoe, will be attending Rutgers University as a Ph.D. student focusing on the presence of American soldiers in Japan since WWII and their impact on US Japan relations. $7,000
  2. Walter Buskirk, is working towards a joint master’s degree at Columbia University Graduate School and the London School of Economics. His focus is on the story of hibakusha and the role of Americans who set up a facility in Hiroshima to assist the hibakusha. $7,000
  3. Claire Nakamura, will be working on a joint masters’ degree at Columbia University Graduate School and the London School of Economics. Her focus is on the Kibei Nisei transnational experience. $7,000
  4. Tsuguta Yamashita, is in the Ph.D. program at Cornell University, Department of Asian Studies. His focus is on how US collaborations supported Japan’s rise as a technological superpower in the post war period. $3,000
  5. Deanna Nardy, is enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Columbia University’s Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. Her focus is on the impact of Black American literature on current Japanese culture. $3,000

2024 Annual JAA Scholarship Dinner Benefactors

Gold Sponsor:

  • ITO EN (North America) Inc.
  • MUFG Bank, Ltd.
  • Hiroko & Satoru Murase
  • Orient Corporation of America

Silver Sponsors:

  • Japanese Medical Society of America, Inc. (JMSA)
  • Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas)
  • Orix Corporation USA
  • Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
  • T.I.C. Akean Inc.

2024 54th JAA General Scholarship Committee

Co-Chairpersons: Satoshi Kawamura and Satoru Murase
Members: Yuzuru Anzai, Susan J. Onuma, Koji Sato and Rona Tison

2024 18th JAA Honjo Scholarship Committee

Chairperson: Gary S. Moriwaki
Members: Susan M. McCormac, Susan J. Onuma, Koji Sato and Katsuo Takeda

We thank you for your contributions and express our gratitude to the award donors and sponsors.
Please support us through contributions and join us in our volunteer charitable activities which each year help thousands in the community and support better US Japan relations. The Japanese American Association of New York, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization with over 110 years of history helping others.


Sayaka Kobayashi

The protagonist of the non-fiction novel that became a million-seller in Japan and also turned into a film, “Flying Colors (Biri-gal)” by Nobutaka Tsubota. After graduating from Keio University, she transitioned from a career as a wedding planner to spreading the power of education through lectures and social media. She obtained her Master’s degree in Learning Sciences in 2019. As of May 2024, she is set to complete her Master’s program in Cognitive Science at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her influence extends both domestically and internationally, with the film being a huge hit in China. On social media, she has accumulated over 200k followers.

The 28th JAA Art Exhibition of Japanese
and Japanese American Artists in New York 2024

Mr. George Hirose Ambassador Mikio Mori

The 92-year-old, renowned artist Mr. Ushio Shinohara

It was held from May 16 to June 1, 2024. The opening reception on May 16th included a greeting from Ambassador Mikio Mori. More than 100 people filled the hall. This year, artworks by 32 artists (including the 92-year-old, renowned artist Mr. Ushio Shinohara) were displayed. Committee Chair was Mr. George Hirose.

★SAVE THE DATE★ The 30th JAA Charity Golf Tournament

The 30th JAA Charity Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, October 21 at the New York Country Club (103 Brick Church Road, New Hempstead, NY 10977). The Grand champion prize is an ANA Business Class NY-Tokyo round-trip ticket. The entry fee is $270 ($100 tax deductible).

The 3rd Japan Parade in New York

On Saturday, May 11, JAA took part in The 3rd Japan Parade in New York. From West 81st Street to 67th Street in Manhattan, about 2,500 people from 98 Nikkei groups marched in kimono to the applause and cheers of 50,000 New Yorkers who filled the roadside. JAA members wore T-shirts with the JAA logo and marched together. In the convertible at the head of the parade was Grand Marshal Mr. Shingo Kunieda, a Paralympic Gold medalist tennis player. It was a great day out for the Japanese American community in New York!

Memorial Day Service

On May 27, the annual Memorial Day visit was held at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Queens, and about 30 people attended, including Deputy Chief of Mission Akira Endo, of the Consulate General of Japan in New York, Koji Sato, JAA President, Rev. Kurt Rye of the NY Buddhist Church, Paster Stanley Wayne of NY Japanese American United Church, President Mr. Nobuo Miki of the New York Japanese Lions Club, Principal Mr. Masahiko Okada of the New York Japanese School, and Principal Toru Okamoto of Japanese Children’s Society. JAA Vice President Katsuo Takeda moderated the ceremony, and with the chanting of the New York Buddhist Church priest, each person offered flowers and burned incense. The day before, Japanese Lions Club volunteers cleaned the gravestones and displayed small Japanese and American flags made by Ikuei Gakuen students. Currently, nearly 100 Japanese people are buried in the cemetery. Flowers were donated by the Consulate General of Japan in New York, Japanese American Lions club, New York Buddhist Church, NY Japanese American United Church, Japanese Medical Society of America and JAA.

The 2024 NYC Tanabata Festival

This year’s event on July 13th opened with Japanese songs by The New York Mixed Chorus and welcoming remarks from JAA President Koji Sato, Director of Japan Information Mr. Kazuya Mori of the Consulate General of Japan in New York, and Stan Honda of the Amateur Astronomers Association. Other exciting highlights included Bon-Dance NYC and Origami Therapy Association, Consul Tomoe Sato’s expert kamishibai storyboard, and AAA’s guided search for the star-crossed lovers in the night sky. Many community partners came together for the festival.

We are grateful to: our co-organizers, volunteers, and community leaders – Deputy Chief of Mission Akira Endo, Manhattan Borough President’s Director of Community Relations, Tricia Shimamura, and the Carl Schurz Park Conservancy. We also thank Masao Katagami and Stan Honda for their great photos of the festivities! Hope to see you next year!

JAA Business Women

On June 7th, Ms. Kikuko Okajima, who served as the first director of the Women’s Professional Football League, gave a lecture titled “Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling: Japan Women’s Football World: Talks about the Challenge of Change.” Ms. Okajima talked about her career and her attempts to realize and develop a society full of diversity. The lecture was followed by a lively Q&A session.

2024 The Summer Flea Market

The Summer Flea Market was held on the beautiful day of August 3rd at JAA Hall. We raised nearly $8,000 from this flea market. Thank you to those who donated the goods, visited us, helped from setup and tidy up, and cooked delicious meals. We had a lot of eager shoppers at the JAA Hall the whole day! Remaining clothes will be donated to the Salvation Army. Thank you for the cooperation and hard work of the volunteers! Our next Grand Bazaar will be on November 2nd.

Karatsu Doll Joruri

The Karatsu Doll Joruri Preservation Society’s Naruko Takemoto troupe performed in New York on June 25 at a packed JAA Hall. The Karatsu Doll Joruri Preservation Association” is based in Karatsu City in Saga.

Congratulations!

Happy birthday to our member Mr. Charles Kito who became 100 years old on April 28th! He lives with his daughter, Ms. Nancy Kito.

KEIROKAI

Happy birthday for May

May

  • May 9: Ms. Marin Naruse song Amami island song with Mr. Hideo Nakamura on piano.
  • May 23: Birthday Party and IWAKI BAND
Happy birthday for June Volunteers from the Morgan Stanley
Ms. Yukiko Tanaka JAA Chorus IWAKI Band

June

  • June 13: Music by JAA Chorus with Ms. Yukiko Tanaka on piano.
  • June 27: Birthday Party and IWAKI BAND

 

Happy birthday for July

Crime Prevention for seniors (l ro r) Mr. Mikami and Ms. Katsumi

July

  • July 11: “Crime Prevention for seniors” by Michiyo Noda and “Games & Songs” by Ms. Motoe Yakiyama.
  • July 25: Kuni Mikami Mini Jazz Concert with Katsumi on violin, Birthday Party and IWAKI BAND
Happy birthday for August BON Dancers

August

  • August 13: Birthday Party and “Bon Odori”

JAA seniors always enjoy BentOn lunch box and songs by IWAKI BAND.

Obituary

  • Kenji Takaishi passed away at his home in Queens on August 29. His funeral service was held on August 31 with about 20 close friends. He was 81 years old.
  • Catherine Fukuda passed away on March 8 and husband Isao Fukuda passed away on June 27 at his home. He was 83 years old. They enjoyed JAA’s Keirokai.Our deepest condolences go to their families and friends.