JAA News Vol.42 No.2 Jun. 2025 – Dec. 2025 | Japanese American Association of New York

2026 JAA NEW YEAR REMARKS
JAA President: Koji Sato

Happy New Year. I wish all of you a wonderful start to the new year in 2026.

2025 was another active year for JAA as we were able to provide the local Japanese and Japanese American community with a wide variety of events and programs throughout the year. One of our most popular programs is our Kerokai/Senior Luncheon which we hold twice a month for 72 senior citizens. JAA also provides 60 additional bento lunches to seniors who are not able to attend for pick-up or delivery to their homes. Our seniors are always happy to see each other and together they enjoy the entertainment or lectures that JAA provides at each Keirokai. In March JAA was able to participate in a 3.11 event (and later in a 9/11 event) to help the Bowery Mission by serving hundreds of meals and organizing clothing donations. JAA also volunteered in a 9/11 event to prepare nonperishable food kits on-board the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum to be distributed to people in need.

In April, JAA held its 20th Sakura Matsuri and had our Bosankai at the end of May. Our Health Fairs were held in April and September on a hybrid basis, with in person programs and on-line programs on topics such as health care, mental health, exercise, and nutrition. In May, we also held JAA’s 55th Anniversary Scholarship Dinner and our Tanabata Festival in July. Our sports fans were able to enjoy the JAA Foreign Ministers Cup Baseball Tournament from April to August as well as the Annual Golf Tournament held in October. In April and November, JAA’s Young Professionals Committee held successful social networking events and JAA enjoyed having a booth at Anime NYC 2025 in November.

I was honored this May to have been selected as the Japan Parade 2025 Community Leader at the 4th Annual Japan Parade held on May 10th.

This year, JAA also supported and sponsored the Yakyu/Baseball Exhibit which opened this July at the National Baseball Hall of Fame up in Cooperstown, New York. The opening of the exhibit coincided with the induction of the first ever Japanese player, Ichiro Suzuki, into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I had the pleasure of meeting Ichiro and his wife Yumiko- san, the night before the induction ceremony and attended his induction ceremony the next day.

Our biggest event of the year was the 118th Anniversary Gala Dinner held in December at the Harvard Club. We honored ORIX Corporation USA with our Corporate Community Leadership Award for having supported JAA’s core annual events. We also honored Riki Ito with our Individual Community Leadership Award for having shaped JAA and the Japanese American Lions Club through her impactful leadership and by having given her time and heart to the community. JAA is fortunate to have the support of the Consulate General of Japan in New York, Japanese companies and organizations and volunteers and we truly thank each and every one of you for all you have done. Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful New Year.

Board Meeting and General Election

At the general election meeting on December 3, 2025, Mr. Koji Sato was elected and approved as President 2026. He will serve his fifth term. Mr. George Hirose was elected as a new Vice President, and Ms. Ryoko Hirose, Ms. Stephanie Kato, and Ms. Haruka Kokaze were elected as new directors. The officers for the 2026 fiscal year are as follows.
・President：Koji Sato
・Vice President: Yuzuru Anzai, Julie Azuma, David Hiromura, George Hirose (new), Shunichi Homma, Keiko Ishida, Riki Ito, Makoto Iwahara, Yuki Kaneshige, Maki Kano, Susan McCormac, Tsuneko Mitsunaka, Satoru Murase, Kamal Ramani, Katsuo Takeda
・Secretary：Nobuhisa Ishizuka
・Assistant Secretary：Yuki Kaneshige
・Treasurer：Kumiko Hasegawa
・Assistant Treasurer：Masaki Shimomura

JAA 118th Anniversary Gala

（l to r）Mr. Sato, Mr. Suzuki and Ms. Onuma
(Photos by Masao Katagami)

（l to r）Ms. Onuma, Ms. Ito and Mr. Sato

JAA’s 118th Gala was held on Friday, December 5, at the Harvard Club, where a large Christmas tree decorated the venue. The Gala was attended by 190 people, including Ambassador and Madame Satoshi Katahira, Consul General of Japan in New York, Mr. Tetsuo Kawate, President of Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Mr. Hiroshi Kawano, Executive Chairman of the Board, MUFG American Holdings Corporation, Mr. Yoshiteru (Terry) Suzuki, President of ORIX Corporation USA, and Ms. Riki Ito, Vice President of JAA.

The gala opened with Christmas songs by The New York Mixed Chorus. Co-Chairman of the JAA Gala Committee Mr. George Hirose delivered opening remarks, and JAA President Koji Sato looked back on the past year and expressed his gratitude to the companies and individuals who supported JAA. Ambassador Satoshi Katahira gave a congratulatory speech and a toast, and during dinner we enjoyed the Naoya Ogura Band’s performance and had a wonderful time.

This year, ORIX Corporation USA received the Corporate Community Leadership Award for its long-standing support of JAA’s activities, and JAA Vice President Riki Ito received the Community Leadership Award for her personal contributions to the Japanese American community and volunteer activities at JAA. The awards were presented by Honorary President Susan Onuma and President Mr. Koji Sato.

At the end, Vice President Susan Miyagi McCormac and Executive Director Michiyo Noda expressed their gratitude to the supporting companies, and the annual banquet ended successfully. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your support.

JAA 118th Anniversary Gala Dinner Gala Sponsorship

Platinum Sponsorship ($15,000)
・ITO EN (North America) Inc.
・MUFG Bank, Ltd.
・Orient Corporation of America

Gold Sponsorship ($10,000)
・George Hirose
・ORIX Corporation USA
・TIC Restaurant Group

Silver Sponsorship ($7,500)
・Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas)
・ Hiroko Onoyama / Ken Sugawara

Bronze Sponsorship ($5,000)
・Yuriko “Riki” Ito
・Japanese Medical Society of America, Inc.
・Smith Gambell & Russell LLP & Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP

Digital Presentation: Masao Katagami
Co-Chairs: George Hirose and Susan J. Onuma
Members:Julie Azuma, Yuki Kaneshige, Keiko Kato, Susan M. McCormac, Michiyo Noda and Koji Sato

Donation and Grant in 2025

Mitsui USA Foundation Donation $30,000
Asian American Federation Grant $142,172

The 19th JAA Autumn Health Fair

Kazuko Ishida speaking about Medicare	Keiko Shiozaki speaking about Nationality	Calligraphy workshop
Visiting Isabella House	Kumiko Okazaki’s pencil drawing class	Kie Haller, CPA, speaking about green card abandonment
Ryo Goto on self-defense techniques	Lions Club visit: apple picking	Masayo Sonohara, speaking about US–Japan pensions
CPR for children by NY Sukusukukai	CPR for children by NY Sukusukukai	Stretch workshop by Ms. Yoriko Orciuoli

The annual JAA Autumn Health Fair was held from Friday, September 5 to Sunday, October 5. Nearly 2,000 participants attended a variety of 60 programs, including: Online Seminars on Japanese and U.S. Pensions, Medicare, Briefing and Individual Consultations on Medicare Basics and 2026 Changes, Residency & Non-Immigrant Visa Seminar, Comparison of Nursing Care and Facilities in Japan and the U.S., Property and Wills in Japan and the U.S., an Isabella House Tour, and CPR workshop and apple-picking, among many other programs for all ages.

31st JAA Charity Golf Tournament

Mr. Suzuki, the winner（right）and Mr. Sato

Ms. Hanaoka, 2nd place and Mr. Hasegawa	Mr. Takanashi, 3rd place	（l to r）Mr. Suzuki, Mr. Shimura and Mr. Sato
Mr. Fujimoto (right) and Mr. Hasegawa	people 75+	A total of 70 people entered

Our annual Charity Golf Tournament was held on October 20 at the New York Country Club with 70 participants including Mr. Daisuke Suzuki, ANA’s General Manager of the Americas and NY Branch Manager, and Koji Sato, JAA President.

The tournament started at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start and was held intermittently in the rain. Mr. Kazuyuki Suzuki, who participates every year, won the championship and was awarded an ANA business class airline ticket and a trophy from JAA. Second place went to Ms. Chikako Hanaoka, who received a domestic airline ticket in the U.S. from IACE. Mr. Masaharu Takanashi took third place. The grand prize in the raffle, an ANA Premium Economy airline ticket, was won by Mr. Tom Shimura. The raffle raised $5,360.

Photo Exhibition of First Generation
Japanese Immigrants in New York

November 6 (Thu) – November 15 (Sat). Photographer Hiroyuki Inoue exhibited photos of 53 seniors who lived in the late 1970s–80s. Some have been identified in both portraits and interviews, while others identifies are still being sought. An opening reception was held on November 7 with many visitors. This special exhibition was made possible with the cooperation of Mr. Shigetoshi, Kazato, a friend of Mr. Inoue, Ms. Akemi Takeda, and Ms. Eiko Aono. Thank you very much. It was featured in the New Year’s issue of the Weekly NY Seikatsu.

9/11 Community Volunteer Activities

On September 11, members of JAA, the Japanese Consulate General, the JET Alumni Association of New York, MUFG Bank, and other local Japanese-related organizations volunteered in tribute to those lost 24 years ago and in recognition of the close friendship between Japan and New York. They helped serve 500 meals to fellow New Yorkers at The Bowery Mission and joined 2,000 other volunteers on-board the Intrepid on 9/10, to make a million meal kits for Food Bank For New York City and other local nonprofits. MUFG donated $2,000 for our community activities.

The 39th JAA Foreign Minister’s Cup
Baseball Tournament

Winner: Rookies

2nd place: Niko Niko

3rd place: Junks

Mr. Sato

Mr. Matsunaga

Mr. Maruta（Niko Niko）

Mr. Yamazaki（Niko Niko）

The closing ceremony was held at Central Park’s baseball field on August 17th. Consular Director Naoki Matsunaga delivered a speech to congratulate the winners and all who participated. This baseball tournament has been hosted by JAA since 1986 and is open to New Yorkers who love baseball, regardless of gender or nationality. Congratulations to Team Rookies for their third consecutive championship! Thank you to second place winners, team Niko Niko, third place team, Junks, and the other nine teams who played their hearts out in great games taking place since late April. JAA President Mr. Koji Sato and Consul Matsunaga presented certificates and trophies to all awardees. To all the officials, thank you for your hard work.

Online JAA Japanese Language Education
Autumn Workshop

It was held on October 4. Lecturers: Ms. Makiko Awano (“What is Extensive Reading”) and Ms. Noriko Ayase (“Extensive Reading Classes Connecting to Learner Autonomy”). A total of 43 people from the United States, Japan, and Europe participated, making it a meaningful workshop for those involved in Japanese language education.

JAA Young Professionals Committee

1On October 11th, JAA and JAA YP members and friends enjoyed a special tour of the Japanese American National Museum’s “Pictures of Belonging” exhibition at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. JANM’s Curator and Director of Collections Management and Access, Dr. Kristen Hayashi, led a tour of the work of three trailblazing Japanese American artists — Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Mine Okubo. For making this special JAA-JANM collaboration possible, thank you to Kathryn Bannai (JANM Trustee), Kelli-Ann Nakamura (JANM Chief Development Officer), George Hirose, Ryoko Hirose, and Stephanie Kato for their support in planning and coordinating the visit, and Dr. ShiPu Wang for curating the exhibition.

The 9th Tanabata Festival

This popular community event was held on Saturday, July 12 on the East River Promenade in Carl Schurz Park. The program began with the singing of The New York Mixed Chorus, followed by origami demonstrations thanks to the Origami Therapy Association, a traditional Japanese storyboard telling of the Tanabata Legend of Hikoboshi and Orihime, Bon dance instruction by BonDan NYC, and other enjoyable programs. Many participants in beautiful yukata enlivened the event and with cooperation from Stan Honda and the Amateur Astronomers Association of NY, they were able to view the night stars through telescopes. Ms. Tricia Shimamura, Manhattan Borough Commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, helped us obtain our parks and food permit.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum
& ICHIRO Induction

On July 27th, JAA President Mr. Koji Sato and other members of the JAA community attended the induction ceremony for Ichiro Suzuki, the first Japanese and first AAPI -MLB baseball player to be honored in this way at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Also, JAA President Koji Sato and his wife, Mitsue Sato, attended a special reception for Hall of Famers the night before Ichiro’s induction ceremony.

Kabuki Talk

On November 14, the event “An Evening of Traditional Japanese Arts,” featuring a collaboration of Kabuki and Noh, was held at Carnegie Hall. The hall was full, and the audience gave resounding applause. Following this success, on the next day, November 15, JAA hosted a special event co-sponsored by JAA & the U.S.-Japan Council/USJC: “A Special Talk Event with Tanaka Denzaemon, IEMOTO/Head of the Tanaka School of Kabuki Bayashi, Tanaka Denjiro VII, and Kabuki actor Hayato Nakamura.” This event was also filled to capacity. The moderator was Haruka Kokaze, a new board member of JAA.

JAA Flea Market & Bazaar

Saturday, August 2, 10am-2pm: “Summer Flea Market” & Saturday, November 1, 10am-2pm: “Annual Bazaar” were held.

Both days were blessed with good weather, and a line formed before the 10am opening. Although it felt like there were fewer visitors than last year, the flow of customers never stopped. We sincerely thank everyone who donated items, attended the event, helped with setup and cleanup, and prepared the delicious food at the café corner. Including the after-sales, we were able to raise approximately $13,000. The remaining clothing was donated to the Salvation Army.

JAA Women in Business Committee Meeting

On Friday, October 3, a lecture was held with speakers Ms. Kaori Ito (Director of Information Technology at JETRO New York) and Ms. Yukie Hirayama (Retail Strategist), titled “The Way Work is Changing Amid the Rapid Spread of Generative AI such as ChatGPT, Large-Scale Layoffs of Engineers at Technology Companies, and Workforce Reductions Due to Robot Implementation”. After the lecture, lively opinions were exchanged.

Free Telephone Legal Consultations

We appreciate each lawyer’s volunteer contribution to the community.
Wills and advance directive documents: by Attorneys Helen Irie and Reiko Takikawa.
General legal consultation (excluding: immigration matters) : by Attorney Reiko Kasano.
U.S. immigration law: by Attorney Keiko Kato, Katsumi Miki and Mami Terai.

Free haircuts for seniors

Free haircuts for seniors are provided once a month, thanks to the kindness of volunteer hairstylists. They donated their special skills and their tips (total of $2,425). Thank you very much: Michi Tahara, Nori Sasaki, Yasuko Tsuda, Haruka Kobayashi, Shige Kosuda, Ryosuke Akimoto, Rie Ozaki, Kazunori Ueda.

唐津人形浄瑠璃保存会公演

今年で5回目、唐津人形浄瑠璃保存会・竹本鳴子太夫一座のニューヨーク公演が6月20日に満席のJAAホールで行われました。

Request for Membership Fee Renewal and
Registration of Emergency Contacts!

At the end of December last year, we sent out the membership renewal application for the 2026 JAA fiscal year, and many members have already completed their renewals. Thank you very much. As the membership ages, having emergency contact information both in the United States and Japan has become increasingly important, so please provide your most up-to-date information.

For inquiries, please contact
Tel: 212-840-6942, Email: info@jaany.org

Renew online

Donate

JAA Open House

On September 19th, JAA welcomed new and veteran members to its Open House, a great mix of Young Professionals and JAA volunteers. People also came by to learn more about JAA’s opportunities to serve the community. Thank you to Rino Aise and her band for their thrilling music. This event was organized by Julie Azuma, Keiko Kato, and Stephanie Kato.

Luncheon for Seniors / Keirokai

We held Keirokai 11 times from June to December.
We always served Obento with music and lectures.
Happy birthday for June
Happy birthday for July
Happy birthday for August
Happy birthday for September and Mr. Yaguchi (left)
Happy birthday for October
Happy birthday for November

2025 Year-End Keirokai

Happy birthday for December
Mr. Furukawa and the JAA Women in Business

On Thursday, December 11, this year’s final Keirokai was held at JAA Hall, with a Christmas tree decorated by Ms. Shizuko Kato and 140 Bento boxes from BentOn. The JAA Women in Business Committee presented everyone with special BentOn Kits (130 meals). Mr. Toru Furukawa, President of BentOn, also participated and expressed his desire to continue supporting JAA in the future. Additionally, those who won the raffle received BentOn’s special New Year’s Osechi delivered at the end of the year. Thank you to the IKAWAKI BAND members for this year’s performance. This year’s social service programs were held with the support of the Mitsui USA Foundation & the Asian American Federation.

Holiday Party & Volunteer Appreciation Day

On Friday, December 12, once again, we enjoyed the JAA Chorus, piano by Ms. Yukiko Tanaka and her daughter Yuria, and jazz piano by Mr. Kuni Mikami with Mr. Norimichi Ishikawa on harmonica & flute. Volunteers who contributed in 2025 were invited, along with general members and Yong Professionals, about 80 participated, enjoying wine and refreshments in a lively atmosphere.

●JAA member, Mr. Kanji Tomizawa, passed away at his home in New York City on September 1st. His wife, Akemi, served as the chief mourner, and a farewell gathering was held on September 7th, attended by about 30 close friends and acquaintances for final goodbyes. He was 87 years old.

●JAA member, Ms. Rumi Takahashi, passed away on November 15th. After graduating from Kyoto Women’s University, she moved to New York in the 1970s, married Mr. Yoshikazu Takahashi, and together they ran the restaurants “Tamura” and “Kikusui.” A Buddhist funeral was held on November 23rd. She was 75 years old.

●JAA Member, Mr. Gunji Tachikawa passed away on October 19th. After graduating from Musashino Art University he worked on the design of high-rise residential buildings. He moved to the U.S.A. in 1972, and served as Design Director at Garberbilt and as Vice President at HTI. He worked on the interiors of many department stores. A memorial service was held on November 8th. He was 82 years old.

JAA News Vol.42 No.2 Jun. 2025 – Dec. 2025

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