Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (JCI)

Cultural and Community Information Clearinghouse
The Nikkei Federation serves as a clearinghouse of information for Nikkei cultural and community resources and activities. There are many social service agencies, Japanese language schools, Japanese fine arts classes, martial arts classes, Japanese cultural centers, foundations and museums that are located throughout Southern California which offer classes and services to anyone who is interested. The Nikkei Federation can refer individuals to appropriate resources based on their specific areas of interests and by which resource is most convenient for them. Currently, all services provided by the Nikkei Federation are on a volunteer basis.

Community Meetings
Over the last several years, the Nikkei Federation has held quarterly meetings for interested persons and organizations to promote the many Nikkei activities, programs and services that are available to the public. These programs and activities serve to educate and promote Nikkei culture, arts and values. Other meeting topics are discussed and planned, such as community leadership conferences and fundraisers. These gatherings also help to coordinate the many events and activities that are held throughout the year. Meetings are held at the many Japanese American cultural and community centers located throughout the Los Angeles area.

Nikkei Community Scholarship
The Nikkei Federation hopes to encourage and reward students who have excelled in the many Japanese performing, fine and martial arts and who have demonstrated academic achievement and community service. We would like to award educational scholarships to deserving high school and college students.

Nikkei Federation Community Leadership Retreat
The Nikkei Federation plans to sponsor an annual Leadership Retreat which will bring together community and organizational leaders to review, discuss and plan for the challenges that face our community in terms of Nikkei cultural preservation and education. The retreats will be held at locations throughout the Los Angeles.

Annual Chrysanthemum Show
Every May since 1999, the Nikkei Federation has held the Annual Chrysanthemum Show at the Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, California. The show is open to the public and displays the flowers from the gardens of many individual growers. Nikkei Federation volunteers collect donations to pay for the expenses of putting on the show. Any profit from the show is used to help pay the expenses of the ongoing activities of the federation.

Nikkei Leadership Conference
In March 2001, the Nikkei Federation held a community leadership conference where over 40 community leaders participated in a weekend session to discuss the future of the Nikkei community and how we can work to develop, promote and preserve it. Discussion topics included leadership development, resource development, community collaboration, education and preservation. Results from the conference include a Nikkei community resource directory, the development of a Nikkei culture workshop, this web site, as well as ongoing projects such as oral history projects and resource development planning.