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at Citi Field |
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 New Yorkers joined in a celebration of Japanese Heritage Night with the NY Mets at Citi Field on August 25th. The star players Mets: Kodai Senga and Angels: Shohei Ohtani went head-to-head, delighting baseball fans of both teams! Rina Maejima belted out a gorgeous rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” and Ambassador Mikio Mori threw out the first pitch to JAA President Koji Sato. JAA Board Member, Vietnam War Veteran and Japanese American civil rights activist Takeshi Furumoto was recognized as the Veteran of the Game. For this event, JAA collaborated with the Consulate General of Japan in New York, JCCI NY, U.S.-Japan Council, Japan Society, and the Japanese American National Museum! Special appreciation goes to JAA's Koji Sato, Michiyo Noda, Susan McCormac; the Consulate's Jesse Taylor, OTA's Toshiko Kobayashi, and especially to the New York Mets' Young Choi!
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The 17th Honjo Scholarship Award Dinner |
Keynote Speaker The 2nd Japan Parade in New York
On Saturday, May 13, JAA took part in The 2nd Japan Parade in New York From West 81st Street to 67th Street in Manhattan, about 2,500 people from 98 Nikkei groups marched including those in kimono to the applause and cheers of 50,000 New Yorkers who filled the roadside. JAA members and a group of baseball players representing the teams of the JAA Foreign Minister's Cup Baseball Tournament marched this year. Carrying the Go for Broke banner, Mr. Tak Furumoto marched with Gary Moriwaki, a JAA Life Trustee. In the convertible at the head of the parade was Grand Marshal, Ms. Kristi Yamaguchi, a gold medalist in figure skating in 1992. New York City Mayor Adams also participated in the parade. It was a great day out for the Japanese American community in New York! |
The 27th JAA Art Exhibition of Japanese and |
The 2023 NYC Tanabata Festival
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Memorial Day Service
On Memorial Day May 29, the annual visit was held at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Queens, and about 30 people attended, including Ambassador Mikio Mori, Consul General of the Japan in New York, Koji Sato JAA President, Isabella Barnard of NY Buddhist Church, the New York Japanese Lions Club (President Michiharu Aida), the New York Japanese School (Principal Masahiko Okada) and New York Ikuei Gakuen (Principal Toru Okamoto). 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, and soprano Asako Tamura sang Japanese & American National Anthems and "Ave Maria." 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 Japan people are buried in the cemetery. Flowers were donated by Consulate General of Japan in New York, Japanese-American Lions club, New York Buddhist Church and JAA. |
The 37th JAA Baseball Tournament |
 First prize: Rookies |
 2nd prize: Niko Niko |
 3rd prize: Junks |
The 37th JAA Foreign Minister's Cup Baseball Tournament was held every Sunday from May 7th, with 15 teams competing in Central North Meadow and Randall's Island. The third-place match and the championship final were held on August 27 on Randall's Island. The Award Ceremony was attended by Consulate General Officer Toru Sakamoto and JAA Vice President Julie Azuma. The new Foreign Minister's Cup arrived at the behest of Mr. Sakamoto.
At the beginning of the ceremony, a moment of silence was held for those involved who passed away this year, Mr. Shuji Kato, former Foreign Minister Taro Nakayama, who donated the original Foreign Minister's Cup, Jesse and Kei Sato.
Please see www.jaabaseball.blogspot.com for details.
2023 The Summer Flea Market
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Community News Standing up for Japanese Americans At the middle of the Morningside Park pond, a tribute to JAA Vice President and Japanese American community activist, Suki Terada Ports was held on June 29th. Because of her brave preservation efforts in the 1960's and continued community leadership, the picturesque pond area remains a centerpiece for the park for all to enjoy, including turtles, as Suki pointed out. But this is only one chapter of her many years of fighting for social justice and equality. Amidst many friends and fans from different decades of her life and diverse backgrounds, Suki spoke of the importance of community, nature's beauty, and remembering the past in appreciation of today.  New JAA Members Welcome Party In thanks for their contributions to our community, JAA hosted a jazzy get-together for our new members and multigenerational volunteers. We really appreciate all who came to learn about ways to make our community stronger, and to work across communities and generations in NY. Special thanks go to organizers Julie Azuma, Keiko Kato, JAA President Koji Sato, Michiyo Noda, the Naoya Ogura Band for their fantastic musical performance, and BentOn NYC for the fab food, and Masao Katagami for the pro photos! |
Social Services
June 22nd: Birthday Party and IWAKI BAND
July 27: Kuni Mikami Mini Jazz Concert, Birthday Party and IWAKI BAND
We had volunteers from Morgan Stanley at Keirokai in June and July! Thank you very much! |
Ms. Maeshima
for Shuji Kato 
On August 24th Memorial Service for Shuji Kato was held at JAA Hall with his son Peter Kato and JAA, the Japanese Lions Club, the Hosei University New York Alumni Association, and the JAA Foreign Minister's Cup baseball plyers. The chanting by Rev. Nakagaki Kenjitsu and condolence speeches from guests followed. In 1985, the JAA Foreign Ministers' Cup Baseball Tournament was established by Mr. Kato, which continues to this day. Mr.Kato worked in the spirit of service for the rest of his life, including fundraising activities for the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, volunteering for New York Care and other activities and clearing the affected areas, and volunteering at the flea market bazaar at JAA. More than 100 friends and acquaintances gathered at the memorial. Mr. Kato’s motto was "dedicate my life to society and not think about my own financial benefit." Our deepest condolences. ●JAA Board member and past Treasurer, Kenichi Komeno passed away on May 21 in Hawaii, where his home is located. He was 79 years old. On June 6th, the funeral was held at Sodoshu Daifukuji Temple in Kona, with family and friends. ●Member Tomiko Sakazume passed away on June 27 at a hospital in NJ. She was 87 years old. The memorial service will be held on September 11 at JAA Hall. ●Member Kazuyo Wilder passed away on August 17th in New York City. She was 76 years old. ●Roy Hiroyuki Ashikari, M.D. Dr. Ashikari passed away on June 12 at age of 91. He was born in 1931 in Darien, China. Graduated from Keio University. In 1958, he came to New York as an exchange student. Roy demonstrated his remarkable skill in the operating theater led to the nickname of "Speedy Gonzales." Many celebrity figures became patients of his, including then Vice President Rockefeller's wife. He performed over 500 operations a year. He was honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the second recipient of Japanese descent to be so honored. He was also awarded the order of the Sacred Treasure Third Class by the Government of Japan. He was a Professor of Surgery at New York Medical College and at Cornell University Medical School. He was also Visiting Professor of Keio University Medical School. His second son Andrew is also a cancer surgeon. Memorial services at Beecher Flooks Funeral Home Pleasantville, NY was held on Saturday June 24. ●Dr. Kinichi Shibutani of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, passed away on August 26, 2022, at the age of 95. In 1955 he left Japan upon graduation from Kyoto University and entered internship in the US. He began the study of anesthesiology at Westchester Hospital. He has published over 130 articles. From 1979 to '92 he served as president of the Japanese Medical Society of America. In 1993, he was honored with a Distinguished Service Award by New York Medical College and the County of Westchester. In 1997 the Japanese Government awarded him the Order of the Sacred Treasure Third Class. He was Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology of New York Medical College. ●JAA Board member Shuji Kato, who has led the JAA Foreign Minister's Cup baseball tournament since 1985 as chairman of JAA's Sports Committee, passed away at his home on August 7. He was 78 years old. A memorial service was held at JAA Hall on August 24, 6pm-8pm. |
| Japanese American Association of New York 49 West 45th Street, 5th Floor New York, NY 10036 Phone: (212) 840-6942, 6899 / Fax: (212) 840-0616 / Email: info@jaany.org /  |