Cleveland Japanese American Foundation

04/12/2026

CJAF/JACL 2026 Scholarship Application is available on the JACL website and due May 1, 2026. If you have questions, leave a message on the JACL website, or call Bill Sadataki @ 330-659-3880

03/25/2026

A great article about our Shojoji Japanese Dancers in the Lakewood Times.

On March 15, dancers from the Sho-Jo-Ji dance group changed the Lakewood Public Library into a stage. They joined a three-month-long community program highlighting Japanese American history and culture. Audience members watched the practiced dances, colorful kimonos, and traditional sounds of the pe...

03/24/2026

Get tickets to see Defining Courage in Seattle! Aprill 11

Defining Courage is a story about what it means to be an American. The show is a journey into the legacy of the Nisei Soldier, Americans of Japanese ancestry who served in the segregated military units of the 100th IB, 442nd RCT, MIS, and 522nd FAB. Considered among the greatest fighting units in American military history, their extraordinary stories have rarely been heard.

Narrated by Emmy-winning ABC7-Los Angeles News Anchor and Filmmaker David Ono along with musicians and vocalists curated by Music Director Chris Wade, we immerse you into the profound and inspiring world of these heroes who fought prejudice at home and the enemy abroad.

See, hear, and experience their incredible heroics through this piece of innovative storytelling. Far from a history lesson, it is a testament to inner strength, one that inspires us in our search for courage in today’s world.

Get tickets here: https://definingcourageshow.com/

03/24/2026

Great program going on at Lakewood Library

Sunday, March 29, 2026. 2:00 pm. Lakewood Library, 15425 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, Ohio. Multipurpose Room.
Japanese dance, toys, games, origami, make a fan. Fun!

08/28/2025

Several of our local youth have attended this - it is an opportunity to visit Japan in a group of young people make networking connections and learn about Japan

We are excited to announce that the 2025 Kakehashi Project Trip Applications are now live!

Apply before September 20th for the chance to join our cohort traveling to Japan this December. For more information, trip updates, and to apply, visit https://jacl.org/kakehashi

08/26/2025

One World Day is tomorrow along Martin Luther King Blvd and East Blvd.
We will perform in the Syrian Garden at 2:00 to 2:30 pm.

07/31/2025

Experience the beauty and grace of traditional Japanese dance with the Shojoji Dancers! 🌸✨ Join us for an all-ages performance on August 9 from 1–2 p.m., where you’ll enjoy a lively show, make your own fan, and even learn a few moves. Admission includes access to the gardens—come early or stay after to explore! 🌿🎶 https://holdenfg.org/classes/cleveland-botanical-garden/shojoji-japanese-dancers-all-ages-performance/

07/09/2025

07/02/2025

We will be awarding a scholarship at the picnic and will hear from last year’s recipient about their first year of college!! Thank you for your donations for this fundraiser.

04/10/2025

The JACL condemns the assertion made in an email attributed to Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, comparing the prosecution of January 6th insurrectionists to the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. This rhetoric is not new, but is a continuing inaccurate, inappropriate, and offensive comparison of our community's history with current events.

Read our full statement at https://jacl.org/statements/jacl-condemns-us-attorneys-inappropriate-comparison-to-japanese-american-incarceration-during-wwii