A large group of people watching a performance.

Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre

A large group of people watching a performance.

Obon Natsu Matsuri, 2019, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, a community heritage organization nominated for the 2021 Heritage Toronto Awards. Image by Leon Balaban.

Image of a pink sakura tree in front of a tower.

Ikeda Tower and Sakura Tree, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, a community heritage organization nominated for the 2021 Heritage Toronto Awards. Image by Kathy Tazumi.

Winner: 2021 Community Heritage Award

In 1963, 75 Japanese Canadian families mortgaged their own homes to build the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC). Since then, the JCCC has served as a gathering place for the Japanese Canadian community, and has welcomed people of all backgrounds with an interest in Japanese culture. The JCCC offers cultural programs for its 5,200 members and over 210,000 annual visitors throughout the year including, the Toronto Japanese Film Festival, monthly Japanese film screenings, contemporary art and history exhibitions, traditional and contemporary Japanese performances, Japanese language classes and workshops in traditional and contemporary Japanese arts and music.

From film festivals to martial arts presentations, the Community Heritage jury was impressed by the depth and breadth of the JCCC’s programming. With a modest staff of 20, the jury was impressed by the over 1000 volunteers who support the organization.

 


Through its Heritage Department, the JCCC is committed to collecting, documenting, preserving, and sharing the history  and culture of the Japanese Canadians.  Services include a museum; library; art gallery; tea ceremony room; Kobayashi Performance Hall; Canadian Race Relations Foundation; and  a state-of-the-art martial arts dojo where over 600 members pursue eight different martial arts disciplines.