About JACCC

Our Vision

To joyfully and mindfully use arts and culture to engage with our diverse community.

Our Values

Our values are inspired by the Japanese concepts of BI, WA, and SHIN. Consequently, we strive to do our work in a way that is wholeheartedly reflective and harmonious with these values.
BI (美)
To see the beauty in the world
WA (和)
The state of peace, balance, and unity amongst ourselves and others
SHIN (心)
The heart, mind, and spirit

Our Mission

The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center weaves Japanese and Japanese American arts and culture into the fabric of our communities. JACCC remains firmly rooted in Little Tokyo, providing a vital place to build connections between people and cultures, locally and internationally. Through inclusive programs and authentic experiences, we continue our living traditions and nurture the next generation of innovative artists, culture-bearers, and thinkers.

Our History

JACCC’s 2.2-acre campus features an outdoor sculpture and plaza designed by world-renowned artist and Los Angeles native, Isamu Noguchi.

The volcanic basalt sculpture is Noguchi’s only publicly-accessible sculpture in his hometown. Its title, “To the Issei,” refers to the Issei (first generation Japanese immigrants) who made great sacrifices to support their families and the Japanese American community.

Working closely with our founders, Noguchi understood that the Issei and Nisei (second generation) envisioned JACCC as a permanent home for Japanese and Japanese American art and culture to flourish in the United States. Thanks to the efforts and support of many, JACCC is now one of the largest ethnic arts and cultural centers of its kind in the United States. We are located in Little Tokyo, the historic heart of Southern California’s Japanese American community, the second oldest neighborhood in Los Angeles, an inaugural California Cultural District, and one of just three remaining historic Japantowns in the United States.

Our campus opened to the public in 1980 and centers around the Noguchi sculpture and one-acre plaza. Flanking the plaza is the 880-seat Aratani Theatre and the JACCC Center Building, which houses the George J. Doizaki Gallery, the Japanese Cultural Room, conference and meeting rooms, office space for more than 20 nonprofit tenant organizations, the Toshizo Watanabe Exhibition Center, and the state-of-the-art Toshizo Watanabe Culinary Cultural Center, which opens onto the award-winning James Irvine Japanese Garden. Throughout our campus, we host programs, performances, and exhibitions, as well as a myriad of community-produced events, projects, productions, and meetings.

It is our hope that the work of preserving Japanese and Japanese American traditions will bolster the spirits of subsequent generations of Japanese Americans, allowing them to connect to our ancestors and weave their identities into the urban fabric of contemporary Los Angeles, and into the world beyond.


Team

Officers

Bette Hiramatsu

S.O. Tech/Special Operations Technologies Inc.
Chair of the Board of Directors

Nancy Matsui

American Airlines (retired)
Vice-Chair, External

George Tanaka

US Bank
Vice-Chair, Internal

Glenn Inanaga

Cherng Family Trust
Treasurer

Gerald Fukui

Fukui Mortuary, Inc.
Secretary

Glenn Inanaga

Cherng Family Trust
Immediate Past Chair

Members

Thomas Iino

Pacific Commerce Bank

Jessica Kikuchi

Executive Director of Health Initiatives, USC Health Sciences Advancement

Nikki Kodama

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Tim Manaka, Jr.

FIA Insurance Services, Inc.

Johnny Mori

Kinnara Taiko/Gagaku

John Murillo

Market President for Enterprise Bank & Trust

Lauren Ohata-Chang

Health Management Associates

Dolly Oishi

Japan Airlines

Jan Perry

Shelter Partnership, Inc.

Sandra Sakamoto, Esq.

LimNexus LLP

Susan Sasaki

Community Volunteer

Noriyoshi Tachibana

CPA

Linda Taira

Taira-Welch Communications

Kira Teshima Conlon

Somos Law Group LLP, Los Angeles, CA Founding and Equity Partner

Craig Tomiyoshi

IW Group Inc.

Stacy Toyota

Starbucks Coffee Company

Russel Tsuda

Boeing, Inc.

David Yamahata

Los Angeles Fire Department (retired)

Staff

Rani de Leon

Executive Creative Director

Rani de Leon

Executive Creative Director

Rani de Leon has 20 years in events involving music, film, theater, and cultural arts. His passions in life are driven by the belief that arts & culture have a unique power in bringing people together for transformative and unifying experiences. This inspires him to find new ways to engage audiences and approach the convergence of performing arts and public/digital space. He hosts a monthly radio show for dublab called Tizita Radio, highlighting music of nostalgia.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: a sense of ‘urban serenity’ and space for quiet moments amidst the bustle of downtown

Mathew Estrada

Chief Operating Officer

Mathew Estrada

Chief Operating Officer

Mathew brings over 20 years of experience in organizational leadership with a strong orientation in operations and finance. He has had success leading operational initiatives focused on infrastructure design, process reengineering, automation, turnaround management, reorganization, and corporate culture building. Mathew has an impassioned focus on strategy, innovation, and fostering team cohesiveness to drive optimal results. He has an extensive background in process assessment/improvement across a wide range of industries, including: Manufacturing, Transportation, SaaS, Marketing, Business Services, Public Relations, Non-Profit.

Mathew places heavy emphasis on respecting and leveraging human capital potential through empowerment and accountability. He is always looking to motivate, mentor and lead talented professionals for their individual and the organization's long-term success.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: the James Irvine Japanese Garden!

Pedro Gutierrez

Operations Assistant

Pedro Gutierrez

Operations Assistant

Pedro Gutierrez is an Operations Assistant at the JACCC. He has been working for the JACCC for 7 years.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: all the restaurants.

Amy Honjiyo

Sustainable Little Tokyo Cycle of Food Coordinator

Amy Honjiyo

Sustainable Little Tokyo Cycle of Food Coordinator

day jobs pushing pencils then tapping keyboards// homeschooled a kodomo and learned the best lessons start from the heart// retired and recycled as a bokashi composting advocate in little tokyo

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: old people/young people/new people

Chester Ikei

Senior Advisor

Chester Ikei

Senior Advisor

Muneyuki Chester Ikei, Senior Advisor, is a seasoned multi-national Hospitality Executive with 23+ years of experience as a general manager and advisor, having worked at Hotel New Otani, Hokuriku Gakuen Culinary College, and for the City of Nagaoka. He has dedicated time to engaging with local organizations to promote Japanese culture, such as Japan Business Association, Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Japan America Society, Little Tokyo Business Association, and Little Tokyo Community Council.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: community spirit with young leadership!

Hirokazu Kosaka

Master Artist in Residence

Hirokazu Kosaka

Master Artist in Residence

Hirokazu Kosaka is an ordained Shingon Buddhist priest, a master of the art of Japanese Kyudo (archery). After graduating from the Chouinard Art Institute in 1970, he continued to study the traditional and contemporary arts. He has received awards from the NEA, Rockefeller, New England foundation, Creative Capital, and USArtist Fellow. He has been actively advocating Japanese culture and art at the JACCC since 1983.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: talking trees and stones of JACCC

Kenji Liu

Program Manager, Cultural & Visual Arts

Kenji Liu

Program Manager, Cultural & Visual Arts

Kenji Liu is a Mellon Community Curatorial Fellow at JACCC. He has worked in community arts, non-profits, marketing, and higher education for over 20 years and wears multiple hats as a book designer, university lecturer, and writer. He has presented his creative work in the US, Mexico, and Japan, and received numerous artist residencies, fellowships, and grants. Entiende español y japonés and he holds an MA in Cultural Anthropology.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: the matcha latte at Tea Master.

Jane Matsumoto

Executive Culinary Arts Director

Jane Matsumoto

Executive Culinary Arts Director

Jane Shohara Matsumoto is the Director of Culinary Arts. She has worked in the public sector for 25 years, primarily in public transportation implementing the TAP smart card, but her passion is in the culinary arts — the history, science, and preparation of many different types of cuisines, especially traditional Japanese foods, known as Washoku. When she is not working, she is buried in food blogs, cookbooks, or simply cooking in her kitchen. She is an avid traveler and also loves to hike.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: its legacy and the people who are committed to this community.

Aric Nakamoto

Operations Assistant

Aric Nakamoto

Operations Assistant

Aric Nakamoto is an Operations Assistant at the JACCC. He was been working for the JACCC for 28 years.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: the friendly community.

Allyson Nakamoto

Director of Foundation Relations

Allyson Nakamoto

Director of Foundation Relations

A California native with roots in northern Okinawa and southern China, Allyson is passionate about finding resources that strengthen communities and elevate culture. Prior to joining JACCC, she worked at the Japanese American National Museum and Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. Allyson graduated from Claremont McKenna College and also studied at the Okinawa Prefectural University of the Arts. She now lives in Hawai‘i and each year eagerly awaits mango season.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: the resilience of the community

EJ Orlando

Associate Director, Production & Rentals

EJ Orlando

Associate Director, Production & Rentals

Edward J. Orlando is a concert and live event professional. He has worked with live entertainment and presentations for over 20 years. His early experience includes a long tenure at The House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista as a full time Production Coordinator in addition to filling multiple roles encompassing audio, lights, video, and stage management. A love of music brought him to work with concerts and over the course of his career, has worked among many of the most loved musicians in the world in a variety of locations and roles. Edward came to work with the JACCC in 2009 and continues to be dedicated to serving the artists and community of Little Tokyo.

Pronouns: I, Me, Mine

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: the kind people and the breeze.

Emi Osaki

Sustainable Little Tokyo & Community Arts Manager

Emi Osaki

Sustainable Little Tokyo & Community Arts Manager

Emi Osaki joins JACCC as the new Community Arts/Sustainable Little Tokyo Manager. Emi is a second-generation Japanese-Korean American with a BS in Society and Environment and a minor in Food Systems from UC Berkeley. Growing up in the restaurant industry, Emi realized from a young age that food is one of the major ways we keep our culture alive. With a background in education, urban agriculture, and food justice work, Emi hopes to preserve and push forward ancestral foodways, creating intergenerational spaces for individuals to reconnect with their cultural identity and local ecosystems.

Maria Magdalena Rodriguez

Operations Assistant

Maria Magdalena Rodriguez

Operations Assistant

Maria Rodriguez is an Operations Assistant at the JACCC. She has been working for the JACCC for 21 years.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: all the friendly people.

Stephanie Romero

Sr. Executive Assistant to President & CEO

Stephanie Romero

Sr. Executive Assistant to President & CEO

Carolina Roque

Executive Development & Marketing Director

Carolina Roque

Executive Development & Marketing Director

Carolina Roque is the Executive Development & Marketing Director at JACCC. Hired in 2017, she has worked in the fundraising and marketing departments for approximately six years and has overseen areas in data, individual/corporate giving, grants, marketing, membership, special events, and CRM systems. 

Carolina was born and raised in Los Angeles. She grew up with an appreciation of street art which evolved into an appreciation of architecture and holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with a concentration in Chicanx Art from Bennington College. As her thesis, she wrote a book, Chicanx Art: Social Theories and Cultural Identities. She enjoys all things thriller/horror and has an interest in cardiothoracic surgery and design. She is trilingual in English, Spanish, and conversational Japanese.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: all the coffee shops! ☕

George Royal

Operations Assistant

George Royal

Operations Assistant

George Royal is an Operations Assistant at JACCC. Since working for JACCC, he has learned so much about Japanese and Japanese American history and his learnings have made him proud to be part of the community. He also loves the food and thinks Little Tokyo has some of the best in the L.A. area. 

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: the community LOVE.

Ernesto Rubio

Operations Manager

Ernesto Rubio

Operations Manager

Celeste Shimoura Goedert

Director of Sustainable Little Tokyo & Community Arts

Celeste Shimoura Goedert

Director of Sustainable Little Tokyo & Community Arts

Francisco Soc Sut

Operations Assistant

Francisco Soc Sut

Operations Assistant

Francisco Soc Sut is an Operations Assistant at the JACCC. He has been working for the JACCC for 5 years.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: working for the JACCC.

Derek Takeda

VP of Operations

Derek Takeda

VP of Operations

Yuki Uehara

Manager, Production & Rentals

Yuki Uehara

Manager, Production & Rentals

Patricia M. Wyatt

President & CEO

Patricia M. Wyatt

President & CEO

Patricia M. Wyatt brings more than 30 years of executive management experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, across a multitude of industries. Most recently, Pat was the founder and CEO of MayaCo & Associates, Inc., a brand and media consultancy focused on social impact. Her work for nonprofit organizations includes The Institute for the Future, Palo Alto, and the Koret Israel Economic Development Fund (KIEDF), Tel Aviv. In addition, she served as President for WorkingNation and Innovation: Africa, and also held the post of Chief Development Officer, ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she led a team of 550 individuals who together raised a record-setting $1B in one year.

Her past corporate leadership experience includes President of the Licensing and Home Entertainment companies at Twentieth Century Fox and Executive Vice President of Brand Marketing at Mattel. Pat has served on numerous boards, including Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Machine Project, California/International Arts Foundation, Professional Advisory Panel of the School of Integrated Media at CalArts, Digital Advisory Network at Pearson Education, and she also serves as a Mentor for The Unreasonable Group.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: how much the community loves to help our seniors.

Julie Zhu

Mellon Community Curatorial Fellow

Julie Zhu

Mellon Community Curatorial Fellow

Julie Zhu is Mellon Community Curatorial Fellow at JACCC. Influenced by family, she has received professional training in painting and calligraphy since childhood. Having lived in three different countries - China, Japan and the United States, she has been exposed to a wide variety of cultures, this diversity reflects her unlimited possibilities and personality. She graduated from the China Academy of Art, majoring in Archaeology and Museology, and received a Master of Fine Arts in Art History.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Favorite thing about Little Tokyo: the interesting history hidden behind the small stores.

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