The Japan Foundation Award 50th Anniversary Messages from Previous Awardees - Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (Toronto)

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1988 The Japan Foundation Special Prize

Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (Toronto)

[Canada]

In the years since the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) received the Japan Foundation Special Prize in 1988 our Centre has developed and grown in a very significant manner. In the mid-1990s, the JCCC moved to a new space six times the size of the original building and has since expanded to fill that space as the largest and most vibrant centre of its kind in the world. This could not have been fully realized without the cooperation, support and friendship of the Japan Foundation in Toronto. This year (2023) the Centre is enjoying its 60th anniversary and over these many years, the Foundation has helped us expand our programming in terms of performance including concerts by Kyohei Sorita, Akiko Yano, Chieko Kojima, Eitetsu Hayashi, Aga-Shio and Wasabi to name but a few. They have been a consistent source of support of our Toronto Japanese Film Festival since its inception in 2012 and we have welcomed many guest directors and actors together. The Japan Foundation’s cooperation and encouragement was also very significant in helping us continue programming during the pandemic. Maintaining engagement through the pandemic was an important component in our survival and post-pandemic recovery. The JCCC also endeavors to direct the community towards the very rich programming that is offered by the Japan Foundation. We have continued to work as close friends and partners in promoting our shared vision of bringing Japanese culture to Canadians for the benefit not only of the Japanese community in Canada but for all Canadians. Our relationship with the Japan Foundation in Toronto and their consistently supportive staff remains one of our most cherished partnerships. We very much look forward to continuing our work together.

Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (Toronto)

(Original text in English)

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