What would you say when I ask you to describe the world today?

Perhaps you’d talk about the increasingly modern and advanced society that we live in, constantly developing new technology and innovations. Or maybe you’d talk about an increasingly tense society, as our world is plagued with political tensions between nations.

I would’ve given you this response a year ago: “I see a world that is becoming increasingly violent, a world that is being overtaken by hatred, and a world that is losing humanity.”

Today, I give you this response: “I picture a world filled with hope.”

Leadership in Action Applications Open!

Leadership in Action examines civil liberties and civil rights issues by diving into past violations, surveying current challenges in our diverse communities, and determining a course of action to fight such infringements. Participants will meet in Little Tokyo to learn firsthand from community activists through guided tours, presentations, discussions, hands-on activities & more over 10 Saturday afternoons. Ultimately, participants will educate the public by collaborating, designing, and executing group projects which address civil liberties infringements that are currently happening OR have happened so as to prevent their happening again. Open to teens 13-18 years old. Deadline to apply is December 2nd.

2024 Summer Camp Season Has Ended! ☀️We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of our 2024 Summer Camps! This year, we brought together nearly 300 youth across five locations in Southern California for a fun week of learning and cultural exploration. Our campers, ranging in age from 7 to 13, participated in activities that celebrated Japanese American culture and heritage, guided by our incredible team of Junior Counselors and Counselors. From Japanese Puppet Theater to Omamori to Undoukai, our new curriculum offered something for everyone. A huge thank you to our dedicated staff, volunteers, parents, and community partners, who made this year's summer camps an unforgettable experience!

I have always been proud to be American. Being American meant that I had certain, “unalienable” rights, such as the freedoms of speech and the press. And when I was younger, I thought everyone owned those rights and had always owned them. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Freedom is not guaranteed and has never been. There have been people who did not reap the benefits of our free nation. There have been people who did not have basic human rights. 

Summer Camp Registration is Still Open!

Our locations in Little Tokyo, Pasadena, Orange County, & West LA still have spots available. Register your camper (ages 7-13) today for an unforgettable cultural experience! ☀️

2024 Leadership in Action has come to an end~ HOWEVER, you can view their final group projects right now!

Our 2024 cohort graduated from our program with an unforgettable showcase of their civil liberties group projects aimed at uplifting our communities. We’re immensely proud of our high school leaders and their commitment to positive change!💡 View their inspiring work with the button below.

Our 2024 LiA Program is in Week 8 right now! Every week, our student leaders are learning from incredible community figures and meeting with groupmates to discuss their civil liberties projects. They are now in the home stretch! It's been a pleasure to personally see how far our cohort has come since Week 1, and we hope you all can join us to hear about their inspiring endeavors and group projects.

Summer Camp is HERE! ☀️ Register your campers (ages 7-13) for a fun cultural summer experience at any of our 5 locations. Let's celebrate heritage, create memories, and embrace the spirit of community. Reserve your spot today!

Early Bird sale ends March 31st!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🥳🎍 Always a pleasure participating and helping at the @ocoyouth Mochi Pound-Off at Tanaka Farms! It's an amazing day of competition and community spirit as we work together to form the best Kagami mochi with friends and loved ones. We’re so thankful for our volunteers, especially our big NCI cohort turnout, and we love any chance to hang out with our Kizuna family outside of our programs~✨💞 明けましておめでとうございます！

It comes with great pleasure and gratitude that I announce that this year’s Taste of Kizuna event is officially sold out!

We are so happy about your interest in our premier fundraising event as well as Kizuna’s mission of uplifting the next generation. We could not have pulled this off without the generous collaboration of Andy Nakano! We are also so privileged and thankful for our esteemed guests and sponsors. Thank you to the Sugimoto Foundation, Kawaguchi-Kihara Foundation, Seki Nishimura & Watase LLP, Fukui Mortuary, JABA, Henry Ota, Hiroyo Nonoyama, and Dolly & Rick Oishi!❣️

Please anticipate next year's Taste of Kizuna!

You're Invited to Kizuna Showdown 2023!

It's the perfect time to plan your teams for our fall fundraiser that you do not want to miss out on!🥳 Costumes encouraged.🥇🏆🏅 From fun team games to bingo to AMAZING opportunity drawing prizes to yummy drinks, we have it all.👀🍻🎟️ Click the button below to buy your tickets today!🎉

November 18th - Doors open at 1PM - Nishi Hongwanji Budwddhist Temple✨

WE CAN’T BELIEVE THE 21ST SEASON OF NCI IS OVER! The program ended just like how it started… with a Japantown Retreat! Our SoCal interns flew up to the NorCal interns this time for 3 amazing days of tours, workshops, food, and meeting with community leaders, NCI alumni, & family/friends! HUGE thank you to all of our supporters, workshop leaders, organizations that hosted interns this year, AND the Japanese American Museum of San Jose & the Japanese Community Youth Council for taking care of all of the SJ & SF interns. Congratulations to our 2023 NCI interns and Alan Takashi Riley (Kizuna’s Programs Coord) for successfully completing this year’s NCI program!!🎉We’re so excited to see how our 2023 cohort will positively influence their current and future communities.💛