San Francisco Japantown Task Force

DATA SHEET

Program: Japanese American Religious Federation (JARF)

Address: 1615 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94109

Visual Description:

The Japanese American Religious Federation (JARF) is a coalition of eleven Japanese American religious organizations based in and around Japantown, including: the Buddhist Church of SF, Honnoji Nichiren Buddhist Temple, Nichiren Buddhist Church, Rissho Koseikai Buddhist Church of SF, Sokoji Zen Buddhist Temple, Christ Episcopal Church, Christ United Presbyterian Church, Pine United Methodist Church, St. Benedict/St. Francis Xavier Church, Konko Church of SF, and Tenrikyo America West Church. The organization holds various interfaith religious services for the Japanese-American and broader community, and provides an open forum for cross-denominational dialogue and sharing of different spiritual perspectives by clergy and lay-persons.

History:

JARF was founded in 1948 as “Shukyoka Konwakai “to foster communication, understanding, and better relationships among religious leaders in the community. In 1968, it was incorporated as a non-profit organization to achieve its dream of providing housing for elders and low-income families in the Japanese American community. In 1975, it successfully built Nihonmachi Terrace, a 245-unit housing complex for seniors and low-income families. From the 1980’s to the 1990’s, JARF increased its work in improving understanding and cooperation among various congregations in the community. In the late 1990’s, JARF also coordinated plans for constructing the Kokoro Assisted Living Center, a 54-unit assisted-care facility for ailing seniors. Annual religious observances include the Day of Remembrance Service, Memorial Day Service, Prayers for World Peace in August, Thanksgiving Holiday Service, and monthly services and spiritual forums at Kokoro. Other programs include a weekly radio program on Radio Mainichi, a picnic, and the annual “Curry Cook-off” fundraising event.

Significance:

Cultural, Social

Recognition of Significance:

N/A

Sources:

Richard Grange, Reverend; Konko Church

Other Comments:

JARF is a unique interfaith organization that contributes to a stronger community by allowing different congregations to cooperate and share common goals. It also provides a spiritual service to the community, esp. by targeting those who are not connected to any one particular congregation.

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Prepared By: Rev. Richard Grange Date Prepared: 8/14/04