GOAL
1 DEVELOP JAPANTOWN AS AN
HISTORICAL CENTER, A CULTURAL CAPITAL, AND A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR PEOPLE OF
JAPANESE ANCESTRY IN AMERICA.
1.1.1 Support the organizational longevity of
social, religious and cultural institutions by ensuring that such groups have a
stable physical location in Japantown.
1.1.2 Increase the visibility of established and
emerging organizations.
a. Create
an up-to-date directory, both print and electronic.
b. Encourage
joint- and cross-publicizing practices.
c. Create a “community weekend” and open cbo’s
to inform weekend visitors about services/entities available in Japantown.
1.1.4 Use
Peace Plaza as destination location for regular and frequent cultural and
spiritual festivals and celebrations by coordinating with existing
organizations to sponsor and organize.
Strategies:
1.2.1 Use
the Koban to display a neighborhood map and a community calendar to arts,
cultural events, classes and activities within Japantown.
a. Enhance
communication hub by posting multilingual information.
b. Emphasize
posting multigenerational activities.
1.2.2 Support
the establishment of a permanent, affordable and professional cultural and
performance facility in which community cultural groups as well as contemporary
artists can create, perform, showcase and gather.
a. Create
professional-quality theater spaces with state-of-the-art technology equipped
for theatre, multi-media and dance; both mainstage (700-1,000 seats) and black
box (50-100 seats).
b. Include
classrooms; gallery and studio space for visual arts; workshop/studio space for
performing and media arts.
c. Provide
shared administrative resources and office space for individual artists,
emerging and established groups.
d. Enhance
inclusion of artists of all cultures through open residency and rental
opportunities.
1.2.3 Promote and enhance arts and culture in
Japantown.
a. Encourage
programs and activities geared toward children and youth.
b. Support
creation of art by community.
c. Identify
sites in Japantown, from vacant storefronts to booths in the Japan Center, to
house exhibit space for various purposes such as display of local Pan Asian
community artists.
d. Provide
businesses with art and artifacts for display.
e. Program
cultural and traditional arts (Taiko Dojo, traditional music, martial arts,
ikebana, traditional classic Japanese dance, tea ceremony, arts demonstrations,
etc.) throughout the year in Japan Center and the Peace Plaza.
f. Program
contemporary arts (live music, spoken word, dance, etc.) throughout the year in
Japan Center and the Peace Plaza.
g. Attract
international artists to Japantown by providing a professional venue for
performance.
Have
a focal point –Peace Plaza-Atomic Bomb Memorial-place to hang 1,000
cranes-memory of Sadako Story-good story for school children-promote Peace
without use of force or violence!
Create permanent exhibit on
interment camps at Peace Plaza next to WWII Atomic bomb memorial. –Or share
Memorial Day a la Maya Lin.
J-town
needs after-hours programming of cultural/traditional arts-most classes,
events are inconvenient for working adults who commute to jobs outside of SF.
Cinema
Arts- Korean Film Festival
Children’s
film festival-maybe coordinate with NAATA?
Utilize
the outside of the cultural center (renovated area) to have more evening music
performed (dancing) more colored lighting. Provide good security at these
events.
a. Encourage
programs and activities geared toward children and youth.
b. Encourage
the public presence in Japantown of local historical resources, e.g., the
National
Japanese American Historical Society, the Japanese American National Library,
and the Japanese American Archives.
c. Develop
and display material on the history of Japanese immigration after WWII.
d.
Create a Japantown historic and cultural walking tour that highlights
key landmarks.
2.1.1
Create an
audio headset program for self-guided walking tours and walking tour maps, in
addition to training volunteer docents for guided walking tours.
I don’t think that many people know
that SF J-town is one of the three remaining J-towns in the U.S. Can we promote
this somehow?
(I
think and I saw) many Japanese foreign students picked up J-town or J Americans
as their school paper topics. If we have a collection of these essays, I’m
really interested in reading their thought.
Can
this be incorporated with 2.1.6, an audio headset program for self-guided tour?
1.2.5 Develop relationships with established
institutions to bring their work to Japantown.
a. Identify
sites in Japantown, from vacant storefronts to booths in the Japan Center, to
house exhibit space for various purposes such as: secondary exhibits and
related events of the National Park Service’s planned Golden Gateway Center for
the Migration/Immigration of People to the Pacific Coast; satellite exhibits
from the Asian Art Museum.
b. Establish
Japanese American National Museum remote terminal of existing relocation/camp
project to promote youth and family cultural heritage awareness by providing
computer space for hands-on genealogy research.
c. Endorse
continued presence of film festivals in Japantown (NAATA, SFIF).
d. Facilitate
relationship with Japan Consulate
·
Encourage
Consulate’s locating cultural programming (films, speakers, etc.) and satellite
information center in Japantown.
·
Arrange
shuttle bus from J-town to the consulate of Japan? Then more people can
participate their events. At the same time people come to J-town to get ride.
Objective 1.3: Ensure
inclusiveness of the ideas and values of the community’s multi-generational,
multi-cultural, multi-racial and multilingual or non-English-speaking members.
Strategies:
1.3.1 Find
ways to break down barriers between different cultures that live and conduct
business in Japantown.
a. Encourage
community communication (notices, signage, meetings) be made available to
Japantown residents and workers in their primary languages.
b. Investigate
models for community mediation processes.
c. Include
support and programs for gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender/questioning alternative
youth and adult groups
d. Recognize
J-town’s importance as a Korean business center; broader training/ support/
maps/ brochures/ programs/ festivals to include these and other Asian groups
who live/work here. Possibly thru links with Korean American C of C (in
Seki-Lee Bldg. Post and Laguna) versus actual arm of the non-profit entity, for
starters.
e. Present Task Force goals to the other
communities (at their meetings) and get direct input
1.3.2 Support and promote activities that
encourage interaction among different generations.
1.3.3 Encourage interaction with other
communities.
a. Extend
PR to other communities’ publications and newsletters; encourage
cross-promotion.
b. Partner
with other communities in activities.
1.3.4 Create
point of contact/entry for anyone interested in accessing the community: to
obtain information, find ways to participate, and access/provide resources
Other Goal 1 Suggestions:
Form a Nikkei Community Fund to increase
philanthropy for all non-profits including the task force.
(If
the national museum and national memorial can attract donations of tens of
millions-can’t we draw nationally to support a living museum of our
evolving Nikkei Culture?).
Views
on a Nikkei Community Foundation = For Raising Money NOW. Average age of
Nisei is 80. Sansei’s -- participation? –Silicon Valley? (Wealth created-I
realized the market dropped but some Sansei cashed in on options or own shares
of high tech companies.
Create
an umbrella virtual J-town so people throughout the U.S. can go into a museum
or find out restaurants or order Japan CD’s/Books or get resources, community
calendar, etc.
I
like the idea of having maps and boards available for visitors who come to
Japantown. It would be great if there were volunteer people (seniors and youth)
who could put in time on the weekends to pass out these brochures and answer
questions. People contact is very important in enhancing the Public Relations
effort and making people feel more welcomed. It will be good for our youths to
do community service in this way and feel more tied to the community.
GOAL 2: REVITALIZE JAPANTOWN AS A THRIVING
COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL DISTRICT.
Strategies:
2.1.2
Enhance the
cultural identity and historic significance of Japantown through highly visible
and artistic identifier signage.
2.1.3
How
about make “J-town sticker” which targets tourists: fundraiser; visibility;
opportunity to artists
2.1.4
Market
Japantown through traditional regional, national and international tourism
channels including the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, hotels,
bus tour companies, tour guide publishers, travel agencies, etc.
2.1.5
Identify and
publicize cultural events, activities and festivals located at landmark
cultural institutions (like churches and temples) that are open to the public.
2.1.6
Help
sponsoring agencies to publicize and revitalize existing community festivals:
Cherry Blossom Festival, Nihonmachi Streetfair, Aki Matsuri (Autumn Festival), and Tanabata.
I think it’s a good idea for both JA’s and
non-JA’s to learn a great cultural aspect of Japan, how Japanese values seasons
and celebrate it.
2.1.7
Place public
street maps and bulletin boards (electronic or non-) at key intersections in
Japantown highlighting points of interest.
I’d like to see an audio self-guided
tour incorporated with historical landmark tour (1.2.4d)
One
of the grocery stores should sponsor cooking classes.
Strategies:
2.2.1 Hire
a part-time multi-lingual staff person to support the existing Nihonmachi
Merchants Association.
2.2.2 Develop
regular and frequent group marketing and promotional activities in local and
regional Japanese and tourism media sources.
More
friendly requirement to obtain work visas for Japanese Nationals. I have seen many energetic people who went
back to Japan because they couldn’t get Visa; can propose special treatment for
workers in J-town?
2.2.3 Promote
consistent business hours during peak business demand hours.
2.2.4 Coordinate
a business assistance program for ongoing members and a neighborhood business
district orientation for new merchants.
Encourage
a small Japanese noodle stand to be opened in Buchanan Mall or the Peace Plaza,
and to stay open late into the night!
Strategies:
2.3.1 Recruit
and attract Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals interested in operating a
business in Japantown.
I
would like to see new businesses related to Japanese Arts specially Craft Arts
such as ceramics rather than commercials like restaurants. There are enough of them
already.
2.3.3 Encourage
new business interests in the community that attract/serve children and
families, youth and young adults.
2.3.4 Identify
technical assistance for: a mentorship program to support new entrepreneurs and
businesses in Japantown; to retain existing businesses at risk of closure; and
to provide specialized workshops in starting a business venture for new
entrepreneurs.
2.3.5 Provide
incentives to property owners to aggressively market vacant storefronts to
Japanese/Japanese-American-oriented businesses.
2.3.6 Attract
a high-quality Japanese/Japanese American retailer to anchor the Japantown
retail theme and attract more customers to support the existing businesses.
2.3.7 Work
with the Japan Center mall owners to initiate retail carts and kiosk
opportunities for small business start-ups.
Retail
kiosk with crafts or food specialty items are a good idea. Children especially
like to see things cooked or prepared in front of them.
Important
consideration: keeping the area clean from trash and litter.
2.3.8 Investigate
consumable needs of transient Japanese student/youth population.
2.3.9 Leverage
the competitive advantages of Japanese and Bay Area high-technology companies
by institutionalizing the “gray” tech market in Japantown, and attracting
high-tech products, services and/or showrooms.
Objective 2.4: Attract
and promote businesses and investment, especially those businesses that promote
products and services unique and desirable to the Japanese American culture.
Strategies:
2.4.1 Encourage
Japanese/Asian Pacific Islander American professionals (e.g., dentists,
optometrists, M.D.) to re-locate/locate their practices in Japantown.