our mission

• The Canadian Japanese Cultural Centre of Hamilton (CJCC), a not for profit registered charity, was founded by Japanese Canadians dedicated to preserving and sharing their cultural heritage. Our mission is to:

  • Promote and support cultural activities rooted in Japanese traditions

  • Inspire community interest and participation in these activities

  • Offer instruction and provide space for cultural learning and practice

  • Foster greater awareness and appreciation of Japanese culture within the broader community

  • Connect Canadians who share an interest in Japanese cultural traditions

Our history

The Canadian Japanese Cultural Centre of Hamilton (CJCC) was founded on March 5, 1986, by Japanese Canadian community leaders who had been forcibly uprooted and dispossessed during World War II. Originally located in the former Onteora Public School, the Centre was established as a space to reconnect, rebuild, and preserve Japanese Canadian heritage and culture. The aim was to help rebuild the Japanese Canadian community destroyed by the War Measures Act during World War II. 

After 1949, Japanese Canadians began arriving in Hamilton when restrictions were lifted on those forced into internment camps, forced labour sites, and prison camps. Hamilton became a welcoming home, as it was one of the few Ontario cities without a resettlement quota for Japanese Canadians at that time.

In 1993, thanks to an incredible community fundraising effort, the CJCC purchased its current home at 45 Hempstead Drive. The acquisition was finalized in 1995 with support from the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation and a generous contribution from the Hamilton Chapter of the National Association of Japanese Canadians.

The Centre stands today as a symbol of resilience and renewal—built by a community committed to healing and honouring its past.

Board of directors

Executive and Board Members for the Hamilton CJCC

President: Mitchell Akira Kawasaki
Vice President: Michael Kimeda
Executive Secretary: Cairney Martin
Executive Treasurer: Ronald C. Hampson

Directors:

John Anger

Joyce Wall

Lydia Greenly

Michel Felix Vasquez

Patricia June Simpson