Our Mission
“By honouring and celebrating our ancestry and history, the Calgary Japanese Community Association will be a vibrant and inclusive organization that encourages and promotes our Japanese heritage, culture and legacy within the Nikkei community and with all Canadians.”
History
The Night Before
Prior to the WWII, there were a small number of Japanese families that lived in Calgary. They were well known to one another and they would occasionally meet, primarily as social gatherings but it was an opportunity for members of the Nikkei community to meet and share their commons interests. As this group increased in size, the numbers became large enough that meeting in people’s homes became a challenge. On June 27, 1963 an organizational meeting was held to form the Calgary Japanese Canadian Association. There were approximately 100 people in the group and they held annual picnics, New Year’s parties, film showings, etc.
Official Announcement of Establishment
In 1967 there were a number of different Japanese groups such as the Calgary Hoyukai, Calgary Japanese Mission, Calgary Japanese Canadian Association, Calgary Japanese Canadian Centennial Committee and Calgary Nissei Club. The Calgary Japanese Canadian Association officially was incorporated in 1975 and ten years later, amended their official corporate name to Calgary Japanese Community Association. Throughout the years, the focus of the association has been to preserve and celebrate the Japanese culture, its music, art, food, and dance.
CJCA Now
Over the years, CJCA has been slowly evolving to include a more diverse membership as a greater number of the Nikkei have married to include partners from other ethnic communities. The nearby resort town of Banff has always been a destination for Japanese tourists and many visitors have returned to Calgary to start a new life in Canada. They have brought with them the newer traditions of Japan to add to the older ones that have been part of the Japanese Canadians heritage.
Join the Community!
We are always looking for new members and if you would like to purchase membership, please go to LINK membership page.
If you are seeking volunteer opportunity for the community, please sign up HERE – LINK volunteer page.
If you would like to step up to be a part of our organization, please contact cjca@calgaryjca.com