Community Resources

Explore local Japan-related organizations in Oregon and SW Washington.

Advocacy

Oregon Rises Above Hate – recognizing diversity, beauty, & strength of the AANHPI Community
Portland JACL – celebrate Japanese American culture, promote and protect human and civil rights for all

Cultural Arts

Issoan Tea – teaching chanoyu (tea ceremony) and other aspects of Japanese culture like kimono & haiku
Monmouth Taiko – taiko group performing in the Willamette Valley
Oregon Koto-Kai – introducing more people to the beauty of koto through education and concerts
Portland Kimono Club – community of women in the Portland area with interest in traditional kimono
Portland Oregon Paper Shapers – Portland chapter of OrigamiUSA for origami enthusiasts of all ages
Portland Taiko – inspiring audiences, building community, and educating about heritage and culture
Salem Origami Club – free monthly origami workshops for folders of all levels and ages
SORA SHODO – promoting peace and expression through live shodo performances and lessons
Takohachi – preserving traditional Japanese music and dance through education and performances
Unit Souzou – building creative, imaginative works while honoring history and roots of the taiko art form
Wakai Tea Association – upholding the tradition of tea through Urasenke school certification and study
Wakakusa-Kai – group learning the Urasenke school’s chanoyu (tea ceremony) in Eugene, Oregon

Community

Friends of MacDonald – celebrating the life of Japan’s first English teacher
Japanese American Museum of Oregon – honoring history & culture of Japanese Americans in the PNW
Japanese American Society of Central Oregon – JASCO, strengthening the Japanese American community
Japanese Ancestral Society – Nikkei Jin Kai, serving the Nikkei community for over 120 years
OBON SOCIETY – returning non-biological human remains taken during wartime to families
Oya no Kai – enhancing cultural education in the Japanese Immersion Program at Portland Public Schools
Shokookai – Japanese Business Association of Portland
Southern Oregon Japanese Association – SOJA, promoting Japanese-American exchange activities

Gardens

Ashland Japanese Garden – in Ashland, OR, find peace and wellness through the garden’s tranquility
Chehalem Valley Sch. Japanese Garden of Friendship – honoring Newberg-Asago sister city relationship
Choshi Garden in Mingus Park – in Coos Bay, OR, honoring the Coos Bay-Choshi sister city relationship
Germaine Fuller Japanese Garden – in Salem, OR, created by Professor Fuller and her students in 1991
Gresham Japanese Garden – in Gresham, OR, a place of culture, beauty, tranquility, and learning
Hikaru Mizu Japanese Garden – in Ontario, OR, celebrating reflection and connection
Lake Sacajawea Japanese Garden – in Longview, WA, redesigned as a Japanese garden in 1990
Portland Japanese Garden – in Portland, OR, 12-acres inspiring harmony and peace, designed in 1963
Royce E. Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden – in Vancouver, WA, honoring Washington-Japan friendship