JCCCNC · Takahashi Issei Heritage Center

You’re Invited

Japanese American History Archives (JAHA)

Fourth Annual Public Talks

Presented by the Takahashi Issei Heritage Center

Friday, September 25, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time
Sokoji Temple Event Hall · 1691 Laguna Street (between Sutter and Post Streets), San Francisco, CA 94115

Please join us this September.

Scholars from Japan and the United States come together to share research drawn from the Japanese American History Archives – Seizo Oka Collection, housed at the Takahashi Issei Heritage Center.

Their presentations trace the pre-war Nikkei community in California, from its banks to its delta farmlands to its ties across the Pacific, through records that have never before been presented publicly. We hope you will join us.

A note on our venue. This year’s program will be held at the Sokoji Temple Event Hall rather than at the Center. Our Sutter Street facility is unable to accommodate this event due to construction, and we are grateful to Sokoji for generously hosting us.

Reserve My Seat

Admission is free. Light refreshments provided.

Our Scholars

Select a name to view that scholar’s faculty profile.

Prof. Eiichiro Azuma
University of Pennsylvania
“A History of the Pre-war Nikkei Community in the California Delta”
Assoc. Prof. Ryosuke Maeda
The University of Tokyo
“Yokohama Specie Bank Records Reveal Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Tracing Ties between Pre-war California’s Nikkei Community and Japan”
Asst. Prof. Yuichiro Izumo
Rikkyo University
“Who Rescues an Immigrant Bank? The Yokohama Specie Bank and Japanese Community Finance in California”
Prof. Kaoru Iokibe
The University of Tokyo
“Japanese in America & Americans in Japan”
Dr. Kaoru (Kay) Ueda
Research Fellow / Curator of Japanese Diaspora Collections, Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
“Curating Our Heritage: Highlighting the Treasures of the JAHA Collection”
Prof. Yoko Tsukuda
Seijo University
“Unlocking the Digital Story: Remittances and Japanese American Community”
A joint presentation with Prof. Meredith Oda, introducing their digital collections.
Assoc. Prof. Meredith Oda
University of Nevada, Reno
“Unlocking the Digital Story: San Francisco’s Japantown”
A joint presentation with Prof. Yoko Tsukuda, introducing their digital collections.

What to Expect

Program for the Day

See the full schedule.

View the program Download PDF

Save the PDF to your phone or print a copy to bring with you.

Explore the Collections

Browse scholarly essays and archival materials from the Seizo Oka Collection at our digital collections site.

jaha.jcccnc.org

Getting to the Event Hall

The Event Hall is on the first floor of Sokoji Temple,
1691 Laguna Street, San Francisco, CA 94115.

Through the parking lot (step-free)

Walk through the parking lot to the first-floor entrance. This route is step-free and brings you in at the same level as the Event Hall.

From the second floor

Enter on the second floor and take the stairs down to the first floor. Please note this route is by stairs only.

If you use a wheelchair or have difficulty with stairs, please take the parking lot entrance, which is step-free. You are also welcome to call us ahead at (415) 567-5505 ext. 231 and we will make sure someone meets you.

Funded By

These talks are made possible by the generous support of:

Takahashi Foundation Mellon Foundation

Special Thanks

These talks come together each year through the work of Dr. Kaoru (Kay) Ueda, who also serves as a valued advisor to the Takahashi Issei Heritage Center on our archives. We are grateful for her guidance and her dedication to this collection.

RSVP Today

Seats are limited. We’d love to know you’re coming.

Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California

The Takahashi Issei Heritage Center is housed in the
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC).