Edmonton Japanese Community Association General News

Library closed on Nov 11 (Remembrance Day)

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:00:00 GMT

In observance of Remembrance Day on Tuesday November 11th, 2025,
the library will not be open that day.
However volunteers will be at the library again on November 18th.

September is Japanese Heritage Month in Alberta!

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Library Summer Break - Aug 19 - Sep 2, 2025

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 06:00:00 GMT

The Library Volunteers will be taking a summer break

from Tuesday August 19th until Tuesday September 2nd, 2025.

Remember the library will still be accessible to members anytime

during EJCA office hours to return or borrow books/DVDs.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and we’ll see you on September 9th!

Spring Haiku Contest 2025 Winners announced!

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 02:45:00 GMT

The Winners have been announced for our 2025 Spring Haiku Contest.
Congratulations to the winners, and a heartfelt thank you to all of our 209 authors from 42 countries for submitting 417 wonderful, individual, inspiring haiku!
You can enjoy them here: Spring Haiku Competition

Kitchen Information available!

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 02:48:44 GMT

Please note that our new kitchen is ready to be enjoyed. You find all relevant information also on this webpage: Kitchen
Consider getting the appropriate training if you plan on booking/using it!

[position filled] Apply by June 13 - EJCA hiring for: Student Project Administration Position

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 04:52:16 GMT

Student Project Administration Position

The Edmonton Japanese Community Association (EJCA), with support from the Federal Summer Works Program, is recruiting for an individual between 18 and 30 to work 30 to 40 hours a week in Project. This position will work with the EJCA Board and Staff to deliver at least three different programs including work in the following areas.

•Establish work priorities, support action plans, follow policies and procedures, and ensure deadlines are met.

• Assemble information to review and provide reports.

• Oversee and coordinate office administration related to projects. • Support Natsu Matsuri project coordination.

• Support EJCA events.

• Promote EJCA at partner events.

• Develop and implement ways to reach youth.

• General event planning and coordination related to projects.

• Recording financial information and assisting with preparing reports for projects.

• Manage relationships and communication with partners related to projects.

• Supporting post-event project reports.

• Liaise with both internal and external project partners. • Assist in promotion and communication of project events.

• Assist in managing volunteers.

• Develop and implementing a plan to recruit youth volunteers.

• To attend all project meetings.

Requirements

• Must be 18 to 30 as part of the Canada Summer Works Program

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Excellent communication skills

• Flexible and Adaptable

• Organized with Attention to Detail

• Collaborative and Team Player

• Time Management

• Ability to multi-task

• Creative and Innovative

Interested candidates should submit a resume to president@ejca.org and cover letter, indicating why they feel they would fit into the position and examples of related work by end of day on June 13, 2025.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Potential start date is as soon after June 15, 2025 as possible, but can be negotiated.

Salary will be $18 an hour.

Resolved: Telus Outage - regular Office phone available again

Thu, 29 May 2025 20:10:28 GMT

Our landline phone is back to normal operations! Please check the Contact Us page for all the ways you can contact us .

JCAM: The Sugar Beet Fields Again: 2025 Sugar Beet Wellness Tour

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 03:42:40 GMT

As a part of the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society’s intergenerational wellness program, Tonari Gumi will be organizing a Sugar Beet Wellness Tour during the last week of August in 2025.

Between 1942 and 1949, some 22,000 Japanese Canadians were unjustly removed from the B.C. West Coast. From within this group, more than 4,000 Japanese Canadians spent some time during this period working in the sugar beet fields of Southern Alberta. For many, it was an indescribably traumatic experience.
Over six nights and seven days, tour participants will be able to visit where the sugar beet fields were located, meet with local JC’s and knowledgeable researchers and historians and actually see a sugar beet field and where sugar beet workers lived. The bus tour will also include healing circles and discussions in Lethbridge and Taber. Through this experience, we hope that the participants and their family members might better understand what happened during this period, have a chance to share their feelings and heal together.

The 2025 Japanese Canadian Sugar Beet Wellness Tour will start and end in Calgary and is scheduled to take place between Saturday, August 23^rd and Friday, August 29^th in 2025. The 2025 Tour is being led by David Iwaasa who was born in Southern Alberta and led a previous sugar beet tour in 2019 (see the documentary about that trip at https://youtu.be/xbRjYGqEMxQ). Patti Ayukawa will participate as our Healing Circle Facilitator, the same role she had for the 2024 Nikkei National Museum internment camp tour and the 2024 Vancouver Island Obon Tour.

All travel will be via a 50-passenger washroom equipped highway coach bus from Calgary with stops in Lethbridge, Raymond, Magrath, Cardston, Waterton Lakes National Park, Picture Butte, Iron Springs, Coaldale and back to Calgary. Travel to and from Calgary from other parts of Canada can also be arranged separately.

Accommodations will be in premium hotels with breakfast included. Most meals, entrance and transfer costs are also included. The cost will be $1,400 + GST for double occupancy ($500 supplement for single occupancy).
In addition, to encourage inter-generational participation, a limited number of partial scholarships for descendants of sugar beet survivors (aged 14 – 25) are available on a first come, first serve basis. Applications for this scholarship must be made by June 1, 2025.
There is a reduced rate option for those who wish to drive their own vehicles and arrange their own accommodations but wish to participate in all of the meetings and tour luncheon and dinner events.

Full details, registration and payment information are available on-line at www.tonarigumi.ca/sugarbeetwellness. Final registration deadline has been extended to July 4th, 2025, at 5:00 pm (PST). Any questions about the tour should be directed via email to taka.iida2025@tonarigumi.ca.

Unique items for sale in our store!

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 01:00:00 GMT

We have added quite a few unique items to our online store.
Please have a look before we are sold out. Only available as long as stocks last. Pickup in the Centre only!

minor update to our "privacy policy"

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 20:40:00 GMT

please note that we have updated our privacy policy, to reflect the fact that our system does not rely on PayPal any longer. (section "Online Payments")

Spring Haiku Contest 2024 Winners announced!

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 05:00:00 GMT

And the winners are ... (please see here for all details: Spring Haiku Competition )
We thank all the participants and congratulate the awarded poets! Please read more in our July/August moshi-moshi and the upcoming September/October edition!

May is Asian Heritage Month! - check out the events in Edmonton, incl. 'The Model Minority'

Sun, 05 May 2024 19:00:00 GMT

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, so please watch out for special events in and around the city.

Here's one opportunity: Art Gallery of Alberta Celebrating Asian Heritage Month

as well as this production: The Model Minority "Enough" - by Rabbits Three Cultural Connections by our very own Carley Okamura with the support of the Edmonton Arts Council. This year there are new artists focused on discussing the topic of mental wellness in the Asian Canadian community.

The Model Minority: Enough

May 25, 2024: 3:00-4:30pm
Milner Theatre, Stanley A Milner Library
7 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, AB T5J 2V4

Change to Parking Regulations at the ACL/EJCA Building

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 04:09:55 GMT

Please be advised that parking is no longer permitted along the road between the building and the large parking lot to the North. The reason given for this change is that parked cars will make the street too marrow to accommodate fire trucks.

EJCA 会館　-　パーキング禁止区間のお知らせ

会館前から北側の大きなパーキング場までの道路沿い区間がパーキング禁止になりました。車が止まっていると道幅が狭くなり、消防自動車が通れないことが理由です。どうぞ、ご注意ください。

Edmonton Public Schools meet "Explore Japan 2023"- WATCH the video

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 18:00:00 GMT

18 Nov 2022 - Stories of Resilience: Paul Fujishige

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 03:00:00 GMT

Please join our very own president, Paul Fujishige, when he shares "Stories of Resilience" in a webinar at the John Humphrey Centre For Peace and Human Rights.

registration and details:
https://www.jhcentre.org/news-and-press-ptr/2022/9/26/stories-of-resilience-paul-fujishige

Date: Nov 18th, 2022, 1pm MT

WE INVITE YOU… to be on the EJCA’s board of directors!

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 23:40:00 GMT

Are you involved in EJCA programs or attend EJCA events? Do you have ideas for the association? Do you want to have a say in how the EJCA is run? We are looking for board nominations!

It is very important for us to have a variety of perspectives on the board: Japanese Canadians (Nikkei), those who immigrated from Japan, family members, club representatives, youth and young adults, cultural program instructors and participants, parents of children involved in EJCA programs, etc.

This is a great opportunity to get involved if you have ideas for events and programs that you think would be of interest to members.

Please see the moshi-moshi for more details and how to apply!

2022 - Spring Haiku Contest - Winners announced

Sat, 16 Jul 2022 01:00:00 GMT

Congratulations to all the participants (for being so creative) and to the winners (for standing out amidst many great and original poems) of our Haiku contest - see all details here: Spring Haiku Competition

What is going on elsewhere? - 'Public' Non-EJCA Calendar

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 02:00:00 GMT

What is going on elsewhere? For the benefit of our membership and visitors to our website, we are introducing a separate calendar page that shows selected events not organized by EJCA but by partner organizations. Please follow the link.

Welcome to our newest club: Iaido

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 22:45:08 GMT

We are pleased to announce the introduction of a new club to the EJCA as of Summer 2021. The Edmonton Iaido Club (edmontoniaido.ca) will be adding another martial art to the EJCA community.

More information is available from the club page: Iaido Club

今夏、EJCAに新しいクラブとして居合道が加わりました。エドモントン居合道クラブによる新しい武芸(マーシャルアート)が発足です。

July 13: Reopening the Centre!

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 05:00:00 GMT

We have reopened the EJCA centre in line with City of Edmonton and Government of Alberta Covid-19 guidance!

For the comfort and wellbeing of everyone, EJCA still actively encourages all visitors to wear masks and keep a safe distance were possible and appropriate!

エドモントンとアルバータ州政府のCovid-19ガイダンスに沿って、EJCAセンターを再開しました。

EJCAは、すべての人の快適さと幸福のために、すべての訪問者にマスクを着用し、安全な距離を保つことを積極的に奨励しています。

将棋プレーヤーの頭脳を垣間見 - Inside the mind of a Shogi Player!

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Join us in June as one of our EJCA members takes us into the mind of an advanced Shogi Player and walks us through concepts like "Shape", "Balance" and "Defense" of this fascinating game of "Japanese Chess".

Online event - all details available on [link].

将棋プレーヤーの頭脳を垣間見！

EJCAの会員の方から将棋 (Japanese Chess) の配置、手筋、囲いなど上級将棋の指し方を手順を追って指導頂きます。

オンラインイベントとなりますー詳細はこちらのサイトからどうぞ [link]

New 'Young members' section on our website!

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 01:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone!

EJCA has a new page on our website for our young members: https://ejca.org/Young-Members-Group

Check it out to explore what we are doing. We are encouraging all of our young members to get involved. :)

EJCA is constantly working on new offerings, now also directed towards our young members. We are especially interested in building more events (online, at this time).

こんにちは！

EJCAは青年メンバーのための新しいWebページをつくりました。

EJCAが計画している青年グループの活動は「https://ejca.org/Young-Members-Group」をに見てください。

参加してくれたらうれしい！:)

EJCAはまた青年メンバーのための新しいアクティビティについて考えていますが、緒に活動出来たらありがたい！
特に、オンラインのイベントを作るのには興味があります。

First virtual/online EJCA Shogi Tournament - we have a winner!

Sat, 03 Apr 2021 18:00:00 GMT

And we have a winner: Our first virtual/online EJCA Shogi Tournament on April 3rd, 2021 was a success!

Our First online EJCA Shogi Tournament was a great success, with 9 EJCA players, a few more spectators, 30 games (with 2000 moves), our top games featuring on lishogi.org/tv and two clear leaders, who were impossible to beat :-)
Congratulations to Ben and Noah!
Thanks to everyone for participating - We will repeat this soon.

Misericordia - Origami Crane Project News!

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Hello, origami crane volunteers!
EJCA received an acknowledgement from the Misericordia Hospital—the newsletter, Vital Beat, posted a story about the origami crane project:
https://www.thevitalbeat.ca/news/origami-brings-hope/

Happy Easter!

折り鶴を作っていただいた皆様へ、

ミセリコディア病院から、バイタル・ビートという機関誌に折り鶴プロジェクトの記事がありますとのお知らせを:
https://www.thevitalbeat.ca/news/origami-brings-hope/

素敵なエースターの祝日をお迎えください。

Help EJCA make 1,000 origami cranes for patients

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 16:00:00 GMT

Hi EJCA members and friends, 日本語は後半にあります。

EJCA received a request from the Volunteer Coordinator at the Misericordia Hospital. “We have a project to make over 1,000 Origami Cranes for the long-term patients at the Hospital. Would you please work with us to make one “1,000 Cranes Wreath” and Easter cards with cranes for long-term patients?”

Because of the COVID-19 situation, these long-term patients have been isolated and very lonely with no one visiting them. Volunteers wanted to do something to cheer them up at Easter time.

There is a true story of Sadako, a girl in Japan, who kept making origami cranes while she was fighting leukemia that was the after effect of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Since then, origami cranes have been symbols of Peace, Hope, Love, and Healing.

The EJCA board approved the donation of as many origami cranes as possible… maybe 1,000! EJCA will provide you with origami paper. But we have to hurry; we have a very tight timeline!

Let’s make origami cranes and send our Easter message to these patients.

Everyone is welcome to join this wonderful opportunity: If you do not know how to make origami cranes, this will be a perfect opportunity to learn; it is easy!

Please email (events@ejca.org) as soon as possible if you can help. EJCA will post-mail you origami paper right away if you need any. If you have some of your own that you would like to donate, that is even better.

Please let us know:

Your full name
Your email address
How many cranes you can make (20, 50, 100, 200, other?)
If you require origami paper, please send your mailing address so that EJCA can post-mail origami paper to you.

Process:

Use standard origami paper of 15cm x 15cm, colour or with design.
PDF instructions or YouTube video. There are number of other instructions available.
When made, please do not open them at the end. Keep them flat for safe shipping.
Bundle each ten cranes with elastic bands. Put them in an envelope or such. Put your name, email address and the number of cranes on the outside of the envelope.
By March 10, drop the envelope/box in the mailbox at the centre. An envelope/box should be smaller than 30 cm x 35 cm x 10 cm to fit into the mail slot.

Please invite your family members and friends to join you!

Any questions? events@ejca.org

【Peace, Love, Hope and Healingの思いを込めて、一緒に折鶴を作ってくださる方大募集】

先週の大寒波の中、1通のメールがEJCAに届きました。The Misericordia Community Hospital のボランティアコーディネーターの方からでした。

コロナのため病院で長期療養中の方たちは、お見舞いもボランティアの訪問もなく、長期にわたって隔離した中で寂しく過ごしていらっしゃるそうです。

どうにか励ませられないか。心を痛めていたボランティアの方に一つのアイデアが浮かびました！

それは広島で被爆した佐々木禎子(さだこ)さんのお話しです。禎子さんは亡くなるまで薬の包み紙で折り鶴を作って、Peace, Love, Hope and Healingの気持ちを発信し続けました。

今年のEaster には「カードと一緒に折り鶴をプレゼントしよう！千羽鶴も作ろう！」

こうしてエドモントンの日本コミュニティEJCAへ折り鶴を作る依頼が来たのです。

みんなで折り鶴を作ることで、Peace, Love, HOPE and Healingを長期療養者さんへお届けしませんか？

ぜひみなさんのお力を貸してください！頑張って1000羽の折り鶴を作りましょう！

《折り鶴作り詳細／内容》

折り鶴を作れる方も、今回をチャンスに練習する方も大歓迎です！

作っていただける方は、時間が余りありませんので次の事項を記入して、このメールを至急返信してください。（events@ejca.org）折り紙をお持ちでない会員のみなさんへはお返事をいただき次第、折り紙を郵送致します。

１．お名前　(ローマ字)：

２．メールアドレス：

３．何羽作っていただけますか？　

（　）２０羽、（　）５０羽、（　）１００羽、（　）２００羽、（　）その他＿＿羽

４．折り紙をお持ちですか？

（　　）はい、持っています。

（　　）持っていないので至急お送りください。

ご住所:　＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

郵便番号：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

手順:

１．折り紙の紙は標準サイズ　15㎝x 15㎝。単色でも、模様つきでもOKです。

２．折り方の手順　 (クリックしてください)

又はビデオ(YouTube)

３．折れたら、開かないで運搬中につぶれないようにこの形で重ねてください。

４． 10羽ずつ輪ゴムなどでまとめて、袋、封筒などに入れていただきます。

５． 3月10日までに、EJCA会館のメールボックスに入れてください。袋の表に、お名前とメールアドレス、何羽入っているかを明記してください。メールボックスの口には30 cm x 35 cm x 10㎝の物が入ります。

みなさんからの暖かい応援、お返事をお待ちしております。

もちろんご家族、お友達もお誘いいただいてたくさんお届けください。

ご質問はいつでもこのメールへどうぞ。events@ejca.org

Update Jan 27: COVID-19: ACL/EJCA CENTRE CLOSED until further notice

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Hi EJCA members and friends, 　日本語は後半にあります。

Important: COVID-19: ACL/EJCA CENTRE CLOSED until further notice

Due to increased restrictions announced by the Alberta Government and Alberta Health, the EJCA Centre will remain closed until further notice.
This includes all clubs, the library as well as cancelling all office hours.

A re-opening date will be announced when we receive Alberta Health approval. We will post further updates here as we are able.

The facility manager will check the centre regularly.

Please receive an approval by emailing at facility@ejca.org when you need to come to the centre.

Thank you.

EJCA Board

2020年12月8日にアルバータ政府とアルバータ医療機構より発表された制限により、エドモント日本文化会館はこの制限が解除されるまで閉鎖いたします。すべてのクラブ活動と図書館が対象です。アルバータ医療機構より会館の使用許可があり次第、開館のお知らせをいたします。

閉館中は会館マネージャーが管理のため、定期的に会館の点検を行います。

来館の必要があるときは、facility@ejca.org へメールし許可を得てから、いらしてください。

役員会より

Welcome to EJCA’s new website! ようこそ、新しいウエブサイトへ

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 23:00:00 GMT

The new website is now live as of November 15, 2020. Enjoy!!

The new features of the website are:

access to latest information, newsletters, library information and facility calendar
a modern, secure and robust IT platform, with a mobile-friendly design
integrated events management and membership handling
self-serve capabilities - members can keep their contact information current, renew, pay, register for events and courses, review invoices and payments
styled using our own new EJCA design and branding

The new website is part of an integrated membership and association management suite hosted and provided by Wild Apricot, Inc.

One of the most important features is the membership management component. Your membership information has been transferred from the previous membership database.

Each membership (single or family) will have an account that is used when renewing your EJCA membership, registering for classes, workshops or events.

Members will receive an email within the next 2-4 weeks. It will instruct you how to set up a password for your account so that you can log in to the account and review your (single or family) profile, renew membership and so on.

EJCA still supports the traditional ‘paper based’, ‘at the door’ or ‘cash/cheque’ processes for membership renewal, events sign up and mailing-out of printed Moshi Moshi.

Please email to webadmin@ejca.org for any comments or questions.

Thanks,

The EJCA Website Redesign Project team.

エドモントン日本文化協会の新しいWebsiteへようこそ！

2020年11月15日からエドモントン日本文化協会のWebsiteには新しいWebsiteに切り替わりました！ぜひご覧になってください！

新しく次のような機能が加わりました。

新しい情報、会報、図書リスト、会館のレンタルカレンダーが見られる。
最新のWebsite技術を使い、安全性が高く効率的で、モーバイル機器に対応している。
イベント管理と会員管理の機能が連携している。
会員が会員登録や会費の支払い、イベントへの参加申し込みを自分で行える。
EJCAの新しいロゴを作り、Websiteのデザインを刷新した。

このWebsiteはWild Apricot社の会員管理アプリケーションを使っています。

特に新しいのはアプリの中に組み込まれている会員管理機能です。会員の情報は今まで使っていたDatabaseから移しました。会員（家族又は個人)はそれぞれ固有なアカウントを持ちます。このアカウントを使って、会員更新をしたりワークショップやクラスへの登録をしたりできます。

これから２－４週間の内に、どのようにアカウントのPassword を設定するかをお知らせするメールをお送りします。Passwordを設定するとそれぞれのアカウントから　自分のProfileを見たり、変更したりできます。

今までのように印刷した会員登録書を使い、電話やメールまたは申込書でワークショップへ登録したい方は、もちろん大丈夫です。いつも書類を用意いたします。

新しいWebsiteへの感想をお知らせください。またご質問もどうぞこちらへ webadmin@ejca.org

EJCA Website Redesign Project teamより