Sakura Foundation
PRESERVING OUR JAPANESE and JAPANESE AMERICAN HERITAGE
The mission of Sakura Foundation is to celebrate and share Japanese and Japanese American culture and heritage in order to promote a more compassionate, resilient, & equitable society.
We live our mission through our programming:
- Mirai Generations Leadership Program for young adults
- Chibi no Gakkō for K-8 grade students, with mentorship opportunities for High Schoolers
- Annual Cherry Blossom Festival
- Community Grants
- Scholarships for graduating high school seniors
- Cultural events throughout the year
We honor and embrace our heritage, share it with others to create a larger community, and reawaken it for future generations.
We establish connections with people and organizations from all walks of life, which allows us to be inclusive and build bridges of respect and understanding.
We have an unwavering commitment to supporting Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple (TSDBT).
Our historical connection with TSDBT goes back to the 1970s when community members of TSDBT created Sakura Square, which is located in downtown Denver. It was an ambitious project that built Tamai Tower (a 20-story apartment complex), the retail space that is home to Pacific Mercantile, and other commercial spaces. At that time, Sakura Foundation’s name was Tri-State Buddhist Church Apartments Inc. (TSBCAI) and its mission was to operate and maintain Sakura Square. Organizational changes took place in 2014 which created Sakura Square LLC as the owner and operator of the property. TSBCAI was renamed “Sakura Foundation” and adopted the charitable mission “to sustain TSDBT and celebrate Japanese and Japanese American heritage, culture, and community.”
Sakura Foundation is a Supporting Organization to The Denver Foundation and is the sole owner of Sakura Square LLC.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Sakura Foundation honors and acknowledges that the land on which we operate is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the State of Colorado. Consistent with our values of community and inclusion, we have a responsibility to acknowledge, honor, and make visible the Foundation’s relationship to Native land and people.
TEAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sakura Foundation Advisory Council
Bob Fujimoto
Steve Nitta
Richard Yoshida
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Sakura Foundation collaborates and supports a variety of Japanese/Japanese American and Asian organizations in the region:
| Organization | Website |
|---|---|
| Asian Avenue Magazine | https://www.asianavemag.com/ |
| Asian Chamber of Commerce (ACC) | https://www.acccolorado.org/ |
| Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC) | https://www.apdc.org/ |
| Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network (CACEN) | https://www.cacendenver.org/ |
| Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU) | https://coloradoasianpacificunited.org/ |
| Community Organizing for Radical Empathy (CORE) | https://coredei.com/ |
| Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission (DAAPIC) | https://tinyurl.com/457c986j |
| Denver-Takayama Sister Cities | https://www.denvertakayama.org |
| Japan America Society of Colorado | https://www.jascolorado.org |
| Japanese American Community Graduation Program (JACGP) | https://www.jacgp.com |
| Japanese American Resource Center of Colorado (JARCC) | https://www.jarcc-denver.org |
| Japanese Business Association of the Rockies (JBAR) | https://www.jbarockies.org/ |
| Mile High Chapter Japanese American Citizens League | https://www.milehighjacl.org |
| Nikkeijin Kai of Colorado | https://nikkeijinkai.co/ |
| Nisei Veterans Heritage Foundation | https://www.nvcfoundation.org/ |
| Simpson United Methodist Church | https://www.simpsonumc.com |
| Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple | http://tsdbt.org/ |
