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After two years of a pandemic-induced delay, plans are being made for the 49th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival, to be held June 25 and 26, 2022!  The location remains the same:  Sakura Square in the heart of downtown Denver!  We will be taking COVID-19 precautions, so you will see some changes in order to keep [...]

As many of you are aware, Sakura Square LLC, Sakura Foundation, and Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple representatives are actively working on the redevelopment planning. You may notice signs posted around the property regarding our application for a Certificate of Demolition Eligibility (CDE) for Sakura Square. If granted by the City of Denver, the CDE would provide us [...]

The Mirai Generations Leadership Program is excited to announce that applications are open for the Class of 2022!  This valuable program begins its fifth session filled with opportunities to meet and get to know our MGLP alumni, hear about JA history in Colorado, learn about the Denver area JA community, self-reflect, absorb new leadership skills, [...]

Sachi Ishida Originally from the Chicago-land area, Sachi found her way to Colorado to pursue a degree in political science at Colorado College. Her passion for mission-based work and deep impact lead her to a career in the nonprofit sector. She worked as a grants intern at the El Pomar Foundation before joining the Philanthropic [...]

The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) was founded by Japanese Americans in 2008 as a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ”develop and connect diverse leaders to create a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship.”  We extend our congratulations to Brent Sabati, Mirai Generations Leadership Program alumnus, who has been selected by USJC as a member of their 2021 Emerging [...]

Sakura Foundation and Sakura Square LLC are excited to announce that the Heritage Partnerships Program (HPP) of the National Park Service has chosen Sakura Square as a location to archive.  The HPP “works closely with communities throughout our eight-state region to collaborate and share the stories of significant places that reflect our diverse heritage.  One [...]

I am a Colorado Native who has lived in Denver almost all my life. I spent five years living in Los Angeles and experienced some of the Temples in that region and have spent a few weeks in Japan. I enjoyed exploring the Temples in these communities after having discovered a tradition of ringing the [...]

Gary Yamashita (L) and Judge Johnny Gogo (R) Photo by Daisuke Igarashi After the successful flag signing event earlier in Denver, Judge Johnny Gogo returned in early November to visit Amache located a mile and a half west of Granada, Colorado.  Accompanying him on the trip were Gary Yamashita, Executive Director of Sakura Foundation and [...]

On a balmy Sunday in October, three 48-star flags were laid on tables under a large tent at Simpson United Methodist Church.  Over the course of three hours, 45 Colorado residents who were unjustly interned in concentration camps during WWII signed the flags, the ink soaking into the fabric just as their years of internment [...]