Programs

Salt Lake JACL's 2026 Traditional Japanese Arts & Culture Workshops will highlight Japanese artists who reside within the state of Utah and encourage the next generation of Japanese Americans and artists to learn traditional Japanese arts and culture. The activities will be scheduled from January to December 2026. We plan to schedule one workshop a month.

Featured artists include Kaori Fairbourn who specializes in sumi-e ink painting, Ken Yamane who is a bonsai master, and Cindy Yamada-Thomas who teaches the art of kintsugi. We have also invited cultural experts, such as Izumi Okahashi, to pass on the traditional cultural knowledge of miso-making, kimono dressing, and tea ceremonies. 

Attendees will be offered hands-on experience and cultural knowledge. Workshops will be limited to 25 people to ensure attendees receive individualized attention. All supplies will be provided free of charge!

The goals of the Traditional Japanese Arts & Culture Workshops are to: 1) spotlight Japanese & JA artists who reside within Salt Lake, 2) preserve the traditional Japanese arts and cultural knowledge, and 3) share the beauty and history of Japanese and JA culture.

These workshops are free to all Salt Lake JACL members! 

Not a member? You can join here! 

Or there is a suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for students/youth under 25 years of age

The Salt Lake JACL Youth Committee helps to engage young people and get them excited about Japanese culture, civil rights, and JACL. They host events throughout the year and help keep our chapter thriving! If you want to join, please reach out via the contact form and write Youth Committee under "Comments".

The JACL has been helping students achieve their educational dreams with the National Scholarship and Awards Program since 1946.  The program currently offers over 30 awards, with an annual total of over $70,000 in scholarships to qualified students nationwide.

The National Scholarship and Awards Program offers scholarships to students who are entering freshman, undergraduate, graduate, law, in the creative & performing arts, and those with financial need.  All scholarships are one-time awards.

As of the 2021 scholarship cycle, the National JACL Scholarship Program will now be totally online!  This means all of the applications can be done on your computer/tablet through the online application form and submitted online.  NO MAILING REQUIRED!  As such there will be some new guidelines and changes which you can find listed below in the 2023 Scholarship Guidelines document and on the applications themselves. Also note, the applications will NOT save if you close or reload your window, so please fill them out in one sitting!

The Salt Lake JACL also has our own local scholarships, the Mits Kasai Memorial Scholarship and the Alice Kasai Scholarship.

Alice Kasai Scholarship

In 2004, the Salt Lake Chapter of the JACL renamed its annual scholarship in honor of Alice Kasai. Alice served as the first woman president of the Salt Lake Chapter JACL after her husband Henry was placed in an internment camp for Japanese community leaders during World War II; Henry remained incarcerated for two and a half years. Alice continued to serve the chapter and her community up until her passing in 2007. Alice’s legacy as a pioneering woman in Utah will never be forgotten. She devoted her life to empowering, mentoring, and advocating for the rights of Japanese Americans and other disfranchised groups. Despite experiencing first-hand the injustices of racial bigotry, she remained patriotic, optimistic, and relentless in her lifelong activism on behalf of Japanese Americans as well as minority and women’s rights on a broader scale. Alice's obituary noted: “The intention that drove all her endeavors was her strong belief in the oneness of all humankind.” Selection of the annual Alice Kasai Scholarship recipient emphasizes a focus on community service, local leadership, and advocacy.

Mitsugi “Mits” Murakami Kasai (Ret.) Memorial Scholarship

This award was established by the estate of Mitsugi Murakami Kasai who was a dedicated and loyal soldier.  An Army veteran, Mits graduated from the MIS language school and later underwent counter intelligence training.  He served as a Special Agent in Japan, Okinawa, Vietnam, Korea and the U.S.   As his parents aged, Mr. Kasai retired to tenderly care for them until their passing.  He was a passionate crusader for the military, veterans and the Nikkei community.  A man who rarely minced words, he was active with the MIS, JAVA, Go For Broke, JACL, JANM, NJAHS, and the Salt Lake Japanese Church of Christ. Mits was dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans’ place in history by collecting and exhibiting materials related to their role in World War II and their settlement thereafter. The scholarship is intended for someone who works to carry on the legacy that Mits Kasai always worked for. 

If you apply to the Freshman National JACL scholarship using their online portal, we will automatically review your application for the Alice Kasai Scholarship and the Mitsugi "Mits" Murakami Kasai Memorial Scholarship. No need to submit a separate application. You must simply be an active member of Salt Lake JACL and apply through the JACL National website.

To learn more and apply please click this link: https://jacl.org/scholarships

The Japanese American (JA) community has a long history in Utah, from the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans in Topaz to the Japanese miners and farmers who helped build Utah. But these stories are often marginalized and the diversity within the JA community continues to be overlooked. This project aims to ensure JA cultural and historical preservation here in Utah and advocate for civil rights of all JA individuals. As such, the target groups are designed to highlight the often-invisible voices within the JA community (e.g. bi- and multi-racial JAs; queer and trans JAs) and to preserve the history of Japanese Americans here in Utah. 

Preservation is especially crucial for our JA elders who survived incarceration or who lived in Utah during WWII who are all now in their 80s and older. Every year, we lose more of those personal accounts and soon there won’t be anyone alive to tell the stories. So, we must capture these stories while there are still people around to give first hand accounts. The project is also timely since the local Japanese American community is currently fighting to preserve Salt Lake City’s Historic Japantown.

The other two target groups, LGBTQ+ JA and biracial JA, will help to showcase our rich cultural tapestry and to emphasize that the JA community is not a monolith. These oral histories will help individuate people who have so often been homogenized socially (e.g. “all Asians look alike”) and politically.  Within many JA communities, there is still a lack of awareness when it comes to biracial, LGBTQ+, and intergenerational issues. To rectify this, the project centers individuals who have been historically marginalized within JA organizations and spaces. This project aims to increase empathy, understanding, and collaboration across and within communities. 

About Kakehashi

Each year, several participants are selected to attend the JACL Kakehashi Program, coordinated by the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), and supported by funding from the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Selected participants will attend an 8-day trip to Japan where they will visit many historical and educational sites, experience traditional and cultural activities, and participate in lectures and workshops. Each trip will visit Tokyo and one or two other cities.

Objectives of the Program

(1) To promote mutual trust and understanding among the people of Japan and the USA to build a basis for future friendship and cooperation.

(2) To promote a global understanding of Japan’s economy, society, history, diverse culture, politics, and foreign policy.

(3) To convey information on the learnings of the program and the charms of Japan to the general public through participants’ social media and others.

The JACL Kakehashi Program is an international leadership program for:

• Students currently enrolled in an accredited college or university, or young professionals who meet the age requirements.

• Between the ages of 18 and 27 years old

• Japanese American by heritage or adoption. 

By providing participants with a better understanding of Japan through a variety of fields, including politics, economics, and culture, the Kakehashi Project builds relationships between Japan and Japanese Americans. Kakehashi Project alumni are encouraged to become effective advocates in enhancing U.S.-Japan relations

To apply or learn more go to: https://jacl.org/kakehashi?rq=kakehashi

Established by JACL in 1984, the four-day annual leadership summit program introduces community leaders from across the nation to the national policy-making arena. Co-convened with OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates since 1994, the JACL/OCA Washington, D.C. Leadership Conference is structured to provide a broad overview of the decision-making process at the federal level, including meetings and briefings by public officials, key policymakers who serve in Congress, the White House, federal agencies, advocacy organizations, and the media. Participants also will be briefed on legislative issues affecting AAPI communities and will examine the role Asian Pacific American civil rights organizations, such as JACL and OCA, play in affecting public policy and pursuing civil rights legislation in the nation’s capital! 

To apply or learn more, go to: https://jacl.org/jacl-oca-leadership-summit