The year 2025 started with enormous challenges for all of us. The devastating wildfires that broke out in early January inflicted huge losses on many of the residents and affected our lives in Southern California in many ways.
At Japan House Los Angeles, we had to cancel an important film event scheduled on Jan. 8. Many other programs in the first part of the year had to be called off. The year, however, also reminded us of the importance of people helping each other.
We donated all the proceeds from an event at Japan House LA to regional fire stations and fire fighters through Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Japanese Restaurant Association of America hosted a charity event at Japan House LA and donated all the proceeds to help support the victims of the wildfires.
Yoshiki, a renowned Japanese music artist who is our advisor, also donated a generous amount to a few organizations in need of help. Such efforts have been continuing ’til today.
The year 2025 also marked a happy milestone for Japan House LA. The number of our visitors reached 1 million in the summer.
When we opened our doors to the public almost eight years ago, it was not easy to take root in a place like Hollywood, which is not usually associated with Japanese culture. I am gratified that we have come a long way since then, with the support and encouragement of the Japanese and Japanese American communities and with the dedicated efforts of our staff.
Our current exhibition, “Looks Delicious,” which showcases Japanese food samples, will come to an end in January 2025.It has been consistently popular, and we have as many as 1,000 visitors per day, particularly on weekends.
In 2026, we will be starting a new exhibition on Pictogram in February, followed by other exhibitions and many events and programs.
As a proud member of the Japanese and Japanese American communities, we will continue our efforts to make our programs even better and communicate the best of Japan to people in the U.S. and in the world.
I wish all of you a happy and healthy year of 2026!
Yuko Kaifu
President
Japan House Los Angeles