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Sakura Gala 2023
The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre will hold its 11th Sakura Gala to be held on the evening of Saturday May 13, 2023.

It is the Sakura Gala’s commitment to raise funds to support the JCCC in the pursuit of its vision: “to enrich lives globally through the celebration of Japanese culture and Japanese Canadian heritage” and its mission, “to promote understanding, inclusion, and friendship by sharing the Japanese Canadian experience and traditional and contemporary Japanese culture”.

The Sakura Gala is the JCCC’s major fundraising dinner. It is very high profile event for the community attended by government, business and community leaders including the Ambassador of Japan to Canada, executives from both Japanese and Canadian companies and many other friends of the community. At the gala we recognize those individuals that have made exemplary contributions to the promotion of Japanese culture and understanding of 146 years of Japanese Canadian settlement history in Canada. Past recipients include former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Dr. David Suzuki, George Takei, Seiji Ozawa, Princess Takamado, Haruki Murakami, and others.

This year we are celebrating Nikkei Sports Legends with the honourees from 3 generations of Japanese Canadians. Bill Hatanaka for his CFL career and Grey Cup record with the Ottawa Roughriders, Vicky Sunohara, a three time Olympic medalist and multiple World Hockey Championships and Nick Suzuki, the current captain of the Montreal Canadiens. Our keynote speaker is Toronto Raptors’ general manager Bobby Webster, himself a Japanese Hawai’ian.