[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 125 (Thursday, September 16, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1662-E1663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE CELEBRATION OF SAN JOSE JAPANTOWN'S 120TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 16, 2010

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
the 120th Anniversary of San Jose's Japantown, located at the heart of 
my Congressional district and only a few short blocks from my district 
office.
  At one time, there were 43 different Japantowns in California. Today, 
only 3 distinct and recognizable ones remain. San Jose's Japantown has 
escaped the fate of most of California's Japantowns and continues to 
thrive. It has grown beyond a strictly Japanese-American enclave into a 
community that has embraced Hawaiian, Cuban, Mexican and numerous other 
groups. Our Japantown is thriving due in large part to its openness to 
other cultures and the welcoming nature of Silicon Valley, San Jose in 
particular.
  San Jose's Japantown was originally formed around the existing 
``Heinlenville'' Chinatown settlement. During the Second World War the 
Japanese-American population was forcibly removed from Japantown and 
interned in camps. After the war many Japanese Americans resettled in 
the area after returning from internment camps in World War II.

[[Page E1663]]

  The expansion and growth of Silicon Valley spread the Japanese-
American community far and wide, but the culture and vitality of this 
community remains. The California State Legislature has paid special 
attention to the area, officially designating it a historical 
Japantown.
  Japantown is the site of the newly rebuilt Japanese American Museum 
of San Jose, the famous San Jose Taiko ensemble, the world renowned 
Shuei-do Manju Shop, confectioners, the Nichi Bei Bussan Japanese goods 
store, handmade tofu at San Jose Tofu and a variety of restaurants, 
professional services, and community organizations, such as the Yu-Ai 
Kai Senior Center and the Japanese American Citizens League, and 
smaller retail shops. Japantown is also home to a number of non-
Japanese businesses, including Mexican, Hawaiian, Cuban and Korean 
restaurants.
  Among the numerous houses of worship in Japantown, two churches 
founded by Japanese Americans well over a century ago continue to 
thrive in the community, Wesley United Methodist Church and San Jose 
Buddhist Church Betsuin.
  San Jose Japantown's most unique and charming feature is the harmony 
between generations-old businesses and new ventures. A spirit of 
cooperation pervades the neighborhood, and merchants who might compete 
in business share a sense of friendship that leads them to strive for 
the betterment of the community.
  A critical part of the Japantown community is the Japantown Community 
Congress of San Jose which partners with the City of San Jose to look 
after cultural preseveration in the area. Each year brings many 
festivals, major ones include Obon, every July, Nikkei Matsuri, every 
spring, Aki Matsuri, every fall, and a newer festival: The Spirit of 
Japantown Festival (also in the fall). Japantown also features many 
street venues such as a year-round Certified Farmers Market run by the 
Japantown Business Association and events open to the public at the Art 
Object Gallery.
  It is my honor to congratulate the Japantown community on its 120th 
anniversary. I am sure the partnerships and collaborations within and 
around Japantown will lead to many more years of prosperity and 
success.

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