Cherry Tree Planting

 April 12, 2025

The US & Japan Society of CT has organized a tree planting at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. JSFC is co-sponsoring this event.

JSFC would like its members and friends to help in this project. If you can attend, please email us at info@japansocietyfc.org to let us know. 

Cherry Tree Picnic

 April 13, 2025

JSFC is cosponsoring a Cherry Blossom Picnic with ASCENDCTW at Mill River Park in Stamford, on Sunday, April 13 from 12 to 2:30pm. This event and the park are open to all. Details are HERE,

Japan Parade

 May 10, 2025

The New York Japan Parade will go down Central Park West. The purpose of the parade is to celebrate, express, and bring awareness to the friendship between NYC and Japan with a thank you from the Japanese community. The parade is supported by Consulate General of Japan in New York, who generously support JSFC's Fall Festival. JSFC will not be marching as a group this year, but if interested, contact us info@Japansocietyfc.org and we can direct you to groups you may join.

Arts & Crafts of Japanese Americans Incarcerated in WWII

May 22, 2025

This virtual talk will be given by the Essex Library Association only on Zoom.   It will be presented remotely by Nancy Beck, Secretary/Treasurer of the Japan Society of Fairfield County.   For details and to register, go to 

https://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=1314&EventID=555301&PK=

Nancy is a third-generation Japanese American (sansei). Her mother and many other relatives were incarcerated during World War II because of their Japanese ethnicity. Ms. Beck is a graduate of the University of Chicago.

Grant Masashi Ujifusa Remembrance

My good friend and mentor, Grant Masashi Ujifusa, passed away on October 21, 2024.  He was the Redress Strategy Chair of the Japanese American Citizen’s League and was honored with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays by the Government of Japan for reversing President Ronald Reagan’s opposition to House Resolution 442 and securing the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.  This titanic accomplishment was achieved against all odds due to his in-depth knowledge of American politics; indefatigable passion for justice; incomparable pride for his Japanese American identity; and implicit self-confidence.  Ujifusa is written with two kanji (守家) that mean “protector of the house,” and that is what he did for all Japanese Americans. In January 2024, the Japan Society of Greater Fairfield County had the honor of presenting Grant to discuss this profound work alongside Professor Kermit Roosevelt III at the Jay Heritage Center.  It was his last public appearance.

He was the Founding Editor of the Almanac of American Politics and a voracious reader well paired with a strategic intellect. He was cautious and methodical while he was brave and daring. He trusted his knowledge and himself implicitly.  He remembered every detail of the Redress efforts with a photographic-like memory. He was my role model professionally and personally.  He had the type of self-confidence that can only be embodied by someone who felt deeply loved by his parents and grandparents. Family was the motivation for his every act.   An anecdote about his grandpa, Shuichi, his grandma, Yae, or his parents, Mary and Tom, accompanied every conversation. He was proud to be a Crimson, but prouder that his sons Steven and Andrew had continued his legacy at Harvard, where he hoped his grandsons Issac and Max would follow too.

He and his wife Amy adopted their son John, whom they lovingly raised. He always praised Amy for her good heart, her professionalism and for making a wonderful home for the family where he could read and enjoy music.  Mozart was his favorite.  He read Cervantes’ Don Quijote de la Mancha during the pandemic and said to have enjoyed it very much.  He identified with the pursuit of noble ideas.

He was as generous with his wisdom as he was with his time. Friendship and loyalty were very important to him. He was a loyal friend and could not thank me enough for introducing him to Ambassador Nick Platt, who would become one of his closest friends. We Japanese Americans stand on the shoulders of giants like Grant and Nick, and we do not take this for granted.  Our shared success is through the work of such leaders.  Grant Ujifusa was an exemplar for our community.  It is our privilege and responsibility to carry the torch just a bit farther in their honor for the next generation.

Oh, and he so loved football! Being the quarter back of his high school team in Worland, Wyoming was always one of his favorite topics. His ashes will be buried in the family plot in his beloved Worland.

I will miss my friend, his counsel, our conversations, and witty sense of humor forever.

Yoshie Ito

On behalf of The Japan Society of Greater Fairfield County

 Festival of Tabletop Trees

December 4 - 7, 2024

JSFC and the ObiObi Japanese craft and volunteer group sponsored a decorated tree to benefit the Greenwich Historical Society / Festival of Tabletop Trees. Volunteers of the ObiObi group will make dozens of handmade ornaments. Each one was upcycled from beautiful kimono obis for a fabulous Japanese themed holiday tree. Thank you to all the volunteers.  Trees were on display at the Historical Society . See more HERE.