At one time, the Japanese American community, our homes, businesses and institutions, were concentrated in Japantown communities across the West Coast of the United States. Today, our community is scattered throughout Northern California, Southern California, Washington, Hawaii and beyond.

Recognizing a need to keep our community connected, in 1997 the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) with the support from AT&T published the Northern California Japanese American Community Directory. The JA Yellowpages is an updated online version which now reaches beyond Northern California to bring together the many Japanese American organizational resources dispersed throughout the country.

We are five generations of Japanese Americans facing new and different challenges. We are immigrants, students and Japanese business people. We are concerned with issues affecting our aging Nisei. We are concerned with preserving our history and transferring our cultural heritage to future generations. We continue to address racial discrimination, encourage political participation and are learning to respond to the needs of bi-racial families and children. We are diverse, yet united by a common concern or interest. We are many organizations throughout the country striving to meet the ever-changing needs of the Japanese American community.

Our hope is that the JA Yellow Pages will help people better understand the vastness of our community organizations throughout the United States. Communicating who we are, what we do and why we do it is an important part of helping to preserve and promote our Japanese American community. 

The JCCCNC wishes to thank the many organizations who cooperated in the production of this directory and expresses its special appreciation to AT&T for their generous support to produce and distribute the 1997 Japanese American Community Directory of Northern California and for their continued support of the National Japanese American Directory.