DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN TEXAS AND JAPAN-FRIENDSHIP THROUGH UNDERSTANDING

History and Mission

Founded in 1983, the Dallas Japanese Association is a non-profit organization. The association seeks to fulfill two purposes; cultural enhancement and understanding. The association’s members, about 500 families in the Metroplex, participate in several endeavors aimed at enhancing Japanese educational and cultural pursuits, enriching their lives. The association is equally committed to developing friendship and mutual understanding in the Metroplex area on personal and institutional levels.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

The association offers Honorary, Regular and Associate Memberships. Members include the leading Japanese representatives of business and commerce in the Metroplex. Honorary members include the Consul General of Japan in Houston, the Honorary Consul in Dallas and the Principal of the Japanese Language School.

Any Japanese corporation or organization with a branch, liaison or representative office in the Dallas area may qualify as a REGULAR MEMBER of the association. In addition, any U.S. corporation or other organization maintaining a Dallas office and affiliated with, or involved in a joint venture with a Japanese corporation, may apply for Regular Membership. Membership is not limited to those corporations that are doing business exclusively with Japanese companies. The third category of membership - INDIVIDUAL MEMBER and ASSOCIATE MEMBER - allows any Dallas-area corporation or businessman, interested in furthering good will and cooperation between the U.S. and Japan, to apply for membership. Please call or e-mail for an application

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

In addition to expanding Americans’ understanding of Japanese culture, the Association is a cultural center for Japanese families living in the area. The Dallas Japanese Association operates Japanese as a Second Language and Japanese Language Advancement School by Educational Division that holds classes every Saturday.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

The Program Division plays a vital role in reaching out to the community by organizing various events such as The Fall Festival, a New Year's Party, etc. These events are dedicates to introduces Japanese culture and providing the opportunity to meet other people. The Public Relations Division issues Newsletter in Japanese every month for members for communication tool. This division also organize the program and DJA sponsors “Educator to Japan” to send a Metroplex school teachers to Japan for a two weeks immersion in Japanese culture. The understanding reached by these teachers is passed to hundreds of area school children. Teachers have been selected from the Richardson, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Irving, Coppell and Plano Independent School Districts.

BUILDING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

The Commerce Division organizes activities for Japanese businesspeople in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to meet to exchange information, among themselves, and with community and business leaders.

Through these contacts, channels of communication are opened between business interests in Texas and Japan, offering vital insights on that growing and important business relationship.

Seminars, featuring prominent business leaders from both the Texas business community and Japanese government and business interests, are held on a bimonthly basis. These candid, insightful seminars focus on key issues facing both U.S. and Japanese businessmen.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

The Ladies Division is instrumental in raising funds for community projects by holding an annual bazaar. Funds raised are donated to such as local schools, the United Way, Metroplex schools, Women’s shelters, etc. This division also organizes cultural activities to introduce Japanese Culture to community.

The Youth Division is very active and provides opportunities for the children of members to participate in sports activities, softball competitions and musical events. Also, this division organizes The Japanese Speech Contest for High School Students in Metroplex who study Japanese as a Second Language from 1997 and almost 100 local Students have been participated.