Japan Society (Manhattan) facts for kids
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| Founded | May 19, 1907 |
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| Type | Educational/Non-Profit |
| Focus | Education |
| Location |
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Area served
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New York City, NY |
| Method | Film screenings, Lectures, Symposia, Cultural lectures, Workshops, Art Exhibitions |
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Key people
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Joshua Walker, President and CEO Ruri Kawashima, Tokyo Representative |
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Revenue
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$13,786,026 (2023) |
| Endowment | $67,157,963 (2023) |
| Website | https://www.japansociety.org |
The Japan Society is a special group that started in 1907. Its main goal is to help the United States and Japan be good friends and understand each other better. It's a non-profit organization, which means it uses its money to support its mission, not to make a profit.
The society's main building is in New York City, near the Headquarters of the United Nations. It was designed by a famous architect named Junzō Yoshimura and opened in 1971. The Japan Society focuses on many things, like arts, culture, business, language, and education. It often holds fun events in its building, which has a library, an art gallery, and a theater. After a break during World War II, the society grew a lot, thanks to the leadership of John D. Rockefeller III.
Contents
A Look at History
How It All Began
In 1907, two important Japanese leaders, Tamemoto Kuroki and Goro Ijuin, visited New York City. They were there for a big event called the Jamestown Exposition. At a dinner, people started talking about creating a group to help the US and Japan get along. Just two days later, the Japan Society was officially formed!
Shuzo Aoki, who was Japan's ambassador to the US, became an honorary leader. John Huston Finley also helped lead the new group. For the next 40 years, the Japan Society hosted many events. They honored Japanese royalty, gave talks on interesting topics, and showed art exhibits that thousands of New Yorkers loved. In 1911, Lindsay Russell, another founder, even met with Emperor Meiji in Japan. He encouraged more groups like the Japan Society to start in both countries.
The Japan Society soon became an official organization under New York law. It moved to different offices over the years before its current building opened in 1971. Around this time, the society became very interested in helping Americans learn more about Japan. They started sponsoring trips to Japan, publishing books, and even sent a report to the US Department of Education about how Japan was shown in school textbooks.
Early Activities and Challenges
In 1915, a founding member named Dr. Takamine Jōkichi hosted a special dinner in New York City. It was to welcome Baron Eiichi Shibusawa from Japan. Famous guests like Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft attended. Many Japan Society members were there too. They talked about how the US and Japan could work together as friends, especially with World War I happening.
The Japan Society stayed active during World War I. However, it became more involved in politics for a while. It supported a group that spoke out against unfair ideas about Asian people. Some members used the society's publications to defend Japan's actions during the war. It was even discovered that one writer secretly worked for the Japanese government to improve Japan's image in the US. By 1924, the society realized it was better to stay out of politics and stopped publishing political comments.
On February 27, 1934, the Japan Society held another important dinner. This time, it honored Prince Iyesato Tokugawa. About 250 guests gathered at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Henry Waters Taft, who was the president of the Japan Society at the time, led the event. He was the brother of former President William Howard Taft.
By the 1930s, fewer people were joining the society. This was due to money problems and a conflict between Japan and China. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Henry Waters Taft immediately resigned as president. Lindsay Russell also stepped down. All of the Japan Society's activities stopped. They didn't start again until 1951, after a peace treaty was signed.
Starting Fresh and a New Home
John D. Rockefeller III became president of the Japan Society in 1952. He later became chairman until he passed away in 1978. He had visited Japan before the war and believed that groups like the Japan Society were very important for friendly relations between countries. He even went with John Foster Dulles on a trip to Japan that led to the 1951 peace treaty.
Under Rockefeller's leadership, the Japan Society grew a lot. People started talking about finding a permanent home for it. The society shared offices with another group, but both grew so much that the Japan Society needed its own building. With donations from Rockefeller and others, construction began in 1967. The new building, called "Japan House," was designed by Junzō Yoshimura. It was the first modern Japanese-style building in New York.
On September 13, 1971, the building officially opened to the public. Prince Hitachi from Japan attended the ceremony. He spoke about the need for "closer people-to-people" contact between the US and Japan, just like Lindsay Russell had said many years before. In 1970, Isaac Shapiro, a lawyer born in Japan, took over as president.
In the late 1990s, the Japan Society sold some unused building rights to Donald Trump. He used these rights to help build the Trump World Tower nearby.
In March 2021, the Japan Society celebrated two important anniversaries. It marked 50 years since its current headquarters was completed. It also remembered 10 years since the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. They held an exhibition of traditional Japanese carpentry to honor these events.
More to Explore
- Japanese in New York City
- Nippon Club (Manhattan)
