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The Scoop
Nihonmachi Little Friends is pleased to present The Scoop, our annual publication that documents the achievements and milestones of the year. Each issue highlights program developments in both the Preschool and After School programs, showcases the progress of key initiatives of the Capital Campaign Committee, and reflects on the collective efforts of our community to support the growth and development of our children.
Publications
Making AdjustmentsMeditations on Learning with Childrenby Misa Okayama, Edited by Ann Pelo and Margie Carter
Making Adjustments is a thoughtful and welcoming invitation to be present with children and with ourselves. Through her attentive and playful eye, Sensei Misa Okayama, helps us see what is possible in our work—in our moments—with young children as early childcare educators. Opportunities to reflect and meditate throughout the book will help you embody these practices and weave them again and again into your pedagogy.
Press Releases & Articles
Little Friends, Big Accomplishments: S.F. Japantown preschool at 50
by the Nichi Bei News
For 50 years, Nihonmachi Little Friends has served as a cultural hub for parents seeking a culturally sensitive preschool in San Francisco’s Japantown. Hitting the half-century mark, the organization is preparing for a big celebration to remember how this organization came to be. “We really wouldn’t be the place that we are without the people that have been here, nurturing the children, nurturing the organization, and thinking about the future for us together. So we are going to celebrate our amazing sensei and staff,” Dawn Mokuau, executive director of the preschool, said. Read More
For 50 years, Nihonmachi Little Friends has served as a cultural hub for parents seeking a culturally sensitive preschool in San Francisco’s Japantown. Hitting the half-century mark, the organization is preparing for a big celebration to remember how this organization came to be. “We really wouldn’t be the place that we are without the people that have been here, nurturing the children, nurturing the organization, and thinking about the future for us together. So we are going to celebrate our amazing sensei and staff,” Dawn Mokuau, executive director of the preschool, said. Read More
Reclaiming a Space to Reclaim a Place: The Story of San Francisco’s Japanese Y.W.C.A.
by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Established in 1912 by Japanese American women, San Francisco’s Japanese YWCA quickly emerged as a communal and cultural center for the immigrant community. Its home at 1830 Sutter St.—the Issei Women’s Building, where Issei refers to first-generation Japanese immigrants–was completed in 1932 and was designed by the trailblazing female architect Julia Morgan. Founded by, funded by, operated by, and built by women, the Issei Women’s Building underscores how historic spaces bring to bear women’s central places in a dynamic and diverse American story. Read More
"Living" Legacy of Japanese American Culture
by Dr. Gary Kono
Established in 1975, Nihonmachi Little Friends (NLF) is a bilingual, multicultural childcare organization located in San Francisco’s Japantown. In 2002, NLF launched the Issei Women’s Legacy Project – a $2.2 million Capital Campaign to fund the purchase and renovation of the historic 1830 Sutter Street building. Completed in 1932, it was originally built as the Japanese Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). Support "Living" Legacy of Japanese American Culture written by Dr. Gary Kono.
Teaching Behind the Mask at Nihonmachi Little Friends school
by Misa Okayama
A thank-you from the future to the women who built the Issei Women’s Building. What does it mean for us to be teaching and learning with young children in this historic building that you built in 1932? Working in this community over the years, I have been thinking more and more about what is in our blood and our identity. Aren’t our roots filled with the spirit of taking a stand for social justice? Read More
A thank-you from the future to the women who built the Issei Women’s Building. What does it mean for us to be teaching and learning with young children in this historic building that you built in 1932? Working in this community over the years, I have been thinking more and more about what is in our blood and our identity. Aren’t our roots filled with the spirit of taking a stand for social justice? Read More
Nihonmachi Little Friends Receives Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant
Nihonmachi Little Friends (NLF) has received a $99,790 grant from the Department of Interior, National Park Service (NPS) through the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) grant program. The funds will support a website project featuring the little-known story of the Issei (first generation) women of San Francisco and the Japanese YWCA building they erected at 1830 Sutter Street.