Welcome to JACL Dayton

The Japanese American Citizens League is a national organization whose mission is to safeguard the civil and human rights of Japanese Americans and all who are affected by injustice and bigotry.

The JACL also works to promote and preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American Community.

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SINCLAIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

2026 JAPAN STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM

Sinclair students wearing summer yukatas in Yamaguchi

Field trip in Yamaguchi Prefecture

Sinclair students collaborating with their Japanese counterparts on the final project

Learning Bon Odori

Ten Sinclair College students attended a study abroad trip to Yamaguchi, Japan for 13 days in May 2026, aided by a generous scholarship from Dayton JACL.

Students experienced authentic Japanese food, culture, and nature through various activities. They stayed in a traditional ryokan inn, wore yukata (summer-weight kimono), learned Bon dancing, hiked on the Hagi Okan trail, experienced a traditional tea ceremony, practiced Japanese language, and visited many temples and shrines.

Students also went on many field trips around western Japan. Excursions this year included a visit to a school, where elementary students taught the group traditional Japanese games, and junior high students presented on local culture, history, and cuisine; a tour of a Mazda car factory; a walk through the Akiyoshido cave system; historical samurai homes in Hagi city; the Hiroshima peace museum; and Miyajima island.

In addition, groups of American and Japanese college students worked together prior to and during the trip to research a cross-cultural topic of their choosing, culminating in a group presentation. Topics included social isolation and changing lifestyles in Japan and the U.S., regulation of drones in both countries, Native American pottery compared to Raku-ware and Imari porcelain, and a comparison of how culture influences horror films in each country.

Tour of an automobile factory

Sinclair students experience a Japanese Tea Ceremony

SAVE THE DATE!

2026 DAYTON JACL COMMUNITY PICNIC

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 - 2:00-5:00 PM

HELKE PARK, VANDALIA

PHOTOS FROM 2025

OAKWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER:

INTRODUCTION TO IKEBANA

JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGING CLASSES

Ages 11 and up
Session 2: Mondays - August 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2026
Time: 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.
Location: Oakwood Community Center - Large Classroom
Fees: $95 (Oakwood CC Member)*, $142 (Non-Resident & Non-Member)
*Discounts applied at checkout.

Registration deadline is July 29

REGISTER HERE

Ikebana is one of Japan’s traditional cultural arts, in which flowers, grasses, and branches are arranged in a container to express the beauty of the four seasons. Also known as Kado, - literally “the way of flowers,” Ikebana is far more than floral decoration. It is a lifelong discipline through which one refines both technique and sensibility.

Instructor: JACL member Mayumi Hall is a third term master of the Ohara School of Ikebana, the current president of Miami Valley Chapter of Ohara School of Ikebana, and a member of Ikebana International of Dayton. She travels to Japan at least three times a year to advance her flower mastery by visiting headmaster’s classes. Originally from Japan, she has been a resident of Oakwood for 30 years.

Items to bring to the class: Garden sheers/strong scissors, a hand towel/rag and newspapers/small bucket to take flower home.

“FIFTY YEARS OF UNITY AND DIVERSITY”

A WORLD A’FAIR

2026

Thank you to all of our

WONDERFUL volunteers!

2026 marks the 50th “A World A’Fair.” JACL has participated in all fifty festivals. Thank you for being a part of this celebration!

DAYTON JACL REPRESENTED AT OHIO STATEHOUSE RALLY ON SEPTEMBER 27:

RALLY AGAINST DISCRIMINATORY PROPERTY BILLS HB1 AND SB88

Photos by Toledo Free Press photographer Allyson Ritchey

Over 200 Ohioans gathered at the Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, to oppose House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88 on September 27.

Dayton JACL Chapter President Don Hayashi was a speaker. He told of the Japanese American experience of World War II and how his own grandfather was one of many prohibited from owning land by the Alien Land Laws of California. The proposed Ohio bills, revive the same type of property ownership restrictions imposed on individuals and businesses based on national origin, making it nearly impossible for many immigrants and immigrant-owned businesses to own property in Ohio, threatening livelihoods, driving away investment, and harming the state’s economy.

Host organizations include the Asian American Coalition of Ohio, Justice for Ohio, and the Ohio Chinese American Association. Co-sponsors include the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Chinese Assn. of Greater Toledo, OCA-Asian American Advocates of Greater Cleveland, and the Cincinnati and Dayton Chapters of JACL.

ANTI-ASIAN HARASSMENT

WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE IN PUBLIC SPACE

If you have witnessed or experienced harassment: micro-aggressions, bullying, hate speech, or violence please help us to document.

The more information we have, the better we can respond and prevent further incidents from occurring.

REPORTING (through Stop AAPI Hate)

DAYTON JACL (contact us)

Help create safe public space by supporting each other when we’re harassed.

Learn the 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention: Distract, Delegate, Delay, Direct, Document

BYSTANDER INTERVENTION

About JACL

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Founded in 1929, the Japanese American Citizens League is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States. The JACL is composed of over 100 chapters across the country, including the Dayton Chapter.

Following the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans from the West Coast during World War II, many Nikkei (emigrants and their descendants) relocated to the Midwest, including Dayton, Ohio, where leaders of the Council of Churches helped Japanese Americans find housing and jobs. In 1949, the Dayton chapter of the JACL was organized.

Today, many Midwesterners are unaware of the history and experiences of Japanese Americans. The Dayton chapter sponsors programs to broaden understanding and appreciation of our history and its relevance today, reaching out into the broader community to promote civil rights, justice, and peace.