University of Missouri – St. Louis Professor Rob Wilson will conduct a panel, including JACL members Steve Tanaka and Anne Mitori, to discuss the Japanese American experience during World War II. The panel discussion will occur on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 6:30pm at the Lee Auditorium at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 Touhill Circle, St. Louis Missouri 63121.
The St. Louis JACL participated on a successful event at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum on February 22.
The event started with a luncheon and a discussion with Washington University faculty member Kelley Van Dyck Murphy and her students about the “Dislocated” class where they traveled to Manzanar and completed a project.
This was followed by a talk sponsored by Jewish Community Relations Council with Tracy Slater, author of “Together in Manzanar”, a newly published book about Japanese Jewish American family that fought to stay together during World War II. St. Louis JACL Board Member Robin Hattori was a moderator of the talk.
The St. Louis JACL thanks the staff at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum for partnering with us for this once-in-a-lifetime project. Our generous funders include: Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, JA Community Foundation, and National JACL Legacy Fund.
https://jacl.org/scholarships?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=055206be-c1cb-47bf-a89d-42d1c11fa3d3
The St. Louis JACL Scholarship Program is different from National JACL Scholarship Program. This local program will open in April for applications.
Join us for the St. Louis Jewish Film Festival Special Preview Event for “Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness” film on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 7:00pm at The J – Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur Mirowitz Performing Arts & Banquet Center. Reserve your $5 ticket for Sugihara using the link: https://jccstl.com/event/sugihara-conspiracy-of-kindness-documentary-st-louis-jewish-film-festival-event-opening-event
The St. Louis Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) thanks Deputy Consulate-General Naoya Kishi of Chicago for attending the opening reception of “Resilience: A Sansei Sense of Legacy” at St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum on January 15. The JACL also thanks Ikebana International St. Louis Chapter #3, Michi Sado Society (Tea Ceremony), Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis, St. Louis Fude no Kai (Calligraphy) for providing exhibits and demonstrating Japanese cultural events during the opening week from January 16-18.
The public is welcome is invited to visit St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum at 36 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur, Missouri 63146 and view the special exhibit of “Resilience” through April 4, 2026.
The St. Louis JACL thanks the staff at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum for partnering with us for this once-in-a-lifetime project. Our generous funders include: Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, JA Community Foundation, and National JACL Legacy Fund.
St. Louis JACL member Dr. John Hara passed away in Alton, Illinois on December 26, 2025 at age 93. Dr. Hara served as St. Louis Chapter President in 1969 and served on the St. Louis JACL Board in many additional roles including Speakers Bureau and Historian. Dr. Hara created the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) to address common goals of the Asian Pacific American community including responses to Hate Crimes.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/stltoday/name/john-hara-obituary?id=60434776
Join us for “Resilience: A Sansei Sense of Legacy” coming to the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum during January 17-April 4, 2026. You can take in a traveling exhibit of artworks generated by third-generation Japanese American and also go through the standing Holocaust exhibit, featuring artifacts and stories by local survivors. The late Japanese American and Alton, Illinois resident artist, Art Towata, will also have some artwork on display.
The opening weekend to the public on January 17-18 will include Japanese cultural events for all ages that can be signed up for at no extra charge. These presentations include: Calligraphy, Tea Ceremony, and Origami.
The St. Louis JACL thanks the staff at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum for partnering with us for this once-in-a-lifetime project. Our generous funders include: Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, JA Community Foundation, and National JACL Legacy Fund.
Please reference the link below for more information.
This is the second year that St. Louis JACL has conducted a cooking demonstration at the Kemper Home Gardening Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden on August 31. A recipe from the chapter’s very own “Nisei Kitchen” cookbook was selected to be shown to an audience of 75. This year Wendy and Robin prepared sukiyaki! Great job to the chefs and the staff that supported them!
Perfect weather contributed to a Labor Day weekend of record attendance at the Missouri Botanical Garden for the 48th Japanese Festival. The JACL Soda Tent fundraiser was a huge success! Thank you to all of the volunteers that worked their shifts tirelessly.
The annual St. Louis JACL July 4th Picnic will be held at Pavilion #1 at Vlasis Park, 300 Park Dr. Ballwin, Missouri 63011, starting at noon. The picnic lunch is pot luck so please bring a dish to share. JACL will be holding its traditional raffle, awarding the JACL scholarship, and conducting a short trivia game. Drinks are provided as long as they last.
St. Louis JACL 