The Sawtelle Japantown Association (SJA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community organization that is focused on the preservation and growth of Sawtelle Japantown, a neighborhood located on the west side of Los Angeles.
OUR VISION
Sawtelle Japantown: A dynamic, inclusive community where an evolving Japanese-American culture is celebrated, honored, and nurtured for generations to come.
OUR MISSION
The Sawtelle Japantown Association (SJA) preserves and enhances our neighborhood’s Japanese-American culture and heritage through inclusive community engagement, cultural promotion, and advocacy for sustainable growth towards our vision.
OUR HISTORY
The Sawtelle Japantown Association (SJA) was started as a grassroots organizing and advocacy group by Randy Sakamoto and Dr. Jack Fujimoto in 2015. SJA was instrumental in the Sawtelle neighborhood of West Los Angeles to be officially designated as ‘Sawtelle Japantown’ by the City of Los Angeles in 2015. Naomi Kageyama is the current chair for SJA.
SJA celebrated the main intersection of Sawtelle Blvd. at Mississippi Ave. as “Dr. Jack Fujimoto Square” in October 2022. In May 2023, with considerable community goodwill, SJA hosted its inaugural community-based Kodomo-No-Hi Children’s Day Celebration.
PLEASE JOIN US
If you are interested in participating in the SJA, including attending our meetings and helping at events and programs, please join our mailing list here: https://sawtelleja.org/join-us/.