The South Bay Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League
and the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute

TANOSHII 2009 filled up on the first day of registration, but we are still taking applications for counselors and volunteers. Counselors must be high schoolers who will enter their junior or senior year in the fall. TANOSHII will issue a certificate of volunteer hours. Read more about it here (Acrobat PDF). The deadline to apply is April 17, 2009 (download fillable application form). Please let us know if you'd like to get involved!

What is TANOSHII Nikkei Youth Camp ?
The TANOSHII is a weeklong day camp sponsored by the South Bay JACL and the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (JCI). The first ever camp took place from July 14 to July 18, 2008 with 48 elementary school-aged students. TANOSHII uses fun activities to teach kids entering 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grade about Japanese American heritage. Activities include a combination of cultural experiences, games and a field trip to the Japanese American National Museum. Cultural workshops may include Taiko, Ikebana, Martial Arts, Origami, Calligraphy, Obon Dancing, Japanese Language, Japanese Cooking, etc. The goal of the camp is to spark interest in Japanese American culture and community through hands-on experiences and interaction with people in the community. Campers will get a chance to learn, and connect with the Japanese American community and heritage. TANOSHII was inspired by Camp Musubi, which is for older students who are entering middle school.

Where will TANOSHII be held ?
TANOSHII meets at the Gardena Valley JCI. The Gardena Valley JCI is located at 1964 W 162nd St; Gardena, CA; 90247. Daily activities will be held at the JCI with a one day field trip to the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. The students learn from a variety of cultural and community “experts” and do group activities with high school juniors and seniors serving as camp counselors under adult supervision.

What is the cost ?
In 2008, the registration fee for TANOSHII were:
“Early- Bird” registration ..................... $ 165.00 per student
Regular registration .............................$ 180.00 per student

What are the hours ?
The hours for the student campers will be daily from 9:00 to 4:00 PM (with extended care available until 5:30 PM for additional fee of $ 25.00 for the week)

How do I sign up ?
Application forms for next year are not available yet, but will be available for download in the spring, and at the Gardena Valley JCI during business hours, weekdays 9-5. Space is limited to 50, but there will be a waiting list.

What if I need to cancel my registration ?
Registrants who wish to cancel their registration within 30 days of the start of TANOSHII will be refunded 50% of their registration fee. Unfortunately, TANOSHII cannot refund cancellations made within one week of the start of camp.

What if I have additional questions ?
Please contact the TANOSHII Camp director, Ray Shibata by email at gmstmch1(at)aol.com or call at (310) 376-6624 if you have any questions about the camp.

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