Japan America Society of Southern California

What Japan America Society of Southern California does

Japan America Society of Southern California (JASSC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable, and educational organization founded in 1909 and headquartered in Gardena, California. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and Board of Governors and operates with a lean staff of 1-10 employees supported by volunteers. Its mission is to build and maintain United States–Japan relationships through educational, cultural, and professional programming targeting individuals and corporations with Japan ties.

JASSC's product portfolio centers on three program categories. Educational programming includes the Japan Bowl of California academic competition for high school students studying Japanese, the Benkyoukai virtual study and cultural exchange program (delivered via Zoom to participants across North America in partnership with Japan Foundation LA and Temple University Japan Campus), and the Hitachi-sponsored Japanese Kite Workshops serving under-resourced elementary schools in the LA area. Professional development programming includes the Young Professionals Workshop and the Women's Leadership Counts Conference, addressing career navigation for mid-career professionals in the US-Japan community. Fundraising events include the Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration and the Japan America Golf Classic. All youth and professional programs are consolidated under the E.N.G.A.G.E. (Enrich, Nurture, Guide and Grow through Education) umbrella initiative.

Revenue mechanics combine four streams: recurring membership dues from corporate and individual tiers, transactional event registration fees (~$10 members, $15 non-members), tax-deductible donations and corporate sponsorships, and earmarked E.N.G.A.G.E. donations. The organization is a regional preliminary round host for the National Japan Bowl, in partnership with The Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C., and maintains strategic relationships with the Consulate General of Japan in L.A., the Japan Business Association of Southern California, and academic institutions including Loyola Marymount University's Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts. The primary digital platform is Wild Apricot membership software, used for event registration, membership management, and email communications.

Name

Japan America Society of Southern California

Legal name

Japan America Society of Southern California

Website

https://jas-socal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Japan America Society of Southern California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1909 that runs educational, cultural, and professional development programs — including Japan Bowl, Benkyoukai, and kite workshops — serving students, young professionals, corporations, and elementary school communities across the US-Japan relationship space.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural and Educational Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collegiate & Scholastic Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAG), Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

Keywords

• Cultural exchange programs
• Japanese language education
• Bilateral relations networking
• Nonprofit membership services
• Professional development workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Gardena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from corporate and individual members providing access to programs, networking, and member benefits
2. Event Fees: Registration fees for workshops, seminars, and professional development events (e.g., $10 for members/students, $15 for non-members)
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible charitable contributions and program sponsorships from individuals and corporations
4. E.N.G.A.G.E. Educational Programs: Donations specifically directed to student and young professional programs including Japan Bowl, Kite Workshops, and Women's Leadership Initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Japan America Society of Southern California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers educational programs, cultural exchange events, and professional development workshops to advance United States–Japan relations. Its core offerings include the Japan Bowl® of California academic competition for high school students, the Benkyoukai virtual study program, Japanese Kite Workshops for under-resourced elementary schools, the Women's Leadership Counts Conference, Young Professionals Workshops, and signature fundraising events such as the Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration and Japan America Golf Classic. All student and young professional programs are unified under the E.N.G.A.G.E. (Enrich, Nurture, Guide and Grow through Education) initiative.

Product overview

The Japan America Society of Southern California is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of educational, cultural exchange, and professional development programs rather than a technology product. Its core programs include the Japan Bowl® of California academic competition, the Benkyoukai virtual study program, and Japanese Kite Workshops for elementary schools. Professional development offerings include Women's Leadership Counts Conference and Young Professionals Workshop, all under the E.N.G.A.G.E. initiative. The organization also hosts fundraising events including the Anniversary Dinner & Gala and Japan America Golf Classic. The organization's primary digital presence is its website powered by Wild Apricot membership software, which facilitates event registration, membership management, and program information delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Japan Bowl® of California An academic competition for high school students testing Japanese language proficiency and knowledge of Japan, modeled on the National Japan Bowl quiz-show format. Serves as a preliminary round for the National Japan Bowl competition.
• Benkyoukai

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 70,000 high school students across the US recognized through National Japan Bowl programs

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Japan Foundation, Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey supporter of the Japan Bowl of California Benkyoukai program. Provides program support and sponsorship for educational initiatives.
• Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner supporting Japan Bowl of California and related Japanese language education programs.
• Consulate General of Japan in L.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Japanese government representative supporting Japan Bowl of Southern California and other educational programs.
• Japan Business Association of Southern CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting the organization and its programs focused on US-Japan business relations.
• California Association of Japanese Language TeacherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association of Japanese language educators supporting Japan Bowl competitions and educational programs.
• Teachers of Japanese Southern CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization supporting Japanese language education and student participation in Japan Bowl programs.
• Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at Loyola Marymount UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on the Japan Bowl of Southern California event hosting and educational initiatives.
• HitachicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting the Japan America Kite Festival Japanese kite making workshops for LA area under-resourced elementary school children.
• The Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization that owns the Japan Bowl trademark and coordinates the National Japan Bowl competition. JASSC serves as the regional preliminary round host for California.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Japan Society: The Japan Society in New York is the largest and most prominent US-Japan cultural exchange organization in the US. It operates similar programming in education, public affairs, and cultural exchange, making it the most directly comparable peer to JASSC in terms of mission, membership structure, and program portfolio.
• Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C. The Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C. owns the National Japan Bowl trademark and coordinates the national competition that JASSC's regional competition feeds into. Operates similar educational, networking, and membership programs in the DC area and is JASSC's closest programmatic peer.
• Japan Foundation, Los Angeles: Japan Foundation Los Angeles is a key institutional partner of JASSC and operates overlapping cultural and educational programming for Japanese language study in Southern California. Comparable in mission to promote Japan-US cultural exchange and similar in regional service area.
• Japanese American National Museum: JANM is a Los Angeles-based cultural institution focused on Japanese American heritage, education, and community programs. While museum-based, it operates comparable education, community engagement, and cultural programming serving overlapping SoCal audiences.
• Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California: The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California operates similar cultural, educational, and community programming serving the Japanese American community in Northern California. Comparable non-profit membership/association structure with cultural and educational mission.
• Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California: The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California is a core partner of JASSC and serves overlapping corporate members and business audiences in the LA area focused on US-Japan commercial relations. Directly comparable membership and networking mission for the Japanese business community.
• US-Japan Council: The US-Japan Council is a US-based non-profit focused on strengthening US-Japan relations through people-to-people connections, leadership development programs, and policy engagement. Operates directly comparable mission, programming model, and member engagement approach.

Broad incumbents

• Asia Society: Asia Society is a larger, established US-based organization operating education, arts, and policy programming across multiple Asian countries including Japan. Broader geographic and topical scope than JASSC but comparable in operating cultural exchange programs, educational initiatives, and corporate membership engagement.
• Japanese American Citizens League: JACL is the largest and oldest Asian American civil rights organization in the US, operating with a national footprint. Comparable non-profit membership-driven advocacy and education model, though focused on civil rights rather than US-Japan bilateral cultural exchange specifically.

Others

• Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles: The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles is a core JASSC partner and operates complementary cultural and educational programming in the Southern California region. Not a commercial peer but a key institutional stakeholder and program collaborator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jas.socal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jas-socal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Japan America Society of Southern California