GOLDEN GATE INSTITUTE
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Mission Statement
Kinmon Gakuen (Golden Gate Institute) is a Japanese language school in San Francisco, California, located at 2031 Bush Street. The school currently operates a weekend Japanese language education program. In the late 1800s, the anti-Japanese movement was growing in the US. Japanese immigrants, and their children were victims of harsh discrimination. Among the most concerning issues was the refusal of public school admittance to children of Japanese ancestry. A number of Japanese immigrant groups formed in response to various prejudicial incidents. In San Francisco, the local Japanese American communities banded together to form an educational organization for their children, leading to the founding of Kinmon Gakuen. The school thus started in 1911, with a student body of 133 children of Japanese ancestry who were not allowed to attend schools in San Francisco. Kinmon Gakuen had to close during World War II, and it reopened in 1949. The school enjoyed the honor of visits by Japanese Emperor Hirohito (Emperor Showa) in 1933 and 1935, and by then-Crown Prince Akihito (Emperor Heisei) and then-Crown Princess Michiko (Empress Heisei) in 1960. In 2011, the school celebrated the 100th anniversary of its establishment and received a Commendation from the Japanese Foreign Minister. Over the years, Kinmon Gakuen has grown. With time, it has become a venue for Japanese Americans to gather and participate in cultural activities to enrich their lives and those of future generations. After World War II, for example, the showing of Japanese movies became popular in Northern California, and Kinmon Gakuen Hall was used on weekends to present Japanese movie shows. The school currently offers programs that reflect its mission, including Japanese language schooling for grade school children, as well as Japanese calligraphy, ikebana, and mochi-pounding events. The school’s educational goals are: (1) Students embrace the Japanese tradition and the history of Kinmon Gakuen to foster the spirit of respect and appreciation for their forefathers. (2) By being exposed to Japanese culture, students broaden their global perspective and enrich their appreciation and understanding of other cultures. (3) In addition to learning the Japanese language, students enjoy opportunities to observe and practice the manners and customs of Japan, especially those that incorporate the spirit of selflessness and consideration for others. To achieve the above goals, Kinmon Gakuen offers beginning, intermediate, pre-advanced, and advanced levels to children from kindergarten to high school. Kinmon Gakuen is open to children of all ages and races as a provider of higher education and resources pertaining to Japanese culture and tradition.
About This Cause
Kinmon Gakuen (Golden Gate Institute) is a Japanese language school located at 2031 Bush Street in San Francisco. The school currently operates a weekend Japanese language education program. In the late 1800s, the anti-Japanese movement was growing in the US, and Japanese immigrants and their children were victims of harsh discrimination. Among the most concerning problems was the refusal of public school admittance to children of Japanese ancestry. A number of Japanese immigrant groups formed in response to various prejudicial incidents. A group of San Francisco Japanese associations gathered to address the community’s need for a Japanese educational system. This was motivated largely by an 1895 school exclusion law passed by the San Francisco Board of Education, which made it difficult for children of Japanese ancestry to attend public schools. The local Japanese American communities thus banded together to form an educational organization for their children, leading to the founding of Kinmon Gakuen. Through fundraising and donations, the school officially opened on January 18, 1911, offering elementary through high school-level courses. On March 20, 1925 architect William C. Hays’ building design was approved, and the current school building was completed on April 11, 1926. Soon afterwards, the school moved to this location. The school is one of the oldest cultural organizations in San Francisco’s Japantown; likewise, its building is one of the oldest structures in Japantown. However, the outbreak of the Pacific War between the U.S. and Japan on December 7, 1941, led to the general evacuation and confinement of “enemy foreign nationals.” As a result, 600 Japanese diplomats were sent to Montana, and about 117,000 Japanese Americans living in the west coast were re-located to two internment camps. Japanese Americans living in San Francisco had to report to Kinmon Gakuen to register for the evacuation on April 24, 1942, and the school site served as the gathering place for one of the main contingents of evacuees to the Tanforan Assembly Center. During World War II. This incident resulted in the closing of Kinmon Gakuen. Kinmon Gakuen reopened in 1949. The students were mostly third-generation Japanese Americans. Since then, for several decades Kinmon Gakuen has served not only as a school but as a cultural educational center for community events, and as a theater on Saturdays showing Japanese films and plays. At its height, over 400 students attended the school. Kinmon Gakuen also holds the distinction of having been visited by many members of the Imperial Family of Japan. For instance, the school enjoyed the honor of visits by Japanese Emperor Hirohito (Emperor Showa) in 1933 and 1935 and by then-Crown Prince Akihito (Emperor Heisei) and then-Crown Princess Michiko (Empress Heisei) in 1960. For over a century, through various educational, cultural, and social programs, Kinmon Gakuen has been central to the Japanese American community in San Francisco. The school is now only open on Saturdays, but it remains as a center for community programs and events and a historical landmark for the Japanese American community. The school is also open to children of all ages and races in providing higher education and resources for Japanese culture and tradition. The school’s educational goals are: (1) Students embrace the Japanese tradition as well as the history of Kinmon Gakuen to foster the spirit of respect and appreciation for their forefathers. (2) By being exposed to Japanese culture, students broaden their global perspective, thereby enriching their appreciation and understanding of other cultures. (3) In addition to learning the Japanese language, students are given opportunities to observe and practice the manners and customs of Japan, especially those that incorporate the spirit of selflessness and consideration for others. To achieve the above goals, Kinmon Gakuen offers beginning, intermediate, pre-advanced, and advanced levels to children from kindergarten to high school. The list of programs currently offered that reflect the mission of the organization includes not only Japanese language schooling for grade school children, but also Japanese calligraphy, ikebana, and mochi-pounding events. Kinmon Gakuen is open to children of all ages and races as a provider of higher education and resources for Japanese culture and tradition.