The Board’s nominating committee meets each year to determine if, and to whom, a Kansha Award should be given. The Award, represented by a beautifully crafted hand-made wood plaque created by former Board member Yuki Kawamoto, recognizes the individual’s superior contributions to the history and wellbeing of the Japanese American community in San Diego.

Past recipients of the Kansha award:

1994 Dr. Francis Tanaka

1998 Misao Kawasaki; Toshiko Kiyoi; Rev. Akio Miyaji; Susan Namba; Ruth Takahashi Voorhies

2000 Joseph Owashi (posthumously); Tom Yanagihara; Shinobu Yoshioka

2001 Agnes Benson; Ben Honda (posthumously); Fred Katsumata

2002 Masami Honda; Dr. Randall Phillips; James Yamate, Jimmy Takashima

2003 Umeko Kawamoto; Harold Kuhn; Kiyo Ochi

2004 Tetsuyo Kashima (posthumously); Tom and Elizabeth Ozaki

2005 Donald H. Estes (posthumously)

2006 Moto Asakawa; Roy Muraoka

2007 Dr. Terry Tanaka; Dr. Yuri Kaneda

2008 Joseph Y. and Elizabeth Kikuchi Yamada

2009 Martin Lloyd Ito; Masaharu and Grace Tsuida

2010 Yukio Kawamoto

2011 Akira “Jumbo” Takeshita

2012 Ben Segawa; Kathy Segawa

2013 Asian Pacific Post 4851

2014 Vernon T. Yoshioka

2015 Rev. Kenji Kikuchi; Rev. George Yahito; Rev. Guzei Nishii

2016 Karen Tani

2017 Bruce and Sharon Asakawa; Paul Hoshi (posthumously)

2018 Joe Cross; Guy Kiyoi (posthumously)

2019 Susan Hasegawa; Mitsuko Kawamoto 

2022 Jeanne Elyea; Michio & Naomi Himaka

2023 Linda Canada

2024 Wendy Maruyama