Russell Day Gallery
Russell Day Gallery presents:
Cultural Legacies of Japan
The Japanese Cultural Resource Center (JCRC) at Everett Community College, formerly the Nippon Business Institute (NBI), is a hub for Japanese cultural education.
The NBI was founded in 1987 by former Everett Community College president Bob Drewel and his leadership team. Its purpose was to provide comprehensive Japan study to American students including language, culture, history, business practices and communication skills. The mission was to focus on bridging the gap between Western and Eastern cultures through intercultural communication and understanding.
Mayumi Nishiyama Smith was hired as the tenured faculty to teach Japanese language and culture for the NBI program and later became the director of NBI and JCRC. Later, NBI was changed to JCRC.
Mayumi's vision for creating the physical identity for the program became a reality in 1995 when then-president Dr. Susan Carol encouraged her to come up with the Japan Center by renovating an old building in the corner of the college parking lot. With no college funds for renovation, a three-phase fundraising campaign was launched. The Consul General Saito of the Consulate General of Japan helped to get a $150,000 matching grant to kickstart the first phase. Mayumi's father-in-law, Bob Smith, and Mr. Katagiri of Achilles USA chaired the first phase, and her husband, Richard Smith, chaired the second and third phases. With amazing contributions by many individuals, companies, organizations in both Japan and USA, the first phase was completed in 1997 and the second phase to finish the inside of the building was completed in 1999. The final phase, the Nishiyama Japanese Garden, was completed in 2004. Over one million dollars was raised from the community over 9 years to complete the facility.
Master carpenter Koji Uchida built the tearoom, and the fence and gates around the garden and Zen Landscape and Design created the garden. The centerpiece is the Iwakuni Bridge, a gift from Everett's sister city, Iwakuni, Japan. The bridge was crafted with wood from their famous Kintai Bridge and was assembled by four master carpenters from Japan.
Since the beginning of the program, the NBI/JCRC has conducted many academic courses, study abroad programs, internship programs and conducted many exchange programs including the program for the sister college Aichi Toho University (former Toho Gakuen Jr. College) since 1986, for sister city Iwakuni, and friendly port city, Ishinomaki, since 1996, Toyohashi chamber of commerce, Kakamigahara city, Kyushu University of Technology, NHK Gakuen and others.
Many cultural events were conducted for students, faculty, staff, and community members since 1987. It includes many demonstrations, performances and presentations such as tea ceremonies, garden tours, garden workshops, meditation, Japanese baseball, Japanese architecture, Japanese calligraphy, language and business seminars (Boeing, Achilles USA, SNBL USA, Jamco America, etc.) Japan Week, Taiko performance, Japanese Dance and Koto and Shakuhachi and Shamisen concert, Japanese Anime and Manga Arts Festival (JAMAF) and organized the Japan trip for the community members as well as college administrators and faculty, to name a few.
Many people and organizations helped for these events and the credits go to the Consulate-General of Japan, Japan Foundation NY and LA, Japan-America Society of the State of Washington, Tsubaki Ensemble, Iwakuni artists group, Manga artist Yoshimi Kurata, shakuhachi player, Nobuko Ishida, EvCC faculty librarian and Japanese Club Advisor Heather Jean Uhl, Russell Day Gallery, EvCC administrators and faculty and so many others who made it possible. We welcomed many dignitaries such as many Consul Generals, ambassadors, city mayors, delegations and entities from Japan.
Using this opportunity, we would like to offer deepest appreciation and recognition to all the generous and kind donors and grantors for not only for their contribution to create JCRC but also for their tremendous support for the program overall. We also would like to thank for the generosity and great contribution of garden volunteers who have been working so earnestly since 2021. We make a commitment to continue to work on promoting education to learn other cultures and for promoting the diversity education and the world peace.
Mayumi Nishiyama Smith – JCRC Director
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Cascade Resource Center
1001 N Broadway Everett Wa
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About Russell Day Gallery
We recently moved to our new location! Cascade Learning Resource Center, 1001 North Broadway
Russell Day Gallery serves a vital role in promoting social engagement and critical dialogue at Everett Community College.
The gallery is named after Russell Day. An immensely influential instructor, Day founded the first campus gallery in the 1950s and it was later renamed in his honor.