MISSION

CTN cultivates and promotes creativity, collective wisdom, resilience, sustainability and equity across communities in Japan and the U.S. with an emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area. By designing and implementing arts and cultural programs, we achieve our vision through intercultural collaborations and dialogues, centering underrepresented voices and stories from the diverse peoples we serve.

VISION

We envision that people in diverse communities in both Japan and the U.S. will deepen their appreciation of and respect for all beings, discover their innate creativity and its transformative power, and increase their resilience and vitality through dialogues, collaborations, and engagement in creative activities.

VALUES

  • Japan - U.S. 
We believe that transformative power can be achieved through stimulating and nurturing vibrant creativity across cultures. Creativity helps all people open their minds, deepens mutual understanding and respect, and ultimately leads to awareness and appreciation of one's homelands - both birth and current. Our team maintains and honors personal and professional roots, both in Japan and the U.S. and we have navigated the complex relationships between these cultures, deepening our understanding of and appreciation for both societies.

  • Contextualization
We value and respect the interdependence of all things, and we believe that by being curious, and through exploring and embracing the holistic contextual relationship between people, cultural expressions, and languages, we, and the programs we create, will deepen an awareness, understanding, and respect for all that exists in nature.

  • Commitment to our Environment
We draw inspiration from the Japanese concept of Mottainai, which calls upon us to respect and express gratitude to our environment, both in its natural form and as it is transformed by human creativity. We are committed to maintaining guiding principles in our work that will consistently avoid unnecessary waste, promote the well-being of our communities, and keep environmental sustainability at the heart of our efforts.

  • Collaboration
We believe true collaborations are built on equity and trust. A collaborative process that integrates diverse cultures across multiple disciplines deepens mutual understanding and respect, leading to beneficial outcomes far beyond what any single individual or entity could achieve.

  • Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to centering and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our design, process, and outcomes of our programs and activities.

CURRENT GOALS

  • Design and implement arts and cultural programs that nurture creativity, collective wisdom, resilience, sustainability and equity in both countries.
  • Deepen partnering communities’ appreciation of and respect for all beings and promote the innate creativity of each community, through dialogues and collaborations across cultures.
  • Revitalize, strengthen, and diversify our local and bi-national network.