UCLA Nikkei Student Union's 40th Annual Cultural Night

Hello! Thank you for visiting our page! We are UCLA Nikkei Student Union’s Cultural Night team! Our team is responsible for planning and organizing the 40th annual Cultural Night production. We have been working since July to create a performance that celebrates Japanese American heritage, educates the community on Japanese American history, and honors our ancestors who immigrated to the US and struggled, so that we could thrive. Cultural Night has been a wonderful journey, and we can not wait to share this experience with you! 

Cultural Night (CN) is our largest event of the year, usually drawing in an audience of over 1,000 students, staff, alumni, and community members. CN began back in February of 1986 with the Week of Remembrance, an on-campus event created to commemorate the signing of Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the unconstitutional incarceration of over 110,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Since then, CN has evolved to showcase talented performers and feature experiences and issues relevant to the Japanese American community. This year, our show will be held on February 7, 2026 from 7:00-9:30 PM in UCLA’s very own Royce Hall. The production will feature performances from NSU Odori, NSU Modern, Kyodo Taiko, NSU Soran Bushi, and our very own drama cast. Please consider supporting CN to make sure that our long-held tradition can continue!

Moments from Cultural Night 2025: Kaiko

 

In the past, our drama performances have covered topics such as Japanese American identity, gentrification, mental health, and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. This year, our drama builds on themes of mutual support, trust, and community. We explore these themes through the story of a group of Japanese American children and teens in WWII America who form a baseball team in an incarceration camp. Each character navigates the changes in their lifestyle and relationships in their new life at camp, forming deep lasting bonds and coming to appreciate the importance of community. The multitude of stories and the diverse cast of characters bring attention to the rich and varied histories that Japanese Americans have lived through in this country, exploring the journeys of rich families and poor families and young children and an assortment of characters from various backgrounds. We hope that this program compels the audience to reflect on the permanence of our history and its relevance today and to reflect on the power of community and the power of diversity in community.

Traditionally, NSU’s CN has always been free and open to the public. In order to keep our show accessible and welcoming for all, we rely heavily on outside funding sources to make CN possible. Our primary source of funds are UCLA and community grants, as well as contributions from local businesses and organizations. However, in previous years small-dollar donations from our friends and family have been a major part of our budget.  

As a result, we are reaching out to you to help us reach our goal of $6,000, which would be spent in the following areas:

Our costs are continuing to rise due to inflation and increasing venue costs, so any amount that you’re able to donate can help us fund this program! If monetary donations are not possible at this time, there are other ways you can show your support. We would love to spread the word across as many networks as possible. If you could simply share the SPARK campaign link on social media or via email, that would be tremendously helpful!

By donating, you can also receive some of our merchandise! All of our items are designed by UCLA students on our CN Publicity team.

CN has provided a unique opportunity for us as students. From performing in the historic Royce Hall to working behind the scenes on the writing, directing, and production of a large-scale program, CN has allowed us to make invaluable memories and form a deeper understanding of the Japanese American experience. We strongly value the impact that our program has had on us and all of the student groups involved, as well as the audience and the communities around us. Previous SPARK campaigns have enabled us to continue putting on CN for the past 39 years, and we are deeply committed to continuing this tradition. With your help, we would love to make our 40th production one of our best shows yet! 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE UCLA FOUNDATION'S DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS FOR DONORS

Should this fund reach the campus minimum required for the establishment of an endowment or quasi-endowment, The UCLA Foundation reserves the right to convert this fund to an endowment or quasi-endowment. Please click here to learn more about how the UCLA Foundation invests and manages its endowments.