Santa Maria honors local Japanese heritage with new community center
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - The City of Santa Maria celebrated the opening of the long-planned Japanese Community Center Monday morning.
"It's beyond exciting," said Linda Mathiesen, Santa Maria Japanese Community Center Board Member. "This is something that we have worked on for so many years. The club is a nonprofit club and everything has been volunteer to get it to fruition."
Located adjacent to the historic Smith-Enos House on South Bradley Road, the 10,000 square foot facility will serve as a new community center and event space, as well as recognize the local contributions of the Issei and Nisei generations.
"It's important to share our heritage," said Mathiesen. "There was so much in the past that the Japanese were involved with and a lot of the citizens now don't realize it. It's vital that the new generation appreciates and sees what what has been done by other cultures."
The local Japanese community has been working to build the center for more than 10 years in an effort to honor the legacy of their past generations.
"All the hard work has finally paid off," said Brian Masatani, Santa Maria Japanese Community Center Board Member. "It took a lot of people to put this together. We want this to be not only a gathering place for wedding kids and quinceañeras, but a place where we can learn about our past, the Issei and Nisei. that came before us. It's a dream that finally has become reality."
Shaped as a barn in a tribute to the early Japanese agricultural pioneers who settled in Santa Maria and helped establish the region’s agricultural economy, the facility includes a lobby, multi-use area, historical displays, restrooms, kitchen, and storage and custodial space.
"This is just a really great opportunity," said Dennis Smitherman, Santa Maria Recreation Services Manager. "After almost two years of just building, and many, many years before that, the center is now open and great for our community. We're going to be able to host educational events, opportunities for nonprofit organizations and fundraising and just so many great opportunities. We're really excited to partner with the Japanese Community Center to provide that cultural enhancement here in Santa Maria."
Smitherman said cost of the project was $4 million with funding coming from a handful of sources, including $500,000 that was secured by Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara).
The new facility will be available to rent starting on July 1, 2026.
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