Japan House La Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN ART, CULTURE, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY BETWEEN THE U.S. AND JAPAN.
- Income
- $76,166
- Spending
- $78,448
- Spent on programs
- 59%
- Reserves
- 80.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 59%
- Employees
- 2
- Volunteers
- 3
- Highest pay
- $6,000, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 80.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 32% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1559% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $46,458 spent. 02/21/2025 TASTE OF HOME/INTERNATIONAL COMFORT FOOD : WE WELCOMED GUESTS TO AN EVENING WHERE FOOD BECAME A LANGUAGE OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION AS WE JOURNEYED THROUGH THE SOUL-WARMING DISHES OF JAPAN, BRAZIL, AND MOROCCO. THROUGH THIS TWO-PART PROGRAM, WE INVITED ATTENDEES TO EXPLORE THE MEANING OF "COMFORT FOOD"THOSE SPECIAL DISHES THAT ARE MORE THAN JUST MEALS, TRANSPORTING US HOME WITH A SINGLE BITE. WE SHARED THE MEMORIES, TRADITIONS, AND STORIES BEHIND EACH COUNTRY'S MOST CHERISHED COMFORT FOODS, HIGHLIGHTING HOW THESE DISHES SERVE AS EDIBLE MEMORIES AND MEANINGFUL CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES.THE EVENING BEGAN WITH ENGAGING PRESENTATIONS ON JAPAN, BRAZIL, AND MOROCCO. TOGETHER, WE EXPLORED THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF BRAZILIAN FEIJOADA, LEARNED HOW JAPANESE TAKOYAKI AND KARAAGE EVOKE MEMORIES OF COLORFUL FESTIVAL NIGHTS SPENT WITH FAMILY, AND DISCOVERED HOW MOROCCAN TAGINES REFLECT TRADITIONS OF HOSPITALITY AND COMMUNITY. FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATIONS, WE INVITED GUESTS TO NETWORK WHILE ENJOYING AUTHENTIC DISHES THAT BROUGHT THESE STORIES TO LIFE AND FOSTERED MEANINGFUL CULTURAL EXCHANGE.FUNDS RAISED THROUGH TICKET SALES SUPPORTED THE HOLLYWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ONGOING EFFORTS OF THE LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT (LAFD) FIREFIGHTERS SERVING COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY THE WILDFIRES. THE FOUNDATION MATCHED EVERY DOLLAR DONATED, UP TO AT LEAST $25,000.
- 03/08/25 "WOMEN IN SPACE" PROGRAM ON THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY : IN CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, WE HOSTED AN INSPIRING DIALOGUE FEATURING TWO PIONEERING JAPANESE WOMEN WHO ARE HELPING RESHAPE THE BOUNDARIES OF HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION. THROUGH THEIR PERSONAL STORIES AND PROFESSIONAL INSIGHTS, WE HIGHLIGHTED THEIR UNIQUE CAREER PATHS AND EXPLORED THE VALUABLE PERSPECTIVES WOMEN BRING TO THE FIELD OF SPACE EXPLORATION.THE PROGRAM CELEBRATED THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS WHILE INSPIRING ATTENDEES THROUGH MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT INNOVATION, PERSEVERANCE, AND THE GROWING ROLE OF WOMEN IN ADVANCING THE FUTURE OF SPACE EXPLORATION.
- 03/18/25 ENTERTAINMENT WITHOUT BORDERS | INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE : IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MUFG, WE PRESENTED "ENTERTAINMENT WITHOUT BORDERS | AN INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE," AN EVENING OF CONVERSATION EXPLORING THE EVOLVING DYNAMICS OF REPRESENTATION, DEALMAKING, AND ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION IN HOLLYWOOD AND BEYOND. THROUGH THIS TIMELY PROGRAM, WE BROUGHT TOGETHER DISTINGUISHED INDUSTRY LEADERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY'S INCREASINGLY CROSS-CULTURAL FUTURE.WE WELCOMED GUESTS TO AN ENGAGING PANEL DISCUSSION FEATURING AN ACCOMPLISHED LINEUP OF ENTERTAINMENT PROFESSIONALS. PRODUCER BRENT TRAVERS MODERATED THE CONVERSATION, JOINED BY ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY SHEP ROSENMAN, RENOWNED CASTING DIRECTORS YOKO NARAHASHI AND CARLA HOOLRECOGNIZED FOR THEIR GROUNDBREAKING WORK IN JAPANESE TALENT REPRESENTATION AND LATINX REPRESENTATION, RESPECTIVELYAND CELEBRATED MANAGER AND STYLIST JEANNE YANG. TOGETHER, WE SHARED DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES FROM ACROSS THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.THROUGHOUT THE DISCUSSION, WE EXPLORED THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF ROLES AND REPRESENTATION IN CASTING AND PRODUCTION, PERSPECTIVES FROM KEY DEALMAKERS ACROSS THE INDUSTRY, AND HOW EVOLVING AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS ARE CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN STORYTELLING AND TALENT REPRESENTATION. WE HIGHLIGHTED HOW THESE SHIFTS ARE RESHAPING TRADITIONAL INDUSTRY PRACTICES AND OPENING NEW PATHWAYS FOR DIVERSE VOICES BOTH ON AND OFF SCREEN.FOLLOWING THE PANEL DISCUSSION AND Q&A SESSION, WE INVITED GUESTS TO JOIN US FOR A NETWORKING RECEPTION, WHERE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUED AND ATTENDEES HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS.
- 09/29/25 TASTES OF JAPAN | THE RISE OF JAPANESE FOOD BRANDS IN AMERICA : IN TODAY'S INTERCONNECTED WORLD, UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECTING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. THE CULTURAL AWARENESS SERIES, GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY MUFG BANK, INVITES INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS TO EXPLORE THE RICH TAPESTRY OF TRADITIONS AND PERSPECTIVES THAT SHAPE OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY. THROUGH ENGAGING EVENTS, PERSONAL STORIES, AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES, THIS SERIES CELEBRATES THE DIVERSE CULTURES THAT ENRICH OUR LIVES.WHILE SUSHI MIGHT HAVE ONCE BEEN SEEN AS EXOTIC, OVER THE YEARS JAPANESE CUISINE HAS BECOME A BELOVED PART OF AMERICA'S FOOD CULTURE. TODAY, IT SPANS EVERYTHING FROM HIGH-END RESTAURANTS TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE STAPLES. FOR THE INAUGURAL PROGRAM OF THE CULTURAL AWARENESS SERIES, WE ARE HONORED TO WELCOME THE LEADERS FROM SEVERAL INFLUENTIAL JAPANESE FOOD COMPANIES THAT HAVE SHAPED THIS EVOLUTION.IN THIS LIVELY DISCUSSION, INDUSTRY LEADERS WILL SHARE THEIR CORPORATE HISTORIES, THE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND THEIR ENTRY INTO THE U.S., AND HOW THEY'VE ADAPTED THEIR PRODUCTS AND STRATEGIES TO APPEAL TO AMERICAN CONSUMERSWHILE PRESERVING THE AUTHENTIC SPIRIT OF JAPANESE CUISINE. THE PANEL WILL ALSO EXPLORE THEIR VISIONS FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND THE BALANCE BETWEEN EMBRACING AMERICAN FOOD CULTURE AND MAINTAINING THE DISTINCT CHARACTER OF THEIR OFFERINGS.AKIRA KAJITA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF JETRO LOS ANGELES, WILL SET THE STAGE FOR THE EVENING AS HE SHARES AN OVERVIEW OF HISTORICAL TRENDS IN THE JAPANESE FOOD INDUSTRY WITHIN THE U.S. MARKET. FOLLOWING HIM,BRIAN HUFF, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NISSIN FOODS USA, WILL HIGHLIGHT THE COMPANY'S PIONEERING ROLE IN INTRODUCING JAPANESE NOODLE CULTURE TO THE U.S., INCLUDING THE LAUNCH OF TOP RAMEN IN 1972THE FIRST INSTANT RAMEN MADE AND SOLD IN AMERICA. ATSUKO KANAI, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MUTUAL TRADING CO., INC., WILL SHARE THE LEGACY OF A COMPANY THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1926 AS A SMALL COOPERATIVE SERVING THE JAPANESE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, THEN MAKING CULINARY HISTORY BY INTRODUCING SUSHI IN AMERICA, AND REACHING THE CENTENNIAL MARK, CONTINUES TO ADVANCE THE WASHOKU (JAPANESE CUISINE) ART FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHEFS. TAKA OZAWA, PRESIDENT OF OTAFUKU FOODS INC., WILL DESCRIBE THE COMPANY'S JOURNEY FROM ITS 1922 ORIGINS IN HIROSHIMA TO BECOMING ONE OF JAPAN'S LARGEST SEASONING MANUFACTURERS, REBUILDING AFTER WWII AND EXPANDING INTO THE NORTH AMERICAN MARKET.THE SECOND PART OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE A NETWORKING RECEPTION WHERE GUESTS ARE WELCOMED TO CONTINUE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS AND MAKE NEW CONNECTIONS. TO CELEBRATE OUR INAUGURAL CULTURAL AWARENESS SERIES, UKA, OUR MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANT, WILL DELIGHT GUESTS WITH A BUFFET-STYLE DINNER RECEPTION.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 2012.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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