About the Founder
The JCC was established in 1978 by Mr. Fumio Toyoda. Mr. Toyoda was a student of the martial arts since childhood, held a 6th degree black belt in Aikido, and was founder of the Aikido Association of America, Aikido Association International, and Aikido International Foundation. His martial art training was supplemented by years of study in Zen, massage and therapeutic breathing.
Although he obtained a law degree in Japan, Mr. Toyoda elected to make martial arts instruction his life’s work. After arriving in Chicago, he envisioned a facility where various disciplines devoted to “the way” might be united under one roof. The Japanese Culture Center is the result of that dream.
