Message from
Nozomu Tim Higashide, CEO
Sakura Square has a unique story and holds an important cultural place in the history of Denver and Colorado. It is also a reflection of the history of the Japanese-American experience in Colorado.
View the Sakura Square Vision Statement here
More than forty years after its creation, the block is undergoing a resurgence of cultural significance while reinvigorating its residential and commercial assets. Since its dedication in May 1973, Sakura Square has been a multigenerational, multi-cultural community and a destination for those seeking Japanese goods and services. Sakura Square is an example of a truly successful multi-use project in the heart of downtown Denver.
In the early 1970s, when Denver Urban Renewal Authority began transforming what is now known as LoDo, Denver’s Japanese community was forced to change. Without the efforts of the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple, the businesses that had been part of the approximately 9-square block community would have been forced to divide and relocate. Instead, they were given the opportunity to move into the one-block area that already housed the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple, preserving the Japanese-American heritage of the area.
The Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple, originally built in 1947, anchors Sakura Square and provides a spiritual center.
The Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple.
A small garden plaza on the site provides a respite from the surrounding city and tells the history of the site through statuary of key historical figures: Governor Ralph L. Carr, Minoru Yasui and Reverend Yoshitaka Tamai. Carr was governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943. He welcomed Japanese-Americans to settle in Colorado after they were released from internment camps at the end of World War II, and urged racial tolerance and the protection of basic rights for Japanese-Americans in spite of popular anti-Japanese sentiment. Minoru Yasui was a Japanese-American attorney who fought laws that targeted discrimination against Japanese-Americans and Japanese immigrants. Reverend Yoshitaka Tamai was responsible for the survival of the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple in the early years. The apartment tower is named in his honor.
While there are already many reasons to visit and shop year-round at Sakura Square and attend weekly services at the Temple, Sakura Square will be expanding its events and activities in the years to come. This is an exciting time for the gateway to downtown Denver.
TEAM
(Alphabetical order (A-Z) by last name)
NOZOMU TIM HIGASHIDE
CEO
As the CEO for Sakura Square, Tim is responsible for the operations and strategic planning of the mixed use block that includes high rise residential, commercial and retail buildings, and shared community spaces. He also serves as the project executive for the Sakura Square’s redevelopment project, working with the ownership boards on the revitalization and future planning for the block to continue serving as the community hub.
Tim has been active in the community through his work on the boards of Japan America Society of Colorado, Japanese Business Association of the Rockies (Past Board Chair), and U.S.-Japan Council Mountain Region (Emerging Leaders Program, Past Regional Chair). He has also served on the Mayor’s Asian Pacific American Commission in Denver, Downtown Denver Partnership’s CityRise Steering Committee, and as an Advisor to the Study Colorado Board.
Tim holds a BA in International Affairs from the University of Colorado Boulder, MBA in Entrepreneurship and MS in Finance from the University of Colorado Denver.
GRACE LEUNG
Program Coordinator
Grace is the Program Coordinator for Sakura Square LLC and Sakura Foundation and reports to the Program Director. She is responsible for supporting the CEO/Executive Director and Program Director as well as supporting the organization’s Board meetings and events, tracking donations and memberships, assisting with the Cherry Blossom Festival, Mirai Generations Leadership Program, Chibi no Gakko and other programming, and managing social media.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Grace later moved to South Pasadena, California when she was 16 years old. She majored in Advertising at San Jose State University. After graduating, she became Marketing Coordinator for a small marketing company. Shortly thereafter, she became a Fellowship Coordinator within the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at University of California, in Irvine (UCI).
Subsequently, Grace went on to become an HR & Finance Analyst at the Associate Chancellor/Chief HR Executive’s office at UCI where she recruited and onboarded new hires, prepared reimbursements, planned events, managed vendor relationships, and oversaw office operations.
Grace has always had a deep appreciation and respect for Japanese and Japanese American culture and has been looking for a way to become more involved in the community. Thus, she is very excited to be a part of the Sakura Square team! Grace moved from California to Colorado in 2019 and loves reading, cooking and exploring all that the Mile High City has to offer!
JURI FUJIMOTO LEVCHUK
Project Manager
Juri works closely with and reports to the Operations Manager and CEO. She is responsible for implementing tasks for business operations functions as well as community and cultural projects. Juri also provides support to the Executive Advisor on special projects and activities.
Juri was born and grew up in Fukuoka, Japan. She majored in Intercultural Studies at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka. After graduating university, she started her career as an IT engineer in Tokyo. Juri worked for NSD CO., LTD. which is a system integrator, and was a member of the 24/7 maintenance team running system operations. In 2013, she transferred to NSD International, Inc., in NYC as an expat. It was her first time to visit the United States.
For the first year, Juri worked as a QA engineer for a subsidiary company, then was assigned to one of NSD’s largest customers in NY (NY branch of a Japanese bank). She worked as a bilingual IT Helpdesk consultant and was in charge of supporting coworkers in the bank with troubleshooting, training, and documentation. She also participated in special projects to upgrade computer equipment, relocation offices, and support remote workers.
In 2018, Juri moved from NY to CO and started a new stage of her life. She loves Colorado’s beauty, and can’t wait to explore more!
JUNYA NAKAJIMA
Senior Operations Manager
Welcome to Junya’s corner of the web! Born in the picturesque city of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Junya embarked on a transformative journey when he relocated to Japan at the age of 10, only to return to his roots in Colorado later on.
With an entrepreneurial spirit, Junya established a delicious fast casual hibachi restaurant in South Denver in 2014, showcasing his business acumen.
Junya manages the day-to-day operations at Sakura Square and reports to the CEO.
Beyond his work life, Junya finds joy in the simplicity of life—whether it’s hanging out with friends, playing soccer, hitting the gym for a workout, or escaping to the mountains for camping adventures, riverside relaxation, and exhilarating snowboarding sessions.
STACEY L. SHIGAYA
Executive Advisor
In her role as Executive Advisor, Stacey is responsible for the Human Resource functions of the LLC and works collaboratively with the CEO to support the objectives of Sakura Square LLC. She also contributes to the strategic planning, implementation, and branding of the Sakura Square redevelopment project.
Additionally, Stacey is the Executive Director of Sakura Foundation, parent organization to the LLC. The Foundation’s mission is to “celebrate and share Japanese and Japanese American culture and heritage in order to promote a more compassionate, resilient, and equitable society.” It fulfills this mission by offering scholarships and community grants, the Mirai Generations Leadership Program for young adults, Chibi no Gakko (Japanese K-8 cultural school), and many cultural events throughout the year. The largest event is the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival at Sakura Square each June, which Sakura Foundation co-presents with Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple.
Stacey was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and has fond memories of attending the Cherry Blossom Festival at Sakura Square as a child. She holds a BA in Human Development and Learning and an MS in Counseling and Personnel Services. Her varied professional experience includes market research in the automotive and cable industries, office management in the commercial real estate field, and affiliate relations with an Internet services company. She is member of Simpson United Methodist Church, whose multicultural congregation is deeply rooted in the Japanese American (JA) culture and experience. She is also a member of Japan America Society of Colorado, Denver-Takayama Sister City Committee, Mile High Japanese American Citizens League, Japanese American Resource Center of Colorado, and the Asian Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Stacey is a member of PFLAG Denver and served on its board for four years. She is a facilitator for PFLAG National’s API support groups. Stacey also serves on the Denver Women’s Commission, which promotes social and economic quality of life in Denver by assisting women in the attainment of equality and full opportunity.
Both of Stacey’s parents were forcibly incarcerated in concentration camps during WWII and later relocated to Colorado. Due in large part to the experiences that her parents endured, she has great respect, gratitude, and a sense of honor toward the Japanese American, Metro Denver, and Colorado communities.