Business Model

The Nikkei Museum’s mission is to convey inspiration to all Japanese generations in Canada. Their
strategy to achieving this is by making it a priority to split Japanese traditions and history all for a better
Canada. Therefore, the Nikkei Museum is much more focused on raising the awareness of Japanese
Canadian relations. This is illustrated by their exhibit structure as it is split into three categories: historical,
culture, and contemporary.

In terms of business model, the Nikkei Museum would be considered a non-profit business as their
primary objective is to give accurate recounts of historic events (ie. World War 2). They host over 30
events a year with the ambition of connecting the five generations of Japanese people who have lived in
Canada. Once such example would be the “Taiken Tours” which are designed to give students firsthand
experience of Japanese Culture and Japanese Canadian history from personal stories from the elder
generations of Japanese Canadians. Additionally, the Nikkei Museum events will cover other categories
such as “Internment Camps Tour Buses” and “Manga Camps” which attract over 1300 students every
summer. These events are meant to motivate young Japanese Canadians by creating cultural programs
such as the “Minyo Japanese Dance”, Martial Arts Classes, Tea Ceremonies, Calligraphy, Flower
Arrangement, Fitness Classes, and many more.

By offering all these events and fundraisers

throughout the year, on top of charging for
admission/membership, the museum is able
to support itself thanks to the community as
is common with most non-profit business
models. Additionally, the Nikkei Museum
has 2 other facilities which operate under its
name:

1. New Sakura So
Provides subsidized, independent housing
for Japanese seniors age 55 and over.

2. Robert Nimi Nikkei Home Assisted

Living Housing
A four story high building with about 60
bedroom apartments which provides the
residents with meals, cleaning, laundry,
and personal care.

The poster above advocates for the general public to help create, connect, and be a maverick. By leaning
on the general public for volunteers the Nikkei Museum is able to further save on overhead costs.
Day to Day Operational Challenges

Speaking with one of the coordinators at the Nikkei Museum, the biggest challenge is currently
finance. The current day-to-day operations are at risk as it can be very difficult to ramp up staff for events
while still being able to maintain day-to-day operations when business is slow. The museum tries its best
to attract creative individuals but cannot afford to keep up with the staff turnover rate as well as
volunteers.

Most of the money the Nikkei Museum receives comes from the Canadian Heritage, however, this just
enough to keep things running. Attempting to plan for future development in this case is tough without
fundraising and donations. In 2002 the Nikkei Place attempted to raise 10 million dollars for an innovation
program but came up quite short. Because of these budget issues, the museum is lacking in modern
computer software and systems, shortening their reach even more as they are not very active on social
media.

Plans for Future Development and Growth

The Nikkei Museum has begun construction on an expansion to house more artifacts for its permanent
exhibit. They have asked for 1 million dollars from individuals and federal funds; however, they are still
short on budget for their full plan. This would include opening another Nikkei Museum in Toronto. Right
now, they are heavily focused on creating more events each season in hopes of driving up short-term
revenue.

Recommendations to solve Operation Challenges

As stated above, Finance is currently the biggest challenge for the Nikkei Museum. While their current
strategy of increasing the number of events each season is a good start, it is greatly hindered by their
dated technology. So, while it may be an upfront cost, I believe it makes the most sense to invest in
upgrading the software and computer systems first. Assuming they are able to raise a location in Toronto
in the near future, this technical infrastructure would be crucial.