About Us

Mission:
To instill life skills in cultural awareness, dedication, teamwork and musicianship in young performing artists of Japan and the United States through various performing arts groups.

Vision:
To give both American and Japanese musicians and performers a venue to express themselves in a group enviroment while traveling and performing in both North America and Japan. We see our organization not only as competitive, but educational as well. We believe members will gain an understanding and respect for each others' cultures as well as for themselves. Yamato continues to cater to young musicians and performers under the age of 22, from various regions in Japan and North America.

Brief History:
Yamato was founded in Kyoto, Japan in 1995 as an opportunity for young Japanese performing artists to perform and experience the drum & bugle corps activity in the United States. The first corps took the field in 1997 and completed its first North American tour with a mixture of both Japanese and American performers. After achieving finalst status in Drum Corps International's Division 2 & 3 finals in 1998, Yamato filed for and was approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in the state of California, under the name "Yamato Youth Arts Association, Inc." Since then, Yamato has catered to over 400 young musicians in both the United States and Japan, giving them the opportunity to perform and compete in a multi-cultural environment.

Board of Directors

• Mr. Cary Weinstein - President
• Mr. Jesus Holguin - Vice President
• Col. Michael Carlson - Secretary
• Mr. Michael Nicklaus - Historian

Executive Director - Bobby Ohtsuki
North American Corps Director - Edward B. Martin
Japan Corps Director - Hidetoshi Kanbayashi