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Tanaka Farms · Irvine, California
Tanaka Day
September 19–20, 2026
Celebrating Families Connected Through the Tanaka Name
Whether your connection to the Tanaka name goes back generations or began more recently, we invite you to join us for the inaugural Tanaka Day at Tanaka Farms in Irvine, California.
Tanaka Day is a weekend dedicated to celebrating family, friendship, heritage, and the many journeys that connect us.
Complete the Tanaka Day Interest Form →Who is invited?
Tanaka Day is for anyone connected to the Tanaka name:
- Born a Tanaka
- Married a Tanaka
- Related to a Tanaka
- Know a Tanaka
Everyone is welcome.
Stay connected
Planning continues every week, and we’d love to keep you informed.
If you’re interested in attending or simply receiving updates as plans develop, please complete the Tanaka Day Interest Form.
By joining our email list, you’ll receive:
- Tanaka Day announcements
- Registration information
- Event updates
- Tanaka Heritage Project news
- Featured family stories and collections
- Future community updates
What is Tanaka Day?
Tanaka Day was created to bring together people connected through the Tanaka name for a fun, family-oriented weekend unlike any other.
Some families have carried the Tanaka name in America for generations. Others have more recent connections to Japan, Hawaii, or other parts of the Japanese American story. Still others are connected through marriage, relatives, friendships, or community.
However you are connected, we hope Tanaka Day becomes a place where old friendships are renewed, new friendships are formed, and family stories are shared.
Our hope is that the inaugural gathering becomes the beginning of an annual tradition that continues for generations.
Weekend highlights
Plans continue to evolve, but activities are expected to include:
- Opening Ceremony
- Tanaka Family Photo
- Meet Tanaka Families
- Food and Farm Experiences
- Entertainment
- Vendors
- Children’s Activities
- Tanaka Heritage Displays
- And much more
The Tanaka Heritage Project
One of the highlights of Tanaka Day is the launch of the Tanaka Heritage Project, an ongoing effort to preserve the stories, photographs, traditions, and history of Tanaka families whose journeys connect Japan and the United States.
The Heritage Project currently includes four collections:
- Tanaka Family Journey Collection
- Tanaka Family Kamon Collection
- Our Roots in Japan
- The First Tanaka in America
We invite you to explore the collections, learn more about each project, and contribute your family’s history for future generations.
Explore the Tanaka Heritage Project →Project journal
Update #1 — June 27, 2026
The response to Tanaka Day has been beyond anything I expected.
Since introducing the event, we have heard from 72 individuals and families connected to the Tanaka name from California, Hawaii, Arizona, Florida, and even Okinawa, Japan. Together, we have already identified family roots in Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Miyagi, Yamaguchi, Gifu, Shizuoka, Kanagawa, Okayama, Okinawa, and many other prefectures across Japan.
We’ve also heard remarkable stories of farming families, picture brides, military service, wartime incarceration, Hawaii plantation life, post-war immigration, and family traditions spanning generations.
The response has reinforced that Tanaka Day is becoming much more than a gathering. It is becoming a community dedicated to celebrating and preserving the history, heritage, and connections of Tanaka families.
Thank you to everyone who has already joined us. If you haven’t yet completed the Tanaka Day Interest Form, we’d love to hear from you and welcome you to the growing Tanaka Day community.
Update #2 — July 6, 2026
The excitement surrounding Tanaka Day continues to grow.
In just over four weeks, more than 120 people have completed the Tanaka Day Interest Form, representing families from across California and several other states, with connections reaching back to communities throughout Japan.
This week also marks the launch of the Tanaka Heritage Project. Four Heritage Collections are now open, giving families an opportunity to preserve and share their stories for future generations:
- Tanaka Family Journey Collection
- Tanaka Family Kamon Collection
- Our Roots in Japan
- The First Tanaka in America
If you’re considering contributing to the Tanaka Family Journey Collection, we encourage you to begin gathering photographs, talking with relatives, and recording family memories now. Family stories often take the most time to prepare, and starting early will help ensure your family’s journey can become part of the inaugural collection.
Thank you to everyone who has joined this growing community. Your enthusiasm, encouragement, and willingness to share your family’s history are helping transform Tanaka Day into something that will extend well beyond a single weekend.
Join the Tanaka Day community
There’s still time to become part of the inaugural Tanaka Day.
Whether you’re planning to attend, want to stay informed, or simply wish to reconnect with other families connected through the Tanaka name, we’d love to hear from you.
Complete the Tanaka Day Interest Form →
