Awe of Japanese Magic with David Hirata

Awe of Japanese Magic with David Hirata

by | Feb 2, 2022 | Classes & Events

Awe of Japanese Magic with David Hirata

Sunday, February 27th, 6 pm

A virtual program with live and multimedia performance, held in conjunction with J-Sei’s 31st Annual Crab Feed

Click here to JOIN ONLINE EVENT

Intrigued by the beauty and illusion of classic feats of illusion and sleight of hand, David Hirata performs magic along with stories that weave in the history and influence of Japanese magic (wazuma) in America. In his solo show “Box Without A Bottom: Soko-nashi Bako,” Hirata introduced Namigoro Sumidagawa, the first Japanese to receive a passport to America, who traveled with the Imperial Troupe in 1866 and dazzled Victorian audiences with his stage magic. Sumidagawa’s most famous illusions included Soko-nashi Bako, which was notoriously appropriated by American magicians in yellowface and rechristened the “J*p Box,” and Ukare-no Cho, or “Paper Butterflies.”

Interspersing his own journey as a magician, Hirata also reveals the ingenious techniques of twentieth-century master magician Tenkai Ishida, known for Tenkai Palm and other card manipulation techniques.

Delightful and dexterous, David Hirata has amazed audiences throughout the Bay Area with theatrical magic and private shows. Previous shows include “Kanji by Starlight” at The Marsh, “American Wizards” at the California Magic Dinner Theater, and “A Box Without A Bottom” at the San Diego International Fringe Festival (2018) and The Marsh (SF & Berkeley 2019).

“The Gentleman Deceiver: the smooth and sophisticated magic of David Hirata is a joy to behold.” – Gerry Griffin, owner of the California Magic Dinner Theater

RSVP at Eventbrite for tickets or email jill@j-sei.org with “Magic” in the subject line.

 

J-Sei At the Movies: Japanese Film Discussion

J-Sei At the Movies: Japanese Film Discussion

by | Feb 2, 2022 | Classes & Events

Hamaguchi discussion continues: Happy Hour
Friday, February 25 at 4:00pm
Watch Happy Hour on Kanopy, PlutoTV, Prime Video, or Criterion, then join us for a mini movie night to talk more about the films of Oscar nominee Hamaguchi Ryusuke
RSVP for Zoom link with “2/25 movie night” in the header

J-Sei At the Movies – the films of Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Friday, February 11, 6:30 pm via Zoom

The annual Academy Awards are approaching, and one director who is currently getting a lot of buzz is Japan’s Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who in 2021 premiered not one, but two films (Drive My Car and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy) to worldwide acclaim. Who is Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and what makes his films so special? We’ll spend the evening discussing his films and their international appeal.

Here is what we’d like to do: Before getting together on the 11th, each of us will watch Hamaguchi’s film ASAKO I & II (2018) on our own. You can access ASAKO I & II in a number of ways: via the streaming service Kanopy if you’re a library member (many public libraries also have the movie on DVD or Blu-ray); on the Criterion channel if you’re a subscriber; and for rent through Prime Video. Then, on February 11 we’ll all meet on Zoom to talk about that film and everyone’s thoughts about it.

ASAKO I & II (Japanese title: Netemo sametemo) is a “pop romance” depicting the perplexing love life of a young woman named Asako as she falls in love first with a charming drifter named Baku and then with young businessman Ryohei, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Baku but has a completely different personality. What will Asako do?

You are welcome to watch other Hamaguchi films if you can. DRIVE MY CAR is currently playing in theaters. WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY is not presently available, but may be shortly. HAPPY HOUR (2015) can be found on Kanopy, Criterion channel, Pluto TV, and Prime Video—this is an excellent film, but be warned: the entire movie runs for a total of 5 hours.

RSVP with “Feb Movie Night” in the subject line.
You’ll receive Zoom information prior to the event.

Please join us for this Valentine’s Day treat.

 

See you at the movies!

J-Sei Movie Night Bento

 

 

 

February 11 Bento

For movie night, you can order specially made obento from My Friend Yuji. Here are this month’s special offerings;

  • Asari sakamushi pasta (braised Manila clams in sake dashi and pasta) – $18
  • Pulled pork sandwich kit (homemade Hawaiian King style buns, lightly pickled cabbage and onions, slow-braised pork) – $18

 

MY FRIEND YUJI

To order: When you click on the button above, it will take you directly to a pop-up order form on the My Friend Yuji webpage, where you first select a pickup time. In the next window, click anywhere inside the box frame to open another pop-up and select the number of bento you want to order, then click on “Add item” to close the pop-up. Click the “View order” bar at the bottom to confirm your order and click “Continue to payment” to sign in and pay for your order.

Support J-Sei At the Movies

Thanks to you, J-Sei At the Movies is celebrating its fourth anniversary! We look forward to more creative programming with inspiring Japanese and Japanese American films. We are especially grateful for the up close and personal chats with filmmakers as we learn so much from the exchange.

We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for your good energy and support!

Travel Japan’s Countryside Part 3

Travel Japan’s Countryside Part 3

by | Feb 2, 2022 | Classes & Events, Other News

Travel Japan’s Countryside with Azusa – Part 3
Thursday, February 24, 3 pm

Our friend, inspired home chef, and creative innovator Azusa Oda has been journeying the Japanese countryside with her mom. Together, they have visited different inaka (rural countryside) communities in the Shikoku and Kyushu regions. In Part 2, we visited Kamiyama and discovered Somesho Irie, a natural dye studio, and the Kamiyama Artist in Residence that inspires hidden sculpture in the forest.

Join us for more conversation via ZOOM to hear about their travel to Itoshima and Arima in Kyushu. RSVP to jill@j-sei.org with “Azusa Travel” in the subject line.

Aging and Oral Health: What You Might Not Know

Aging and Oral Health: What You Might Not Know

by | Feb 1, 2022 | Classes & Events, Other News

Aging and Oral Health: What You Might Not Know

Thurs, March 10, 2022, 2 pm

What do we need to know about oral health as we age? What oral hygiene tips do seniors need to remember?  What concerns or changes in oral health should we be aware of as we age?  How do we help seniors in our care to maintain their oral health? Hear from Elisa Chavez, DDS whose experience in geriatric dentistry, elder care, and equity provide a solid foundation in helping us understand about oral healthcare needs.

Elisa M. Chávez, DDS is a Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco. She graduated from The University of California San Francisco, School of Dentistry and earned her certificate in Geriatric Dentistry from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Chávez has practiced in private, community health, long-term care and hospital settings. At the Dugoni School, she developed and directed extramural student rotations at On Lok Lifeways, a Program for All-Inclusive Care for Elders (PACE) serving frail, older adults in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is also the Director of The Pacific Center for Equity in Oral Health Care.

RSVP to jill@j-sei.org with “Oral Health” in subject line.

Navigating With(Out) Instruments, a Bay Area book event with traci kato-kiriyama

Navigating With(Out) Instruments, a Bay Area book event with traci kato-kiriyama

by | Feb 1, 2022 | Classes & Events, Other News

Navigating With(out) Instruments

A Bay Area book event with traci kato-kiriyama

Saturday, March 12, 2 pm

“traci kato-kiriyama’s Navigating With(out) Instruments will expand your heart and spirit in all directions – in the marrow of your bones, deep into the earth, out into the streets, and into the stars and beyond where our collective radical imagination and our ancestors of past, present and future beckon us to listen more, ask more questions, stoke our hunger for justice, and love in ways that crack us open beyond what we believed possible.” Yumi Sakugawa; author of Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One with the Universe

In Navigating With(out) Instruments, traci kato-kiriyama uses her present—political unrest, family love and loss, her own cancer diagnosis—to bridge the traumas of the past generations with the hope of the future ones. Often seamless, often with a loud bang, kato-kiriyama moves from genre to genre, from poetry to prose, essay to monologue to letters—framed by US colonialism and war mongering alongside the intimate navigation through memory, death, and transformation—to urge readers to protect and to share their legacies, both personal and communal, as a means of global survival.

Join us for an engaging and inspiring time at this Bay Area release celebration with traci kato kiriyama. The event is co-presented by Omusubi and J-Sei.

traci kato-kiriyama (they+she) is an award-winning multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary artist, recognized for their work as a writer, performer, theatre deviser, cultural producer, and community organizer.

Join us for a hybrid book event with an online reading, followed by a Meet the Author book sales and signing to follow at J-Sei, 1285 66th Street, Emeryville (near Hollis St).

RSVP on Eventbrite for the ZOOM link.