J-Sei Oshogatsu Celebration
Friday, January 27th (Hybrid: In-Person and Online)
“The year of The Rabbit is one where the sacrifices of the past are rewarded generously. All the seeds of effort we have sown shall finally bear fruit whose sweetness is determined by the purity of our heart’s intent.” [Year of the Rabbit. Lifestyle Asia]
What are your intentions for the new year? Our hope and intention at J-Sei is to keep us all connected in community.
11 am – Join us for our Oshogatsu celebration in an intergenerational exchange with students from the American International Montessori School. Enjoy Japanese games with the children, create calligraphy to greet the new year, and learn odori together.
12 pm – Then, enjoy a classic celebratory dish of Chirashizushi, with friends at J-Sei or pick-up To-Go.
1 pm – Our J-Sei Oshogatsu Celebration will be a hybrid program – in-person and online. The program will feature “Silly Green Mask”, a new book by Judith Kajiwara, with illustrations by Felicia Hoshino. A special presentation by the American International Montessori School and odori by Keiko Allen and J-Sei Minyo no Odori.
RSVP to jill@j-sei.org with “Oshogatsu” in the subject line. Please indicate if you plan to join us in-person or pick-up To-Go. The suggested donation is $12. You can pay using the online option below or bring cash or check on the day of pick-up. Limited space available.
Silly Green Mask by Judith Kajiwara, with illustrations by Felicia Hoshino
Silly Green Mask had been sitting in a file cabinet for 40 years. It was recently found when its author, now a grandma, decided to recycle decades of papers from her files. Folded away were the yellow, tattered pages of a true story she’d written when she was a young single mother. She had once dreamed of making it into a children’s story book. But life got in the way and the dream was forgotten. Upon finding the story, a little bird tweeted, “It’s never too late to make your forgotten dream come true.” Having no clue how to start, she began visualizing her dream until it came to be.
Silly Green Mask is about a very imaginative 3-year-old girl and her younger sister. At pre-school, the girl draws a silly face on green construction paper. Her teacher cuts it out, fashions it into a mask with eye holes, and attaches a string. The mask becomes a source of fun and theater for the girl, instantly turning her into an animated, make-believe character.
Silly Green Mask is about love, family, innocence, imagination and the importance of choice.
The book will be available for $23. Please let us know in advance if you would like your copy signed by the author.
Author Judith Kajiwara – Since growing up on a small farm in Livingston, California, Judith Kajiwara has been on a life-long spiritual quest to find truth, freedom and joy. Livingston is home to the Yamato Colony where many Issei (first generation Japanese) farmers settled in the late 1800s. As a Sansei (third generation Japanese American), church, community and culture established the foundation for her life. After high school, she attended UC Berkeley where she worked as a grassroots community organizer while earning her degree in psychology. In addition to writing, Judith continues to follow her passion for dance and healing. She is a seasoned Japanese Butoh solo performing artist, choreographer, dance teacher and Reiki energy healer.
Illustrator Felicia Hoshino – Born in San Francisco, California, Felicia Hoshino’s prize-winning illustrations can be found in children’s books such as Juna and Appa, A Place Where Sunflowers Grow, and Sora and the Cloud. She enjoys sketch-booking, illustrating portraits, cooking with her husband, and seeing her growing son’s and daughter’s creativity shine.