Saturday, October 21, 2 pm
ShiPu Wang, curator of the Chiura Obata retrospective and professor of art history at UC Merced, returns to J-Sei to talk about his new exhibition, Miné Okubo’s Eyes: A Life in Colors, the first survey of Okubo’s seven-decade career for the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties in Riverside since 2012. This event presented by Friends of Topaz Museum is free of charge. RSVP on Eventbrite.
Saturday, November 4, 2 pm
A concert by koto musician Shirley Muramoto,her students, with guest artist Bando Hiroshichiro
To honor musicians held in Japanese American prison camps who performed traditional instruments, musician Shirley Muramoto and her students will perform. Hear the music of newly restored koto and shamisen instruments that have not been played since the family departed Topaz camp, and a restored shakuhachi whose owner was interned in the Fort Lincoln Internment Camp in Bismarck, North Dakota. Kabuki dancer and teacher Bando Hiroshichiro will perform a Nihon Buyo traditional dance that was well known to the Issei generation. Made possible in part by Alliance for California Traditional Arts, California Arts Council, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Walter and Elise Haas Foundation. Presented by Friends of Topaz Museum and J-Sei.
Suggested donation: $10-$15. Limited seating available. RSVP at Eventbrite.
“Desert Winds & Strings: A Historical Exhibit” shares the story of Japanese traditional artists who performed in America’s concentration camps. The exhibit will be on display from November 1 to 17 in the J-Sei gallery. Gallery Hours: MWF 10-1, TuTh 1-5, and by appointment.
Photo: Koto, shamisen and shakuhachi performance, Topaz concentration camp. ca. 1944 Courtesy of Kent Nakamoto.
Sunday, November 12, 3 to 5 pm
Join us for a special screening of “BENKYODO: The Last Manju Shop in J-Town” and “ATOMIC CAFÉ: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town”. two seminal short documentaries that explore themes of gentrification, displacement, and community power with humor and heart, directed by Akira Boch and Tadashi Nakamura.
Come to the screening, hear from the filmmakers, and enjoy a light reception hosted by Chef Yuji Ishikata. Reserve your tickets now as space is limited. Suggested donation: $20/ticket
“Okaeri Voices” is an oral history project featuring LGBTQ+ and allied Japanese Americans over 60 who share their journeys of heartbreak, self-discovery, and triumph, inspiring us to believe in an inclusive future for our Nikkei LGBTQ+ community. Season One features George Takei, Mia Yamamoto, Bill Tashima, Harold & Ellen Kameya, Dean Goishi, Desiree Thompson, and Gary Hayashi. Check out bit.ly/OkaeriYoutube to watch all episodes!
Join the Okaeri-Northern Cal Watch Party to view an “Okaeri Voices” video featuring Suzie Endow and Ellen Tanouye, followed by a conversation. Suzie and Ellen met when their two sons were young. Their friendship continued through the years and they supported each other through many of life’s transitions. Despite all the obstacles, they fell in love and came out later in life. They remain best friends and life partners.
The program is co-sponsored by Okaeri-Northern Cal, J-Sei, and Berkeley JACL.
Please reserve a free ticket to receive a reminder and ZOOM link.
“If you know flower arranging you do not grow old, for it is eternal.” Haruko Obata
Haruko Obata (1892-1989) was a pioneering Bay Area ikebana sensei who began displaying her classic Japanese flower arrangements to Americans as early as 1915. Kimi Hill will share her grandmother’s story based on a 1986 oral history, exploring Haruko’s youth in Japan as well as her life as the wife of artist Chiura Obata and a mother of four children,
her forced incarceration at Topaz, and her long career as an artist in her own right. Assisting in this presentation will be Sogetsu Ikebana teacher Keiko Kubo and J-Sei ikebana students who will create ikebana arrangements to accompany the program. Presented by Friends of Topaz Museum and J-Sei.
Please reserve a free ticket to receive reminders and a ZOOM link.