Cactus Blossoms: Poetry In (and Beyond) Gila River

Cactus Blossoms: Poetry In (and Beyond) Gila River

by | Sep 21, 2024 | Classes & Events

Cactus Blossoms: Poetry In (and Beyond) Gila River

Saturday, October 19, 2 pm

Archeologist Koji Lau-Ozawa and poet Brynn Saito share their journey rediscovering Cactus Blossoms, an anthology of poetry written by high school students who were incarcerated at the Gila River camp during World War II. From striking desert imagery to prayerful longings for freedom, the poems express the complex inner life of those confined in the Arizona desert. Brynn and Koji—both yonsei descendants of grandparents incarcerated at Gila River—embarked on a quest to find and interview the Cactus Blossom poets.

They’ll screen a short documentary they produced, and discuss the unique intersection of poetry, memory, and history. Brynn will close the event with a reading from Under a Future Sky, her latest book of poems inspired by a pilgrimage she took with her father to Gila River in 2019. 

RSVP for in-person or online.

Brynn Saito is a poet and English Professor at Fresno State.
Koji Lau-Ozawa is an archaeologist and Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UCLA

 

Connecting Across Generations: Bringing the Japanese American community together

Connecting Across Generations: Bringing the Japanese American community together

by | Aug 28, 2024 | Classes & Events, Other News

Connecting Across Generations: Bringing the Japanese American community together through conversations & food.

 

Saturday, September 7 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 

J-Sei 1285 66th St, Emeryville, CA

We will enjoy food together and have the opportunity to meet others in the community! This is a time for us to connect, engage in intergenerational conversations, and be in community.

Don’t forget to fill out this RSVP form! If you have questions please email: jill@j-sei.org. All are welcome!

Participating Orgs: Berkeley JACL, J-Sei, JAWA UCB, Young Professionals Network, UC Berkeley Asian American Research Center, JAYA, Berkeley Nikkei Student Union, Okaeri NorCal, Berkeley Buddhist Temple

We look forward to seeing you there!

Taste of Mokuhanga – Japanese Woodblock Intro Workshop

Taste of Mokuhanga – Japanese Woodblock Intro Workshop

by | Aug 28, 2024 | Classes & Events, Other News

Fall 2024 Workshop

Taste of Mokuhanga: Japanese Woodblock Intro Workshop

Friday, Sept 20th — 1 to 4 pm  [New date]

Join us for a 3-hour introductory Japanese Woodblock Print workshop. Participants will be introduced to the art of Japanese woodblock printing called Ukiyo-E technique. Tomoko Murakami, a Japanese-born printmaking artist, will demonstrate the carving and printing processes.

Participants will create small Ukiyo-E prints while learning to carve their woodblocks! All materials are provided, and all levels are welcome.

Class fee: $25 (includes materials)

Reserve your space by clicking on the button below.  Please check the box for “Write us a comment.” and indicate who will be taking the workshop. If this is your first time taking an in-person class at J-Sei, please register here.   

 

Japanese Movie Night – Sept 2024

Japanese Movie Night – Sept 2024

by | Aug 25, 2024 | Classes & Events

J-Sei At The Movies (on Zoom)
Friday, Sept 13, 6:30 pm

J-Sei Movie Night is in its 7th year dedicated to the wonderful and fascinating world of Japanese cinema, as well as Japanese American and AAPI films too!

Join us for our next Japanese Movie watch to be held on Friday, Sept 13th.  Our curator is filtering through her collection and resources to decide which film we can enjoy next  – so many to choose from and you, our audience, are becoming such seasoned J-Movie enthusiasts.

If you are interested to joining us, please RSVP to jill@j-sei.org with “Sept Movie 2024” in the subject line to receive the Zoom info prior to the event.

See you at the movies!

Japanese Woodblock Class

Japanese Woodblock Class

by | Aug 24, 2024 | Classes & Events

Mokuhanga: Japanese Woodblock – six 3-hr classes

Fall Session: Fridays, Sept 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, & 25

9:30 am -12:30 pm

Mokuhanga – a water-based Japanese woodblock printmaking – is environmentally friendly and can be done at home, any time, and anywhere without a press! Participants will learn the basics of this unique process, carving the woodblock, using kento (registration system), and printing with water-based ink on Japanese paper. Participants will create a small edition of beautiful, multicolor prints. All levels are welcome.
The suggested donation for the six class session will be $150( includes $45 materials fee).
Limited space is available. RSVP here. This class is for beginners and continuing students.  For any questions, please email jill@j-sei.org
 
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