Classes & Events

Desert Wind and Strings – a concert and gallery exhibit

by Jill Shiraki | Sep 28, 2023 | Classes & Events, Other News

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.

J-Town Documentary Screening with Tad Nakamura and Akira Boch

by Jill Shiraki | Sep 28, 2023 | Classes & Events

Documentary Screenings of:

Benkyodo: The Last Manju Shop in J-Town and

Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town

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

Movie Night – Sleepy Eyes of Fun!

by Kathy Hashimoto | Aug 31, 2023 | Classes & Events

J-Sei At the Movies: Samurai Watch Party

Friday, November 10, 2023 (on Zoom)

This program originally scheduled for September is back on!

We will screen one of the films from the famed Nemuri Kyōshirō series, known in the U.S. as “Sleepy Eyes of Death” — 12 chambara films made in the 1960s starring matinee idol Ichikawa Raizo as the anti-hero ronin who travels the countryside and falls unwillingly into adventure and intrigue. While several versions of this story appeared in movies and TV throughout the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, it was the version with Ichikawa, who was known as the “James Dean of Japan,” that is probably best known and loved. The film series would surely have continued beyond 12 films if not for the tragic early death of its star.

RSVP with “Nov Movie Night” in the subject line. We’ll send a Zoom link prior to the event. See you at the movies!

J-Sei Movie Night Bento

We’ll keep you updated if Movie Night Bento is happening. Please stay tuned. 🙂

MY FRIEND YUJI

Support J-Sei At the Movies

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

We love having a growing and enthusiastic audience. We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for considering this.

J-Sei at the Movies: Japanese Movie Talk & Discussion

by Kathy Hashimoto | Aug 7, 2023 | Classes & Events

J-Sei Movie Night: Japanese Classic Movie

Friday, August 18, 2022 – 6:30 pm (on Zoom)

J-Sei Movie Night continues its summer program featuring meetings with scholars and professionals to educate us about the movies we love to watch.

For our next special program, on Friday, August 18, J-Sei Goes to the Movies to learn and talk about a groundbreaking work in Japanese film history. Our special guest, film scholar and programmer Rob Buscher, will introduce us to the classic Japanese film Crazed Fruit (狂った果実 in Japanese), which debuted in 1956 and launched an entirely new and radical film genre called taiyozoku (“Sun Tribe”) to the post-WWII generation of young filmgoers.

In this seminal Sun Tribe (taiyozoku) film from director Nakahira Kō, two brothers compete for the amorous favors of a young woman during a seaside summer of gambling, boating, and drinking. Adapted from the controversial novel by Ishihara Shintarō (who later became a very conservative mayor of Tokyo), and critically savaged for its lurid portrayal of the postwar sexual revolution among Japan’s young and privileged, Crazed Fruit is an anarchic outcry against tradition and the older generation.

The format for this month’s movie program is for each of us to watch the movie Crazed Fruit on our own (on streaming services or dvd rental—we’ll tell you how) beforehand. Then, on August 18, we’ll get together on Zoom to hear Prof. Buscher’s presentation about the movie and bring our own questions and comments to the group discussion that will follow.

This is an exciting opportunity to learn more about classic Japanese cinema from the experts. Please join us for a fun and enlightening evening!

RSVP with “August Movie Night” in the subject line.
We’ll send info to watch the movie and the Zoom link prior to the Aug 18 event.

Meet Our Speaker

Rob Buscher is a film and media specialist, educator, curator, and published author who has held leadership positions in non-profit organizations for over a decade. As a person of mixed-race Japanese American heritage who is deeply involved in his community, Rob also has an expertise in cultural sensitivity training, community organizing, and advocacy issues related to the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Rob serves as Philadelphia Chapter President of the civil rights group Japanese American Citizens League and lectures part-time at University of Pennsylvania’s Asian American Studies Program.

J-Sei Movie Night Bento – August 18

For movie night, you can order specially made obento from My Friend Yuji for pickup on Friday, August 18 in conjunction with Movie Night. Here are Chef Yuji’s mouth-watering offerings:

Yasai Agebitashi – Fried eggplant and okra marinated in dashi (can share between 2-3 people) – $14
Corn and Tomato Pasta – Creamy chicken & corn sauce, fresh corn and summer tomatoes flashed and mixed into pasta – $18
Salmon Teriyaki Donburi – Salmon teriyaki, daikon pickles, greens and koshihikari rice – $18

Click on the button below to place your order. Pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday, August 18. Please observe safety protocols when picking up your bento at J-Sei. Thank you!

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 a bento and select the number you want to order; repeat with other bento if desired. 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 in its Sixth Year! We look forward to more creative programming with educational and inspiring Japanese and Japanese American films. We are especially grateful for the up close and personal chats with filmmakers and experts as we learn so much from the exchange.

We love having a growing and enthusiastic audience. We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for considering this.

Okaeri Voices with Suzie and Ellen

by Jill Shiraki | Aug 7, 2023 | Classes & Events

Okaeri Voices with Suzie and Ellen

Saturday, August 19, 2 pm

“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.

Haruko Obata: A Life of Flowers

by Jill Shiraki | Aug 6, 2023 | Classes & Events, Other News

Haruko Obata: A Life of Flowers

Saturday, September 9, 2 pm — In-Person and Online

“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.

Desert Wind and Strings – a concert and gallery exhibit