Love in the Library – A Book Event with Maggie Tokuda Hall

Love in the Library – A Book Event with Maggie Tokuda Hall

Love in the Library – A Book Event with Maggie Tokuda Hall

Sat, April 2

  • Author Talk with Maggie Tokuda Hall and special guest Wendy Tokuda – 1 pm
  • Book Sales & Signing – 2 pm
  • Pre-Event Bento – 11:30-12:30 pm pick up and picnic outdoors at J-Sei.

To fall in love is already a gift. But to fall in love in a place like Minidoka, a place built to make people feel like they weren’t human-that was miraculous. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tama is sent to live in a War Relocation Center in the desert. All Japanese Americans from the West Coast elderly people, children, babies-now live in prison camps like Minidoka. To be who she is has become a crime, it seems, and Tama doesn’t know when or if she will ever leave. Trying not to think of the life she once had, she works in the camp’s tiny library, taking solace in pages bursting with color and light, love and fairness. And she isn’t the only one. George waits each morning by the door, his arms piled with books checked out the day before.

Beautifully illustrated and complete with an afterword, back matter, and a photo of the real Tama and George-the author’s grandparents, Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s elegant love story for readers of all ages sheds light on a shameful chapter of American history.

Maggie Tokuda-Hall is the author of Also an Octopus, illustrated by Benji Davies, the novel The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, and the graphic novel Squad. She lives in Oakland, California.

Yas Imamura is the illustrator of The Very Oldest Pear Tree by Nancy I. Sanders, Winged Wonders by Meeg Pincus, and other books for children. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Wendy Tokuda (Special Guest)  is an award-winning journalist who worked as a primetime anchor in local TV news for almost 40 years, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area.

BOOK EVENT – details

11:30-12:30 pmPre-Event Bento Picnic – Pick-up To-Go or eat outdoors at J-Sei.

1:00-2:00 pmHybrid Book Event – an in-person or online reading. Limited seats are available. Contact jill@j-sei.org to reserve your seats. Participants must show proof of vaccination.

2:00 – 3:00 pmMeet Author Maggie Tokuda Hall –  book sales and signing to follow outdoors at:

J-Sei, 1285 66th Street, Emeryville (near Hollis St).

RSVP on Eventbrite

 

Buy A Book

Purchase your book at the event or pre-order book from Eastwind Books.  Use coupon code “JSEI” at checkout. Indicate pick up on April 2nd at J-Sei or request shipping.

PRE-ORDER BENTO

With the spring season, we thought it would be fun to have you join the community for Pre-Event lunch outdoors.

Order from MY FRIEND YUJI.

Love In The Library Menu

Kids Huli Chicken & Salmon Donburi – $8 

marinated huli chicken / salmon / macaroni salad / broccoli / rice


Tuna Poke over rice – $18 
marinated tuna / sushi rice / macaroni salad / edamame salad

Loco Moco – $18
llano seco pork and akaushi beef patty / gravy / soft egg / rice / macaoni salad / cabbage slaw

Lomi Opae – $9
1/2 pint Opae(dried and fresh shrimp) / tomato / sweet onion / pepper / green onion/ vinegar / shoyu 

 

 

Order from MY FRIEND YUJI.

Instructions: Click “Order Now”. Select pick-up times of 11:30, 12:00 or 12:30. Choose menu item. Add item. View order. Then, continue to payment.

Pick up at J-Sei, 1285 66th Street, Emeryville.  Enjoy lunch outdoors.

 

Hope & Peace in 2022

Hope & Peace in 2022

HOPE & PEACE in 2022!

We invite you to a Virtual Oshogatsu Celebration, a special program with Claudine Naganuma to share her work with Dance with PD and their trip to Kyoto on Friday, January 28th, 1 pm

With more challenges to endure, we call on the Year of the Tiger to bring strength and determination to carry us through.

A special chirashi bento is available by pre-order for pick-up.  Suggested donation: $12  

To RSVP for ZOOM link, email jill@j-sei.org with “Hope & Peace” in subject line.

Peace About Life: Dancing with Parkinson’s

featuring Claudine Naganuma, artistic director of dNaga Dance Company

Friday, January  28, 2022 1 to 2pm PST

 

Celebrating 20 years with dNaga, artistic director Claudine Naganuma will share about the artistic process, art as a tool for healing, Dance for Parkinson’s and their performance at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Kyoto. Claudine will be joined by Cathy Wake Quides who will share reflections on Dance for PD and performing with dNaga in Japan.

For more information about Dance for PD® or dNaga visit dNaga.org

Photo by Solitaire Miguel, dancer Claudine Naganuma

Book Cover Photo by Matt Haber

Oshogatsu Bento

We do miss dining with you.

Although we cannot be together in person, we are offering a limited number of chirashi bento by Chef Yuji for a $12 donation.  The bento pick up times on Jan 28th will be assigned for 12 or 12:30 to maintain social distancing protocol.

Please complete your order below. You can indicate the number of bento you are ordering by clicking on the comment box and adding a note to us.

If you have any questions or would like to order by phone, please call J-Sei  at (510) 654-4000

Peace About Life, Support the Work

Peace About Life: Dancing with Parkinson’s, a book in both English and Japanese, offers first-hand accounts of struggling, thriving, re-defining identity, and finding peace while living with Parkinson’s disease. Claudine Naganuma, artistic director of dNaga Dance Company and certified Dance for PD® instructor, spent years interviewing dancers living with Parkinson’s disease, as well as some of their neurologists. The interviews were then taken into the studio to inspire and serve as audio for dance pieces.

The book is available for $20 with all proceeds to support Dance for PD free workshops.  Order the book below or make a donation to support dNaga Dance Co.

Senior Housing: Finding the Right Fit

Senior Housing: Finding the Right Fit

Senior Housing: Finding the Right Fit
Thurs, Feb 10, 2 pm

With advanced age, transitions in the home, health and mobility concerns, isolation, and other care needs, how do we determine what options are available and what is the best fit for ourselves or our loved ones.

Learn about the different types of senior housing scenarios and level of care provided. Consider your priorities and what questions to ask when you visit different senior housing locations.  Miyuki Iwata and Veta Jacqulin, J-Sei Case Managers, will provide a framework to begin this conversation. We invite you to bring your questions and share your experience with finding senior housing options.

Consider options in advance for yourself and loved ones. Begin the conversation.

RSVP for the ZOOM link with “Senior Housing” in the subject line.

New movie night subgroup for DVD lending & discussion

New movie night subgroup for DVD lending & discussion

Next meeting on Zoom – Sep 24 at 4pm
RSVP here (put “J-Sei K-Drama” in the subject line)

We will discuss:

  • Miss Night and Day, a Korean series currently on Netflix;
  • Recommendations for K-dramas or movies;
  • Continue our study of Korean history;
  • Pachinko season 2 has started on Apple+, which we will discuss in future (you might also want to rewatch season 1).

Also:

  • We are starting a subgroup devoted just to BTS! If interested in joining, please let Jane know (use RSVP link above).
  • Don’t forget: you can borrow a DVD. The list (see below) keeps growing!

New pilot program to share DVDs and discuss

J-Sei Movie Night members have been asking for a way to share their favorite films and learn about movies and TV shows that are available. During this long pandemic, it seems more important than ever to share our resources and make sure everyone is connecting and flourishing.

In that spirit, we’re initiating a program so that DVDs can circulate to interested folks. At the same time, we’re providing a forum for discussion and feedback, to discuss films, TV shows, and any other media of interest. We’ve also expanded our project to include other Asian and American films and TV dramas in addition to Japanese films and programs.

J-Sei is hosting a series of Zoom meetings to talk about topics of interest. First up is K-dramas: what folks have enjoyed and are currently watching and what makes K-dramas so compelling. The first discussion was held in January 2022. The K-drama genre has proven to be so popular that it is continuing as an ongoing group meeting for fans, both beginners and aficionados!

Take a look at the spreadsheet below. It shows a list of Korean TV dramas available for borrowing; there’s a separate sheet listing Japanese and Japanese American DVDs as well (if you’re interested, please let us know). The sheet shows series title/alternative title, year, synopsis, user ratings, and more. (Titles that are currently loaned out are highlighted in blue.) This resource list has been growing over time to include hundreds of DVDs of all kinds.

If you would like to borrow one or more items on the spreadsheet, please contact Jane Tanamachi (janetanama@yahoo.com). Please be sure to put “J-Sei DVD” in the subject line of your email.

All are welcome to participate — by borrowing or lending a DVD or by adding your feedback and ideas to our ongoing community chat.

Happy Viewing!

 

 

Shibori and Indigo Dyeing Workshop

Shibori and Indigo Dyeing Workshop

Shibori and Indigo Dyeing Workshop
Sat, Jan 22 or Sun, 23 from 1 to 4 pm

Shibori, derived from the Japanese word “shiboru” which means to wring, squeeze or press, is an ancient technique of resist dyeing. While there are many traditional techniques such as knotting, stitching, pole wrapping, or clamping that create different patterns, the Indigo dyeing of natural fabrics creates distinctive deep blue and white products that are uniquely Japanese.

Workshop Fee: $30 covers the dye, tools and 1 tea towel. Participants are welcome to bring 1 additional item (pillow case, tshirt, pair of socks) or up to 1 yard of cotton fabric to work with. Sign up early for this hands-on workshop and experiment with creating your own one-of-a-kind design. RSVP to jill@j-sei.org, indicate “Shibori” in memo with preferred date.  WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.  Please RSVP for Waiting List.

The workshop has been rescheduled for Sat, March 19 & Sun, March 20.

 

 

 

           

 

 

For Pre-Registered Participants: 

To pay in advance electronically, use the payment box below. If you prefer to pay by check or cash, please pay on the day of the workshop.

Script Reading of “Kintsukuroi”, by Kerwin Berk

Script Reading of “Kintsukuroi”, by Kerwin Berk

A Script Reading of “Kintsukuroi” by Kerwin Berk
Friday, January 14th, 6:30 pm

Ikeibi Films will be partnering with J-Sei for a table read of select scenes from the new film Kintsukuroi, which will go into production in early 2022. The program will include live readings on Zoom by the actual cast, who will also be available for a Q&A afterward.

Kintsukuroi is a sweeping story about the lives of two Japanese American families as they struggle to deal with the devastating events of World War II. The new feature-length film is the latest project from Ikeibi Films and expands the stories of many of the characters who were first introduced in the short narrative film, “KIKAN – The Homecoming.”

Wendy Ito has to grow up quickly after she and her family are imprisoned in Topaz and lose everything. Shigeo Fujiwara’s life is irreparably changed when he answers the loyalty questionnaire. And Jimmy Ibata struggles to find his way after returning from the battlefields of Europe.

RSVP to jill@j-sei.org and indicate Movie Night 1/14 in the subject line.

J-Sei Movie Night Bento

For movie night, order special obento from My Friend Yuji. Here are this month’s offerings:

  • Okinawan Taco Rice  – Seasoned Ground beef, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, pico de gallo and cheese over Japanese rice –  $16
  • Poke Bombs – 8 pieces of Hawaiian style poke/rice filled Inarizushi (tuna & salmon) – $20

 

ORDER NOW

When you click on the button below, 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.

Pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday, January 14th.

Please remember to wear a mask and observe social distance protocol. Thank you!