Mikami Holiday Wine Tasting

Mikami Holiday Wine Tasting

by | Dec 5, 2024 | Classes & Events, Featured

Mikami Holiday Wine Tasting

Sunday, December 15, 2 pm

J-Sei, 1285 66th Street, Emeryville

Come meet Jason (and hopefully Mitzi and Kate too) for a special presentation at J-Sei on Sunday Dec 15 at 2pm! Over the years, Jason Mikami of Mikami Vineyards and his family have generously donated their delicious wine and participated in J-Sei Flavors of Spring and other events. Out of this, an informal J-Sei Wine Club formed in 2021.

Jason will talk about the history of Mikami Vineyards and their wines. Plus you’ll have a chance to purchase bottles – great gifts for the holidays/new year and for yourself too! We’ll have nibbles to go with the wine tasting along with some music and a festive atmosphere.

If you’d like to attend our Mikami holiday wine tasting party on December 15 (friends and family are welcome!) please RSVP to give us an idea of head count for food.

Japanese Movie Matinee + Potluck

Japanese Movie Matinee + Potluck

by | Dec 1, 2024 | Classes & Events, Featured

J-Sei at the Movies
Friday, December 13, 2:00 pm (hybrid)

Special Matinee Start Time Plus Potluck!

Celebrate J-Sei Movie Night’s 7th year anniversary with us! Dedicated to the wonderful and fascinating world of Japanese cinema, our movie program offers a fun way to learn about and discuss Japanese history and culture through the lens of international film and commentary.

For our 7th anniversary party, join us for a hybrid program of movie watching, discussion, and fun. You can attend in person at J-Sei (indoors) for a special movie matinee plus potluck, or you can join us remotely via Zoom. We’ll watch an anime Christmas adventure film from 2003, TOKYO GODFATHERS, written and directed by legendary animator  Kon Satoshi, about three people on the margins of society who discover an abandoned newborn on Christmas Eve. [In Japanese with English subtitles.]

We’ll watch the movie first at its special start time of 2:00, followed by a group discussion. Then we’ll end the Zoom meeting and begin the party festivities and potluck feasting. Possible games and prizes too!

Hope you can join us on Friday, December 13, at 2:00pm (note the special daytime start time!). Send your RSVP to Jill (jill@j-sei.org) with “Dec movie night” in the subject line and be sure to indicate “in person” or “online” in your response. We’ll send Zoom info and reminders beforehand.

See you at the movies!

 J-Sei Movie Night Potluck

 
 
 
 
Chef Yuji is busy with plenty of holiday events this month, so we’re revisiting an old J-Sei Movie Night tradition: the potluck!
  • Bring a food or beverage to share – or just bring yourself!
  • Potluck theme: It’s A Party! Anything festive to eat or drink is welcome
  • We’ll eat following the movie & discussion.

Support J-Sei At the Movies

Thanks to you, J-Sei At the Movies is in its Seventh 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 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.

Berkeley Shoreline, The North Basin Strip

Berkeley Shoreline, The North Basin Strip

by | Oct 24, 2024 | Classes & Events, Featured, Other News

J-Sei Engages in Park Planning 
NORTH BASIN STRIP – Berkeley Shoreline

Thursday, December 12, 6:00 pm (via ZOOM)

YOUR VOICE MATTERS.  Join us as we explore the North Basin Strip, an area along the Berkeley Shoreline proposed for development by the Eastshore State Park. The North Basin Strip is the portion of the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park located south of the Gilman Sports Fields in Berkeley. It is approximately 20 acres and includes 2,800 linear feet of shoreline.

Come meet Christine Hikido, J-Sei’s representative in the New Voices Program. Christine has worked for nonprofits across the Bay Area and currently works as a grants specialist at RYSE Youth Center in Richmond. She recently finished UC Berkeley’s Master of City Planning program and is interested in getting more involved in the local community and the park planning process.

Please RSVP to jill@j-sei.org with “J-Sei at North Basin” for a ZOOM link.  Help us get outdoors, get involved, and envision a place along the shoreline for all to enjoy.

 

 

 

TOPAZ STORIES 2024

TOPAZ STORIES 2024

by | Oct 24, 2024 | Classes & Events, Featured, Other News

TOPAZ STORIES

While a few of the stories in this exhibit were displayed in the Utah State Capitol in 2022, all are being exhibited in California for the first time. The stories provide intensely personal accounts of the forced removal; daily camp life; the dispersal of the Japanese American community through the resettlement program; the heroism of Nisei soldiers with families incarcerated behind barbed wire; the challenges of returning to California after the War; and the impact of the camp experience on survivors and subsequent generations, decades later.

The exhibit and events are presented by the Topaz Stories team and Friends of Topaz Museum, with support from J-Sei.

Program Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 – Children of Topaz: Stories and Art, a kid-oriented program (adults
are welcome!) with Dana Shew and special guests, held  in conjunction with J-Sei’s
annual “Family Day.”

Thursday, Oct. 3 – Dispersed: The WWII Scattering of the Japanese American Community.
stories by Jun Dairiki, Jean Hibino, Mitsi Nakamizo Fuchigami, and Joseph Nishimura

Sunday, Oct. 13 – The Lost Sketches of Topaz: Ella Honderich’s Topaz Years by Ella’s
granddaughter, Cynthia Wright

Thursday, Nov. 7 – Soldiers’ Stories by Eugene Takei, Tracy Takayanagi Hui, and Ruth Sasaki
(2-3:30 pm).

Saturday, Nov. 23 – Wartime Friends and Allies of Japanese Americans, stories by Frank
Kami, Jonathan Hirabayashi, Doris Yagi, and Jon Yatabe and Ruth Sasaki (2-3:30 pm).

Thursday, Dec. 5 – Return to California: Stories of Postwar Resettlement by Kazuko Iwahashi, Michi Mukai, Harue Minamoto, and Meri Mitsuyoshi (2-3:30 pm).