Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake and Ansel Adams’s Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration

Saturday, May 6, 3 pm

Elizabeth Partridge, award-winning children’s book author, will discuss her new non-fiction book, “Seen and Unseen,” illustrated by Lauren Tamaki. “Seen and Unseen” received the most distinguished informational book for children in 2022 by the ALA, as well as the 2023 Bologna Children’s Award for Photography.  Presented by Friends of Topaz Museum.

RSVP for in-person or online to jill@j-sei.org

About the Book by author Elizabeth Partridge

Three months after Japan attached Pearl Harbor in 1941, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the incarceration of all Japanese and Japanese Americans living on the West Coast of the United States. Families, teachers, farm workers—all were ordered to leave behind their homes, their businesses, and everything they owned. Japanese and Japanese Americans were forced to live under hostile conditions in incarceration camps, their futures uncertain.

Three photographers set out to document life at Manzanar, an incarceration camp in the California desert: Toyo Miyatake, Dorothea Lange, and Ansel Adams.

Growing up, I knew that my godmother, Dorothea Lange, had photographed the Japanese American incarceration during WWll, and was horrified by the suspension of civil liberties for the Japanese Americans. I also learned Ansel Adams had photographed the incarceration. Though they were good friends, Dorothea always thought he “didn’t get it.” That intrigued me. I decided to write a book on the incarceration and use both their photographs. I knew we’d also need illustrations to fill in what they were forbidden to photograph (Dorothea) and what they chose not to photograph (Ansel).

As I began researching, I quickly discovered that one of the prisoners, Toyo Miyatake, had smuggled in a camera lens and a film holder. Friends made him the camera body in the woodshop. Toyo later devised an intricate system of smuggling film into the camp. He took several photographs of conditions that Dorothea and Ansel were not able to, as well as documenting everyday life in the camp which provide an intimate, insider-view.

As Toyo told his son while they were in Manzanar, “I have to record everything. This sort of thing should never happen again.”

J-Sei Movie Night: Watch Party and Discussion

Friday, March 10, 6:30 pm (on Zoom)

The Japanese film superstar Mifune Toshiro (1920–1997) is a legend, not only in Japan but throughout the world. Blessed with charisma and good looks that strike even casual movie goers, Mifune was able in his many varied roles to combine sensitivity and intelligence with a raw physicality, creating a screen presence matched by few. Over a 50-year film career and spanning nearly 200 films, Mifune has thrilled and continues to captivate generations of viewers.

Please join us on Friday, March 10, at 6:30pm for a Japanese movie watch party and discussion on Zoom. (Movie tba.) RSVP to jill@j-sei.org with “Mar movie night” in the subject line to receive Zoom info prior to the event.

See you at the movies!

J-Sei Movie Night Bento

For movie night, you can order specially made obento from My Friend Yuji for pickup. Here are Chef Yuji’s delectable offerings for this month’s movie night:

Assorted Sushi Offering and Asari Miso Soup

• Spicy Hotate & Inari Sushi ($18) – Smoked Hokkaido scallop maki with tobiko, tenkasu, spicy mayo and negi + 3 pieces inari sushi
• Salmon Kawa & Inari Sushi ($16) – Smoked salmon skin roll with takuan, pickled gobo, shiso, cucumber + 3 pieces inari sushi
• Bara Chirashi ($65) – Zuke tuna trio (local Albacore, Akami & Toro bluefin from Mexico) / Kohada (gizzard shad) from Amakusa, Kumamoto / Sayori (half-beak) from Kesennuma, Miyagi / garnished with negi, ikura, goma and with shiso, wasabi, ginger, shoyu over Koshihikari rice
• Asari Miso Soup ($14) – 1 quart of miso soup made with a rich clam dashi and a mix of Sendai/Saikyo miso with clams, tofu and negi

Click on the button below to place your order. Pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday, March 10th. Please remember to wear a mask and observe social distance protocol. Thank you!

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 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. Repeat with additional items to order. When you’ve finished selecting your bento, 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 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 Movie Night: A Japanese Love Story?

Friday, February 10, 6:30 pm (on Zoom)

It has become an annual J-Sei Movie Night tradition to celebrate February with a Japanese romantic movie. But is there actually such a thing as a Japanese love story with a happy ending? Does such a movie exist? Well, turns out this has proved to be a rather challenging and elusive quest, but we’ve tried to be diligent in our continuing hunt. Has our Valentine’s search finally been successful this year?!?

Join us and find out on Friday, February 10, at 6:30pm for a Japanese movie watch party and discussion on Zoom. (Movie tba.) RSVP to jill@j-sei.org with “Feb movie night” in the subject line to receive Zoom info prior to the event.

See you at the movies!

J-Sei Movie Night Bento

For movie night, you can order specially made obento from My Friend Yuji for pickup. Here are Chef Yuji’s delectable offerings for this month’s movie night:

• Kimchi Tako Poke – 1/2 pint of kimchi tako, onions, negi and limu – $14

• Garlic Tuna Poke – 1/2 pint garlic tuna, sweet onions, negi and limu – $16

• Squid & Pork Hawaiian Plate – squid taro stewed, kalua pork, lomi lomi salmon with koshihikari rice – $18
• Oxtail Nabe Kit – Oxtail dashi, assorted vegetables, chicken tsukune, wagyu A5 enoki rolls, pork belly cabbage rolls, hon hamachi, shirataki noodles, homeade ponzu and gomadare. Rice, grated yam, egg and aonori. Will give cooking instructions – $70

Click on the button below to place your order. Pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday, February 10th. Please remember to wear a mask and observe social distance protocol. Thank you!

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 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. Repeat with additional items to order. When you’ve finished selecting your bento, 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 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.