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The Latest
2008
2007
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events
Japantown Historic Walk
Docent Training
1pm-4pm, September 7, 2008
Issei Memorial Building
565 N 5th Street, San Jose
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Have you ever driven into Japantown for lunch and wondered how this
district maintained its colorful character and traditions? Were you
ever curious as to how tofu was made at the San Jose Tofu Company?
Did you realize that during World War II, the San Jose Buddhist
Church Betsuin was used to store the belongings of over twenty
families who had been interned and that the building suffered damage
due to vandalism and arson during that time?
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You can learn about San Jose's historic Japantown, one of the three
major Japantowns remaining in the United States, and you can then
share your knowledge with others by becoming a JAMsj Japantown
docent. Aggie Idemoto, JAMsj Education Director, has created a
fascinating docent training session that includes a captivating
presentation by Museum Curator, Jimi Yamaichi, and as an added
bonus, you will also receive Jimi's personal tour of Japantown.
No previous experience is required and we are simply seeking
enthusiastic volunteers who want to learn more about the history,
culture and traditions of Japantown.
No commitment to volunteer is required at the time of training.
Contact Aggie Idemoto at (408) 268-4440 or at
aidemoto@comcast.net if you would like to register for this free
training session or if you have any questions. |
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Midori Kai
Boutique
9 am - 4 pm
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Mountain View Buddhist Temple
Boutique website |
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Midori Kai, Inc., a non-profit professional business women's
organization, will host their eighth annual fundraiser boutique on
Saturday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Over 80 vendors, including
JAMsj, will showcase unique Asian arts and crafts, jewelry,
clothes, pottery, and food items.
San Francisco actor, poet and playwright, Hiroshi Kashiwagi, will be
signing his books from 11:30 am-1:30 p.m. He is the author of
"Swimming in the American: A
Memoir and Selected Writings" and his recently published
"Shoe Box Plays." Also,
Aloha Nani Hula will be performing from 10:00-10:30 a.m. |
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Spirit of Japantown
10 am to 6 pm, Saturday, October 4th, 2008
San Jose Japantown
Festival
website:
www.spiritofjapantownfestival.com |
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San Jose Japantown is one of the last three major Japantowns that
remain in the United States. JAMsj will again be at this colorful
festival that celebrates the diverse character of Japantown. Visit
the festival website listed above for more information on all of the
exciting activites, entertainment and exhibitions that will be
featured at the festival.
JAMsj is proud to sponsor the Arts and Crafts section of the
festival. If you are an Arts and Crafts vendor and would like to
participate, please contact Eva Yamamoto (evayama@sbcglobal.net)
as soon as possible. |
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Winter Boutique 2008 November 15, 2008
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin
640 N. Fifth Street, San Jose
9AM-4PM - JAMsj Members
10AM-4PM - General Public
Event web
page
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Just in time for your holiday shopping! The
2008 JAMsj Winter Boutique
will feature annual favorites including ceramic pottery, Japanese
style collages, clay jewelry, clothing and accessories, vintage
Japanese kimonos, Japanese folk dolls, oil paintings, hand-crafted
jewelry, wooden toys, hand silk screens and many more unique items! |
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Sake San Jose
5:30-8:30, Thursday, May 24, 2007
Issei Memorial Building
565 N 5th Street and other locations in Japantown, San Jose
Sake San Jose combines tasting with a walk through Historic Japantown San Jose on May 24 from
5:30 to 8:30 pm. Yu-Ai Kai Senior Community Center will host this benefit sake tasting walk
through Japantown's various businesses and restaurants, each having different types of sake at
special tables. Sakes made in Japan and the US, such as daiginjo, ginjo and junmai grades of
premium sake will be available for tasting, providing a great opportunity for connoisseurs
and novices to sample and learn about the variety of sakes.
Tickets are $35 and may be purchased at Yu-Ai Kai (588 N. Fourth Street, San Jose), participating
merchants in Japantown or online here. All proceeds will benefit Yu-Ai Kai's programs.
Additional Event Information
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Issei,The Shadow Generation
An Afternoon with Tsukasa Matsueda
1pm, Sunday, May 19, 2007
Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center
588 N 4th Street, San Jose
Dr. Tsukasa Matsueda will speak on "Issei, The Shadow Generation" and its impact on the subsequent
Nikkei generation. Dr. Matsueda recounts that the Issei suffered severe hardships, discrimination,
and scorn in the early days after immigration to the U.S., and yet managed to succeed to such a
degree that in 1984, President Reagan praised the Japanese Americans for helping preserve the
American Dream by living up to the "bedrock values of America."
Believing that the "bedrock values" were not so much "of America," but more those brought
by the Issei from Japan, Dr. Matsueda identifies the Issei values which guided them: community spirit,
cooperation, tolerance, religious faith, sacred worth of human life, fiscal responsibility,
among others.
He further believes that these moral values were passed on to the successful Nisei generation,
accounting for their success as well. His engaging discussion will be of great interest to
the Nisei, Sansei, and subsequent Nikkei generations, pointing out the powerful legacy that the
Issei left behind.
Additional Event Information
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Nikkei Matsuri Festival
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Japantown, San Jose
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| JAMsj will have a booth at the the 30th Annual Nikkei Matsuri festival. Ralph Pearce will
autograph copies of his book, "From Asahi to Zebras," which tells the story of Japanese
American baseball. We will sell other items from our museum and we will tell you about
upcoming events.
The festival features continuous live entertainment,
arts and crafts, San Jose Taiko, Chidori Band and Wesley Jazz Band, a feast of Japanese
foods, Bonsai-miniature trees, Ikebana-flower arrangements, Yu Ai Kai Health Fair,
martial arts demonstrations and much more
Additional Event Information
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The 27th Annual San Jose Day of Remembrance
5:30-7:30pm, Thursday, February 18, 2007
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin
640 N 5th Street, San Jose
In the days
following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the FBI rounded up thousands of Japanese immigrants who
were detained without charges. Then, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed
Executive Order 9066, forcing 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were
American citizens, into concentration camps.
The 2007 Day of Remembrance commemorates E.O. 9066 in San Jose. This year's program will
feature a book signing with Shizue Seigel, author of the compelling book, "In Good Conscience,"
which tells the story about extraordinary individuals who acted acted out of conscience
when others did not during the incarceration. The chronicled acts of those who reached out
to another community while fighting against injustice, inequality, and prejudice provides
us with important lessons for today's tumultuous, wartime environment.
The program will also include a presentation by JAMsj, an electrifying performance by San Jose Taiko,
a speech by Congressman Mike Honda, and the traditional candlelight procession through
San Jose's Japantown.
Additional Event Information
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Artistic Reflections: A Place Where Sunflowers Grow
6:45-8:30pm, Wednesday February 21, 2007
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
Suite A&B, 2nd Floor
150 East San Fernando St.,
San Jose, CA
In this
RSVP-only event, Felicia Hoshino will present her children's book, "A Place Where
Sunflowers Grow". The program will also feature story-telling by Megumi and a talk by
Congressman Mike Honda.
Inspired by the experiences of the author's Japanese American grandparents at Utah's
Topaz Relocation Center during World War II, this picture book follows a young girl
and her family into the harsh, desert conditions of an internment camp. Within this
difficult environment, she finds a "sense of purpose and peace" with the planting of
her desert sunflowers.
Additional information: Flyer Available
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Norm Mineta Tribute Dinner
Saturday February 24, 2007 Cocktails 6pm, Dinner 7:30pm
San Jose Fairmont Hotel
A tribute
dinner will held on Saturday, February 24 at San Jose's Fairmont Hotel in honor of
San Jose's native son, Norman Y. Mineta. The dinner is a fundraiser for the Japanese American
National Museum which will house Mineta's historic papers. San Jose's JAMsj suports this
effort.
Mineta started his career in his family's insurance business before winning election
as San Jose's mayor. Before long, he moved on to the U.S. Congress, and finally into
two Cabinet posts - serving as Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton and
as Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush.
For more information or for a formal invitation, Contact Dona Maurillo at (831) 234-4009
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The Art of Gaman
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
7:00-9:00pm
Yu-Ai Kai
588 N 4th Street
San Jose, CA 95112
RSVP before Feb. 20th attendance/pre-purchase book $25 (retail $35)
408-294-2505
Delphine Hirasuna
will present her book, “The Art of Gaman, Arts and Crafts from the Japanese-American
Internment Camps 1942-1946", followed by a question/answer period,
artifact display and book signing.
This book shows beautiful handmade work by Japanese
Americans while incarcerated in U.S. internment camps during
World War II. Books will be available for sale and
autographed by the author. The Japanese American museum
of San Jose has graciously offered artifacts from their
collection to be displayed. If you have any artifacts from
camp that you would like to share with this group, please
contact us to make arrangements to have them displayed.
<
Bay Area author, Delphine Hirasuna, once found a small bird carving among her
recently deceased mother's belongings which started her on an odyssey to find other
camp artwork and to make them available to others to appreciate. This event sponsored by
Yu Ai Kai and Midori Kai, Inc., features arts and crafts made by Japanese Americans incarcerated in U.S.
internment camps during World War II. JAMsj is a major contributor of artwork
to the exhibit and to Hirasuna's beautifully photographed book.
The craftsmanship and originality of the internees’ work make the show an inspirational
experience.
Additional information: Flyer Available
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Wisdom of Humor Internment Story
Sunday, March 4, 2007 2-3:30 pm @Engineering Auditorium, Room 189, San Jose State University
Bilingual storyteller Megumi
will tell the story of how Japanese Americans used humor to deal with the hardships of World War II
in Japanese American Internment Camps, with digital images of Jack Matsuoka cartoons. Two former
camp internees will also discuss their experiences.
Free and open to the public. Please RSVP by Thursday, February 22, 2007
(415)356-2466 or culture@cgisf.org
Additional information: Flyer Available
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