Insights to the Fred Korematsu Case with Dale Minami
Hosted by the Japan Society of Northern California
Thursday, August 24, 2017
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
@ The Denton Law Offices, One Market Street
$5-25 advance tickets, $30 at the door; Click here to purchase tickets online

Image courtesy of Chris Huie

Highly-respected San Francisco lawyer Dale Minami from Minami Tamaki LLP will talk about his team’s successful effort in 1983 to overturn the conviction of Fred Korematsu, whose defiance of the World War II Japanese American exclusion order led to Korematsu v. United States, one of the most controversial United States Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century.

This is an opportunity to refresh our memories about the incarceration on the 75th anniversary of the Executive Order that sent 120,000 US residents of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds of whom were citizens, into prisons and learn about the story of one man’s decades-long fight against that injustice. The Korematsu cases remain highly relevant today as our nation wrestles with issues of race, ethnicity and immigration – indeed, earlier this year a Ninth Circuit Federal judge referred to the Korematsu case to raise questions about President Trump’s proposed ban on visitors from Muslim-majority countries. Mr. Minami, who was the lead lawyer in the suit to void the conviction affirmed by the 1944 Supreme Court decision, will give us a behind-the-scenes description of this significant case and the man behind it.

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Speakers:

Dale Minami

Dale Minami is a partner with Minami and Tamaki in San Francisco. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from USC in 1968 and received his J.D. in 1971 from the UC Berkeley. He is recognized as one of the top lawyers in Northern California as selected by Law & Politics Magazine and has been named a Super Lawyer each year (14 years), Top 100 Super Lawyers (11 years) in the Personal Injury Category and one of the Top Ten Super Lawyers (5 years) for Northern California.

Minami has also been involved in litigation involving the civil rights of Asian Pacific Americans, including Korematsu v. United States, United Pilipinos for Affirmative Action v. California Blue Shield (class action employment discrimination lawsuit), Spokane JACL v. Washington State University, (class action to establish an Asian American Studies program) and Nakanishi v. UCLA (challenge to unfair tenure denial). He also co-founded the Asian Law Caucus, the Asian American Bar Association and the Minami, Tamaki, Yamauchi Kwok and Lee Foundation. Minami is the recipient of the ABA’s Thurgood Marshall and Spirit of Excellence Awards, among other awards.

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Schedule:

• 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM Networking & Registration
• 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM Presentation with audience Q&A
• 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Networking & Reception

Light appetizers and drinks provided.

For more information and to purchase advance tickets, go to the Japan Society’s website at: http://www.usajapan.org/event/insights-on-the-fred-korematsu-case-with-dale-minami/

“Yonsei Eyes” and “My Dog Teny” Film Screening
and Q&A with Director Jon Osaki and Narrators Mika and Lee Osaki
Sunday, August 13th, 2017, 1:00 p.m.
FREE Admission
Please RSVP at programsevents@jcccnc.org or (415) 567-5505

Join us for a FREE screening of the new documentary, “Yonsei Eyes” and a film adaptation of the book “My Dog Teny.”  A special Q&A session and sneak peek preview trailer for a new film by the director will follow the screening.

Yonsei Eyes is the story of two fourth generation Japanese Americans who embark on a pilgrimage to the place where their grandparents were once imprisoned during World War II. Their journey takes them to the desolate site of the Tule Lake Segregation Center where they begin to understand the profound hardships and indignities their grandfathers, Tsukasa Matsueda and Wayne Osaki, once had to endure. Their poignant and reflective exploration into the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans provides a unique perspective from the eyes of youth who will one day have the responsibility of passing on the story of the Japanese American incarceration to future generations.

Watch the trailer below!

Yonsei Eyes trailer from Jon Osaki on Vimeo.

Originally a heartwarming essay by Wayne Osaki turned into a children’s book illustrated by Felicia Hoshino, “My Dog Teny” is the true story about a boy and his dog and the friendship they shared during the Japanese American community’s forced evacuation during WWII. We will be screening a film adaptation of the book following the screening of Yonsei Eyes.

Who Won The Grand Prize?

See all the entries by clicking on the link below:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcccnc/albums/72157687335309806/with/36317009392/

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Opening exhibit featuring photos from the Nikkei Photo Contest 2017

The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) will be hosting a Nikkei Photo Contest Exhibit.  The exhibit will display photo submissions from the Nikkei Photo Contest 2017 with the theme of Japanese American cultural heritage.  The exhibit will feature all submissions, as well as the seven winners. The seven winners are listed below:

Grand Prize:

Miles Y., “Executive Order 9066”

 Finalists:

Mark K., “Pride”

Elijah A., “The Girl from Tancha”

Erik N., “The Meaning of Obon”

Honorable Mentions:

Stephen S., “Sunrise, I Rei To (Soul Consoling Tower), Cemetery, Manzanar, California. 6:17 a.m., 1 April, 2014”

Grant E., “Sunset Festival Dancing”

Brian K., “心から– From the Heart”

The exhibit will be held at the JCCCNC on Saturday, August 12, 2017 from 3 P.M. to 6 P.M.  The exhibit is an open galleria, and we welcome anyone to join us in celebrating the submissions. At 4:00 P.M., the winners will be formally announced and presented with awards.  Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served. The photos will be displayed for a month after the opening exhibit.

The judging process considered the quality of the photo and written caption, the content of the photo and written caption, and the unity between the photo and written caption. The judges came from diverse backgrounds and professions to ensure different angles when choosing the awards. Judges were also blind to the contestant names.

Edited (08/08/17)

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The submission deadline for the Nikkei Photo Contest 2017 has closed. Thank you to all the participants!

The judging process has begun and we will announce winners shortly.

We invite all to our Nikkei Photo Exhibit on August 12 from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm hosted at the JCCCNC (1840 Sutter St, San Francisco). This exhibit will be a celebration of cultural heritage and of the photography and stories shared through the contest while honoring our winning recipients. Refreshments will be served.

To stay updated, follow us on Facebook @likeJCCCNC or on our website jcccnc.org/photocontest2017

Edited (07/24/17)

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Theme: What does Japanese American cultural heritage mean to you?

How to enter:

1. Capture a photo

2. Write a short, meaningful paragraph on how the photo relates to Japanese American culture

3. Email your photo to photocontest@jcccnc.org with your full name in the Subject line

4. Complete the online entry form

Deadline: Saturday, July 22 at 8pm PST

• You do not need to be a professional photographer!
• Japanese ancestry is not required. It is open to all backgrounds with a connection to the Japanese American culture.
• We encourage all ages and generations to apply.

TAKE A PHOTO, TELL ITS STORY TO WIN $500

San Francisco, CA – The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) is sponsoring a photo contest with the prompt: “What does Japanese American cultural heritage mean to you?” The goal of the contest is to examine how the community defines and celebrates Japanese American “cultural heritage.” To enter the contest, simply capture an image of an item, person, place, artifact, celebration, etc. and include a short, meaningful story to accompany the picture. Japanese ancestry is not required; the contest encourages all photography skill levels, ages, and backgrounds with a connection to Japanese American culture. The submission deadline is 8 P.M. PST on Saturday, July 22, 2017.

The grand prize winner will receive $500. Three Finalists will be awarded $250 each, and 3 Honorable Mentions will be awarded $100 each. Judges will consider the meaningfulness of the description, the content of the photo, the connection between the photo and the description, and image quality.

This contest is both an opportunity to celebrate and share culture with others, but it is also a thought exercise to encourage discussion and conversation surrounding cultural heritage. The theme is intentionally broad to encourage a wide variety of memories, stories, and creative angles. Everyone has their own unique story, now is your chance to tell it!

Looking for inspiration? Visit our Resource Page .

Questions? Email us at photocontest@jcccnc.org.

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Contest Rules

The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) invites photographers to enter its Nikkei Photo Contest 2017 (“Contest”). BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU ARE ACCEPTING AND AGREEING TO ALL THE FOLLOWING RULES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS.

Eligibility

The contest is open to all amateur and professional photographers. All ages are encouraged; children under the age of 18 must have permission from their parent or legal guardian to enter the contest. Children under the age of 12 may receive help from a parent or guardian; however, the material and content must be their own. We welcome all photography skill levels.

Japanese ancestry is not required, contest is open to anyone who has a connection to Japanese American (JA) culture or the JA community.  

General Guidelines

• Submission dates: June 22nd – July 22nd (All submissions must be received by 07/22/17 at 8 P.M. PST to be eligible for the prizes)
• Photograph must be taken by you
• Only one submission per person
• Online entry form must be completely filled out. Link can be found here: https://goo.gl/forms/H0lRFDzPXhkOeLNn2
• Photos can also be mailed to

JCCCNC – Photo Contest

1840 Sutter Street, Suite 201

San Francisco, CA 94115

• Opening Exhibit – August 12th,  3pm – 6pm at the JCCCNC: where your art will be displayed and your story told. Submissions will be displayed at this event
• Contest winners will be notified prior to the Opening Exhibit

Prizes

Grand Prize: $500

3 Finalists: $250 each

3 Honorable Mentions: $100 each

Judging

The photo, the story behind the photo, and the connection between both will be considered by the judges when determining the winners. There will be 5 judges – with varied backgrounds, interests, and experience.

Your Rights

• You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit—including ownership if applicable—other than those rights licensed in these rules. By entering the Contest, you hereby grant to the JCCCNC:

(i) a nonexclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display, and publicly perform the photographs you submit to the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, and

(ii) the right to use your name in promotions and other publications.

• Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit as feasible. The JCCCNC will not be liable for any errors in attribution other than to make reasonable efforts to correct such errors. The JCCCNC has final approval of any language that appears on its Web site, in its newsletter, or brochures with any of the photos and will not promote or endorse third-party products or services.

 

Redefining Japaneseness: Japanese Americans in the Ancestral Homeland

Special Guest Lecture and Book Signing with Author Dr. Jane H. Yamashiro

Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
Event Co-Sponsors: Japantown Chounaikai Group, Japanese American Citizens League San Francisco Chapter, Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California
Admission: Free and Open to the Public
RSVP: (415) 567-5505 or programsevents@jcccnc.org

SAN FRANCISCO — Dr. Jane H. Yamashiro, author of “Redefining Japaneseness: Japanese Americans in the Ancestral Homeland,” will give a special guest lecture and book signing on Tuesday, July 25, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC), 1840 Sutter Street in San Francisco Japantown. The event is jointly sponsored by the Japantown Chounaikai group, San Francisco Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, and the JCCCNC.

Growing up in the U.S., Japanese Americans learn to understand their Japanese heritage within U.S.-based narratives of racism, cultural exclusion, and multiculturalism. What happens when they move to Japan, where different discourses and assumptions shape what it means to be “Japanese”? What difficulties do Japanese American migrants encounter in their daily interactions as they attempt to make themselves understandable in Japan?

“Redefining Japaneseness” chronicles how Japanese Americans’ understandings of Japaneseness — including their own — transform while living in their ancestral homeland. Drawing from extensive fieldwork and interviews, Dr. Yamashiro reveals the diverse processes and shifting strategies that Japanese American migrants in the Tokyo area utilize as they negotiate and challenge conventional social boundaries and meanings related to race, ethnicity, culture, and nationality.

“Not only does Yamashiro give us engaging portraits of how Japanese Americans navigate the social and cultural terrain of contemporary Japan, but she also provides a fundamental rethinking of the analytic frameworks by which migrant identities have been contextualized and understood,” said Michael Omi, Associate Professor of Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies of UC Berkeley.

Dr. Yamashiro was born and raised in Berkeley, where she is currently based as an independent scholar. She obtained a BA in sociology and Japanese studies from UC San Diego and an MA and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. For more than a decade, she has been conducting research on Japanese American experiences living in Japan, and she herself has lived in Japan off and on for about nine years. Her comparative and transnational sociological work on race and ethnicity, culture, globalization, migration, diaspora, and identity sits at the intersection of Asian American and Asian Studies. While conducting research in Japan, Dr. Yamashiro has been funded by the East-West Center and the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship, and has been a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo and Sophia University. Her academic research has been published in Ethnic and Racial Studies; AAPI Nexus: Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Policy, Practice and Community; Sociology Compass; Geoforum; CR: The New Centennial Review; and Migrations and Identities.

Admission to the lecture is free and open to the public. To RSVP for this event, call the JCCCNC at (415) 567-5505 or e-mail programsevents@jcccnc.org

“A Bitter Legacy” Documentary Film Screening
and Q&A with Director Claudia Katayanagi

Sunday, May 21, 2017
1:00 p.m.
FREE Admission
Please RSVP
E-mail: programsevents@jcccnc.org
Phone: (415) 567-5505

Join us for a FREE screening of the new documentary, “A Bitter Legacy” directed by Claudia Katayanagi. A special Q&A session with the director will follow the screening.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Japanese American internment camps. While the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II is now widely known, little has been exposed about the Citizen Isolation Centers – secret prisons for “troublemakers” who resisted and questioned authority. A Bitter Legacy examines those prisons – now considered to be precursors to Guantanamo Bay – and parallels to issues of racism and immigration restriction today.

Watch the trailer below!

  CLICK HERE TO RSVP

– FREE Special Cultural Education Program –
Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION – Please RSVP

Join us at the JCCCNC for a very special cultural presentation and take a step back into pre-modern Japan as we explore the Japanese yatate, presented by enthusiast and collector Mr. Robert DeMaria.

The yatate is the uniquely Japanese pre-modern portable writing instrument in wide use in Japan from about the late 13^th to early the 20^th century, preceding the next revolutionary writing event in Japan that occurred with the introduction of the fountain pen.

Used by those needing to write on the go: pilgrims, merchants, scribes, poets and anyone finding it necessary to write on the road, the yatate, over the centuries, became an integral, everyday part of Japanese cultural, social, commercial, and business life.

Yatate belong to a group of objects called sagemono or things that hang from the obi. More widely known sagemono are inrō, netsuke and kiseru. Mr. DeMaria’s presentation will also feature pieces from his personal collection of yatate. Admission to the presentation is free to the general public, but please RSVP if possible.

About Robert DeMaria: Robert first discovered yatate while living in Tokyo at the Heiwajima Antiques Fair. His first purchase of a yatate started him on a twenty-year journey of collecting, discovering, studying and enjoying the craftsmanship and beauty of that little known segment of Japanese culture–the yatate.

  sign up today

The Japan Society of Northern California Presents:

Ashes to Gold: How the 1964 Olympics Transformed Japan and Lessons for 2020
featuring Dan Rather and Tomohiko Taniguchi
December 8 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

The Tokyo 1964 Olympics marked Japan’s transformation from a defeated pariah nation to a prosperous democracy dedicated to improving the lives of its citizens and contributing to world peace.  That success involved a massive and controversial undertaking that literally transformed the face of Tokyo and the nation and set the country on a path to becoming the second largest economy in the world.

Today Japan faces equally daunting challenges.  As the first modern nation state in history to experience a long-term secular decline in its population, Japan must address unprecedented challenges of rapid aging, shrinking labor force and rising debt.  It must find a way to ensure its security in a region marked by growing uncertainty, changing power balances, and a backlash against globalization.  It must find a way to again transform itself – this time from a post-war manufacturing powerhouse into a post-industrial innovation center.

Can the Olympic Games in 2020 provide the same kind of rallying call for change that they did in 1964?  Can the Abe Government use the Games as both a spur and a stage to drive economic and political reforms at home and security and foreign policy initiatives abroad?  Can the Olympics be the symbol in 2020 that it was in 1964 for a “new Japan” as perceived both by the Japanese themselves and by the people of the Asian region and the world?

The Japan Society of Northern California is proud to present a program featuring news icon Dan Rather to explore how Japan held what many have called the most successful Olympics ever and how it can use the 2020 Games to address the critical issues it faces today. Mr. Rather will discuss a documentary he is producing, Ashes to Gold, that will look at the remarkable accomplishments of 1964. Well-­‐known Japanese commentator and speechwriter for Prime Minister Abe, Professor Tomohiko Taniguchi, will address on how Japan is addressing the challenges it faces in the coming four years. That will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Mr. Rather, Mr. Taniguchi, well-­‐known Silicon Valley executive James Higa, and Japan expert UC Berkeley professor Steven Vogel to explore these issues in depth.

An important part of that story is the role played by OIC Chairman Avery Brundage who helped steer the games to a war-torn, battered Tokyo.  Fittingly, the December 8 program will be held at the De Young Museum which housed the original Brundage Asian Art collection which later became the Asian Art Museum, now located near City Hall.  The program will be followed by a networking reception for the audience.

Download Flyer ashes-to-gold-flyer

Schedule:
• 6:00pm-­6:30pm Registration
• 6:30pm-­8:00pm Program
• 8:00pm-­9:00pm Reception

Tickets: $30 General ($5 discount to JCCCNC members/use code: Torch64)

Saturday, September 24, 2016
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California
1840 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA
(415) 567-5505

Dr. Ronald Y. Nakasone introduces and shares insight on recently published, two-volume work titled: Asian American Religious Cultures

Six years in the making, the editors who are associated with the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), Berkeley, spearheaded the project. Fumitaka Matsuoka, Robert Gordon, Sproul Professor of Theology Emeritus, Pacific School of Religion; Edmund Yee, Professor Emeritus of Asian Studies, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary; Ronald Y. Nakasone, Core Doctoral Faculty, GTU; and Jonathan Lee, Associate Professor, San Francisco State University.

 

The two-volume work highlights the rich spiritual cultures of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In addition to the overview of the major faith traditions active in teh US, the encyclopedia features extended essays on “Politics and Religion,” “Gender and Sexuality,” “Islamophobia,” and “Spirtuality;” and entries such as “Aloha Spirit,” “Jikeikai,” “Qingming,” “Vesakha,” “Vivekananda,” and other faith inspired organizations, events, and personalities. More than 30 entries are directly related to the Japanese American experience.

The Editors adn authors of the publication will share their insights on Asian American religions and spiritual traditions, and on the editorial and other challenges they encountered.

Please join the celebration of the publication of this important work.

84^th Annual Wesley Aki Matsuri Fall Festival
Saturday, October 1, 2016
11:00am – 4:00pm
San Jose Japantown
566 N. 5th Street, San Jose, CA 95112

SAN JOSE — Come and celebrate the coming of the fall season at Wesley United Methodist Church’s annual Aki Matsuri festival. Experience a modern twist of a Japanese festival with new and traditional foods, a variety of entertainment and activities, and one-of-a-kind shopping. Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival) is on Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 11 AM to 4 PM in the heart of San Jose’s Japantown at 566 N. 5^th Street. Parking will be available to our visitors at the Wesley 6^th Street parking lot, down 5^th Street center divider (between Jackson and E. Empire), and the 6^th Street & Jackson parking lot.

Aki Matsuri is an old-fashioned church bazaar in a neighborly and family friendly setting. Enjoy a colorful array of Japanese American cuisine in our Food Pavilion where you can dine in or take out. Throughout the day, experience a variety of entertainment across three stages featuring our city’s famous San Jose Taiko performers, and talented local youth and adults performing traditional and contemporary music and dance.

In our Marketplace, you will find beautiful handmade Asian crafts, one-of-a-kind-gifts, sundries, Japanese books, Silent Auction and an array of local fresh plants and flowers. We have our interactive Kids Zone. It includes a cultural experience through games, crafts, and entertainment focused on children, teens, and the young-at-heart.

Wesley United Methodist Church was established over 120 years ago, and in the last 84 years, it has brought its unique cultural flavor to the Japantown neighborhood, the outlying community, and to the city of San Jose. We are reaching out and building community not only within our San Jose neighborhood, but across the Bay Area in hopes of making new friends, sharing our cultural roots, and providing a memorable time for all!

For further information, visit our website: http://www.wesleysj.net/akimatsuri/ Call (408) 295-0367 or e-mail us at office@wesleysj.net. Check us out on Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/WesleySanJose