Jill Shiraki for J-Sei

Dear Friends & Family -

We are still here!  Somehow we find a counter balance, despite the teetering and off kilter noise in the nation.  By focusing on the community, care and culture that grounds all that we offer at J-Sei, our team continues to provide a space for engagement on topics that resonate in meaningful ways to who we are and how we navigate as Nikkei. 

Our mainstay, Japanese Movie Night continues to stimulate dialogue and broadens our repetoire of Japanese films thoughtfully curated by Kathryn Hashimoto. We definitely have grown together in our exposure to film and life in Japan through the lens of dozens of directors and actors.  The J-Sei Book Club has explored creative translated works and new topics, such as Mina's Matchbook by Yoko Ogawa  and Daikon by Samuel Hawley. We look forward to a visit with Sansei writers Naomi Hirahara and Karen Tei Yamashita in June.

Collaborate

With Connecting Across Generations, a collaborative team of individuals and community organizations,  I am inspired by the dedicated team that develops programs to promote intergenerational dialgoue.  This past year, we organized a Nikkei Stroll at UC Berkeley to learn from the Japanese American history of student life and activism. J-Sei began from a group of students wanting to provide support for their Issei elders. We heard from Alec MacDonald on Hapa Issues Forum and the connective tissue they provided for many students embracing a multicultural Nikkei identity.  I met the student/founders of Hapa Issues Forum in the 90s when I tabled next to them for the Sansei Legacy Project at Nihonmachi Street Fair.  It's what drew me to the Bay Area, a need to be part of community healing and to understand the impact of WWII incarceration on our families.

Connect

We connect in many ways with each other at J-Sei.  Our newest project, Hibiku Kotoba, is a podcast hosted by Kathleen Wong, my former office mate. The title means 'resonating words' and through conversations with individuals in different fields, such as music, medicine, journalism, we hear how their path unfolds.  It's definitely something to check out.  Our latest is a podcast with Erika Oba, musician & composer, currently collaborating on new works with strings and taiko. We also heard from Dr. Jeffrey Velotta, dedicated to building awareness of lung cancer in AAPI women, and filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki who we also recently hosted for a screening of "The Making of a Japanese".  See how all these touchpoints reverberate.

Satsuki Ina and Ruth Okimoto

Evolve

For me, and maybe because it's been 10 years at J-Sei at the Emeryville location, and a longer span of working in the Japanese American community, things seem to circle back. We currently have an exhibit, "Circling Back: A Retrospective of Artwork by Ruth Yoshiko Okimoto". The striking paintings explore her childhood in the Poston concentration camp and unleashes her feelings of how that left an imprint on her identity as an adult. We hosted an exhibit of her works at the JCCCNC in SF Japantown in 1997.  Satsuki Ina, whose work in unpacking the trauma in "Children of the Camps" was seminal, suggested we share Ruth's work at J-Sei for its relevancy today, and the chilling parallels to children in detention. Satsuki's work continues through the organizing of Tsuru for Solidarity.

Poster by Japanese American Families for Justice.On our way to a rally at Tanforan. Private Practice, our wedding band, performed at Flavors of Spring.Ikebana class created floral arrangements for Flavors.

Impact

I am grateful for my co-workers, especially Karol Doi (pictured above) who helps with special events, programs and offers her organizing prowess, and to Justin Doi who provides tech that continues to be in great demand to reach a broad audience.

Your support will help us meet the evolving needs at J-Sei and continue to make a difference in building community. 

Please support J-Sei as we stretch to reach our matching grant challenge of $50 K!  We are so encouraged by a 1:1 matching pledge once again. Give $25 and your donation is $50; give $75 and your donation is $150, give $125 and your donation is $250, and so on. 

Give if you can, and share this with another person to invite them into the J-Sei family of support. 

With much gratitude,

Jill

Wilbur and I were hosted by friends Ken & Mary Tsuboi who shared their favorite & Charly's fav dog friendly beach walks in Monterey.Jasper (Jazzy) always brings us joy.