Arts & Entertainment

by SHINTARO TANAKA
Hokubei Mainichi

The movie "Megane" (Glasses) is showing at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

The story takes place on a beautiful island and centers on a woman who has come to escape the bustle of the city. In the process of meeting peculiar people, she comes to experience freedom, feel the value of going with the flow, and enjoying life's richness.The story itself is simple, but the film is deep in how it portrays a rich peacefulness and relaxed way of life.

The Hokubei Mainichi spoke with director Naoko Ogigami in San Francisco.

H: In the film, we see taso-gare (twilight or dusk), and as a Japanese, I understood this concept. But it was hard to translate a review of your film into English. When screening this film overseas, are there a lot of questions about tasogare?

O: I get asked about it a lot when overseas. People ask things like "Is that a word you made up?" When I first went to Yoron Island (the movie location), I had a ton of things to do, people to talk to, etc. And despite all that, I found myself just sitting by the sea without doing anything. After returning to Tokyo I thought about that and came up with the word tasogare.

H: How did you come up with the story?

O: I started incorporating things I felt in Yoron. While I was writing it, the cast was more or less set, so there wasnﾕt a lot of changing of how I imagined the film to be, but some things changed with the process. Like really incorporating the atmosphere of the location. I made this movie without a definitive moral or answer in hopes that viewers will imagine their own.

H: There's a wonderful feel in this film, not only for the scenery but also for the food.

O: I personally really like movies where the food looks delicious. Also, it's such a wonderful thing when people get together to eat.

H: You studied at USC. How did that experience influence your moviemaking?

O: Well, I got to study all about the basics of filmmaking. I feel now I've gone beyond what was taught at school, which was just the equation, and really learned what it means to make a movie. Thereﾕs a Japanese way to moviemaking. The biggest difference between Japanese and U.S. movies lies in the script work. Most Hollywood movies nowadays are so tidy with good versus evil and some kind of moral. I donﾕt think it always has to be like that.

H: Are you conscious of being a woman when making films?

O: I'm not conscious of it. Of course, I'm a woman, so it's natural for some aspect of my femininity to show through. You know, Americans tell me they think this film is so zen. They ask, is the zen spirit infused in this movie, or was I inspired by Buddhist teachings? I'm not conscious of that either. But I guess since I was born and raised in Japan, some part of that must come out naturally.

H: The movie has screened all over the world, at movie festivals like Berlin and Sundance. Have there been different reactions?

O: Of all the places, people seemed to really enjoy it in Berlin. Europeans and Japanese just feel the film for what it is. But in America, people say they don't get it and they want to know the meaning of this and that. Of course, not everyone is like that but it seems like a lot of Americans want to attach definitions to everything. They write things like, "Enjoy this zen film with some sushi!" I'm like, "What?!"

H: What films or directors have influenced you?

O: There aren't any, really. I find the director Aki Kaurismaki very interesting and I really like David Lynch. I like filmmakers that don't have ready-made answers.

H: Any words for moviegoers?

O: Busy people should go see this movie.

The last screening for "Megane" at the festival will be at the Sundance Cinema Kabuki, 1881 Post St., on Sunday, May 8, at 5 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the theater or go to www.sffs.org.

BERKELEY - "Intertidal," featuring sculpture by Judy Shintani, will be on view from May 10 to July 10 at the Community Art Gallery, located in Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 2450 Ashby Ave. in Berkeley.

The show also includes photographs by Jamie McHugh, photo art by Tara Gill and collages by Susan Adame.

An artists' reception will be held on Saturday, May 10, from 5 to 7 p.m.

A graduate of San Jose State University, Shintani received her master's degree in transformative art from JFK University in Berkeley in 2006. She has worked as a children's art teacher in Silicon Valley and an art specialist for Coastside Childrenﾕs Programs.

Currently, she is a transformative art facilitator.

Shintani has recently had solo shows at JFK University and Half Moon Bayﾕs M Coffee Gallery and Enso Art Gallery.

For more information, visit www.judyshintani.com or read her blog at http://judykitsune.wordpress.com/.

by J.K. YAMAMOTO
Hokubei Mainichi

NASA Astronaut Daniel Tani, who was visiting San Francisco to serve as grand marshal of the Cherry Blossom Festival’s Grand Parade on April 20, also attended the annual Senior Appreciation Brunch held before the parade at the Hotel Kabuki in Japantown.

Tani is the first Japanese American to walk in space and the second Japanese American ever to travel into space; the first was the late Ellison Onizuka. His first space shuttle mission was in 2001, and he spent four months as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, returning to Earth last February.

The seniors and their families and friends, some of whom had come from as far away as San Jose, Sacramento and Sebastopol, warmly greeted Tani and had their pictures taken with him. He visited every table in the room.
Tani has relatives in the Bay Area and was the main speaker at a gala celebrating the centennial of San Francisco Japantown in 2006.

In brief remarks to the Senior Appreciation Brunch audience, he said, “I just want to tell you what an honor it is to be here, to come back to San Francisco, where I do have roots.

“My father was born just a block from here many years ago, and my mother’s from Florin. I assume there’s still a strong Japanese American community in Florin. So coming back to San Francisco, even though I’ve never lived here, does feel like coming home.

“I was thinking today that I live in Houston now, I grew up in Chicago and I went to school in Boston, so I’ve lived around the country, but I’ve never lived in a place where there was a big Japanese American community. So to come here to this event ... and to see so many Japanese American faces is really wonderful for me.

“Especially with the seniors today, I can look in the eyes and see the smiles and hear the laughs, and they remind me of my folks. So I really appreciate that and I’ve certainly enjoyed that today.
“I guess I want to say that reflecting on my family and my parents, I’d like to suggest that every day is Senior Appreciation Day. This is just one of them.”

The youngest of five children, Tani was born in February 1961 to Henry and Rose Tani, both of whom were interned during World War II. He was particularly close to his mother as he lost his father at the age of 5.

His last mission took an unexpected turn in December when his 90-year-old mother died in a car accident. He was in frequent communication with his family but could not attend the service. Tani became the first NASA astronaut to lose a close family member while in space.

After riding in the parade, Tani sat in the reviewing stand with relatives and also took the time to chat with Cherry Blossom Scholarship recipient Sho Takatori about his plans for college.

by J.K. YAMAMOTO
Hokubei Mainichi

SAN JOSE - Yu-Ai Kai/Japanese American Community Senior Service held its annual Nihonmachi Run on May 4 with 663 runners and walkers participating.

The three-mile course formed a circle around Japantown, beginning and ending in front of the Yu-Ai Kai building on 4th and Jackson streets.

As always, it was a family affair with many runners and walkers bringing along their infants and dogs.

Prizes were given to the top three male and female runners in each age category.

The fastest runner overall was 17-year-old Brian Wong, who finished in 18 minutes and 21 seconds with a pace of just under 6 minutes per mile. The fastest female was Kelly Emo, 43, with a time of 21 minutes and 54 seconds, just over 7 minutes per mile.

The Sasaos were recognized as the largest family group with 10 members ranging in age from 9 to 49. Four of them received medals: Whitney Sasao, 11, was first among females 1 to 12 years old; Kory Kaneda, 12, and Garrett Sasao, 11, were second and third among males 1 to 12; and Mark Sasao, 44, was second among males 40 to 59.

This year no prize was given for best costumes as everyone showed up in their regular running outfits.

The runner who raised the most money was Yu-Ai Kai Executive Director Wes Mukoyama, who collected about $900 in pledges.

Special thanks were given to Asian American officers of the San Jose Police Department, Santa Clara County Sheriffﾕs Department and Milpitas Police Department, who managed traffic to ensure the runnersﾕ safety. SJPD Lt. Ken Tanaka spoke on their behalf.
Many runners and walkers also checked out Yu-Ai Kaiﾕs annual health fair, held the same day, as well as the Nikkei Matsuri in Japantown.
Results of the run are as follows:

Overall Winners
Males: Brian Wong, 17, of Sunnyvale, 18:21.8; Brent Melton, 14, of San Jose, 19:02.3; Glen Furuta, 46, of San Carlos, 19:20.3
Females: Kelly Emo, 43, of Campbell, 21:54.1; Mary Cheung, 20, of San Jose, 24:20.2; Kristie Taguma, 15, of Mountain View, 24:50.5

Female Age Categories
Female, 1-12: Whitney Sasao, 11, of San Jose, 34:53.4; Allyson Nodohara, 8, of Morgan Hill, 37:24.7; Raena Gaton, 10, of San Jose, 40:58.0
Female, 13-19: Kristie Taguma, 15, of Mountain View, 24:50.5; Amanda Drennan, 15, of San Jose, 26:52.6; Mayu Shiomi, 13, of Saratoga, 27:38.4
Female, 20-39: Mary Cheung, 20, of San Jose, 24:20.2; Kellie Utsumi, 27, of Cupertino, 25:12.3; Debra Espejo, 39, of San Jose, 26:26.3
Female, 40-59: Kelly Emo, 43, of Campbell, 21:54.1; Nghi Chau, 42, of San Jose, 26:14.9; Allison Espejo, 43, of San Jose, 26:15.2
Female, 60-69: Erika Leger, 65, of Gilroy, 30:50.2; Pamela Shannon, 60, of San Jose, 31:08.4; Lexie Fry, 67, of Milpitas, 38:03.8
Female, 70 and over: Joan Masui, 72, of San Jose, 37:19.4; Sumi Tanabe, 70, of San Jose 46:50.8; Hayami Fujii, 77, of Cupertino, 52:00.5

Male Age Categories
Male, 1-12: Derrick Ando, 12, of Morgan Hill, 23:02.3; Kory Kaneda, 12, of San Jose 24:46.6; Garrett Sasao, 11, of San Jose, 25:37.3
Male, 13-19: Brian Wong, 17, of Sunnyvale, 18:21.8; Brent Melton, 14, of San Jose, 19:02.3; Stephen Louie, 15, of Saratoga, 20:42.8
Male, 20-39: Mark Puntanilla, 34, of San Jose, 19:38.6; Stuart Dong, 37, of Campbell, 19:41.7; Curtis Kanazawa, 38, of Saratoga, 20:21.7
Male, 40-59: Glen Furuta, 46, of San Carlos, 19:20.3; Mark Sasao, 44, of San Jose, 20:31.2; Gregg Uyekubo, 43, of Redwood City, 20:52.7
Male, 60-69: Steve Tsuchida, 60, of Cupertino, 22:36.5; Gary Mader, 63, of Gilroy, 24:42.6; John Shannon, 60, of San Jose, 27:27.7
Male, 70 and over: David Umeda, 74, of San Jose, 28:44.9; Donald Masui, 76, of San Jose, 36:41.9; George Honda, 77, of San Jose, 38:16.8

by YOKO MORIHIRO
Hokubei Mainichi

The second week of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival (CBF) in San Francisco culminated in a finale on April 20 with the Grand Parade, which began at City Hall and ended in Japantown.

Many people appeared in the parade, such as local political leaders and the huge Taru Mikoshi group (portable barrel shrine), as well as the 2008 CBF Queen and her court. (For more pictures of the parade, see Japanese pages 1, 4 and 5.)

The Cherry Blossom Queen, Alicia Kagawa, and her court were dressed in beautiful kimono as they waved happily to the crowds.

“It was very exciting to see so many people come out,” Kagawa said.
Throngs of people lined the streets of Japantown taking pictures but Kagawa said modestly, “I think they were actually taking pictures of our kimonos.”

They were proudly accompanied by the dynamic mikoshi bearers, who gave energetic shouts as dancers in colorful costumes performed. Taiko performers from the local San Francisco Taiko Dojo also appeared, in addition to the Japanese groups Tomizato Hizume Daiko and Sakae Furusato Daiko. The beat of the drums and the lines of colorful dancers, including the local Michiya Hanayagi group and the Nihon Minyo Buyo Renmei, created a lively atmosphere for the parade.

This was the first CBF Parade for Consul-General of Japan Yasumasa Nagamine. He was impressed, saying, “Many people attended from Japan and joined with local people to make this event a great success.” His wife, Ayako, wore a kimono designed by visiting designer Nobuaki Tomita, which was adorned with a Golden Gate Bridge theme.

In addition, visiting Japanese performers like Sakuragawa Pinsuke’s Kappore group paraded while dancing their cheerful and energetic Kappore dance. The Kappore dancers later danced in front of the Taru Mikoshi and enjoyed themselves.

“There was a huge crowd and they were into our performance,” one of the dancers said. “So we got into it too!”

Another Japanese group, Nankin Tamasudare, dazzled the crowds with their wonderful costumes and performances. They used their bamboo tamasudare sheets to make group shapes of the Golden Gate Bridge and Mt. Fuji. The performers showed excited smiles at the crowd’s reactions.

“It was really windy so I could only perform in some places,” umbrella spinner Bizen Yatsu-fusa said. “But everyone seemed to enjoy it, so it was fun.”

This was also the first parade for Isao Matsuura as president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California. He who was shivering at the starting point due to the strong winds, but he said, “Once the parade warmed up, the energy blew the cold away.”

The grand marshal of the parade was astronaut Daniel Tani, whose father was born in Japantown. This was the first time for Tani, who just returned to Earth last February, to participate in this parade. He appeared in his blue NASA uniform and walked along the street, cheerfully shaking hands and taking pictures with onlookers.

“It was wonderful. Everyone was so excited, and the yakitori smelled great,” he said.

by LEFTERIS KAFATOS
Hokubei Mainichi

May 6 marked the opening of a two-week art exhibit entitled "Exquisite Harmony East West" at the Art People Gallery at 50 Post St., the second floor of the Crocker Galleria. The concept of the exhibition is the harmonious blend between Western sculpture and Japanese ikebana.

The exhibit features the work of Misha Frid, a sculptor from Russia, Heidi Hornberger, an artist from California, and Yoshiko LeSage, a master of the Ikenobo School of ikebana. The artists decided to join and use their very different media to make a collaboration of diversity and uniqueness. Consul General Yasumasa Nagamine, who attended with his wife, showed his appreciation for both the dynamism of Western art and the delicacy of ikebana.

Hornberger, who spends two months every year sculpting in Indonesia, said, "Bronze is eternal and ikebana changes in a day, but they both work with space and energy." She describes her own work as art nouveau with very strong Asian influences, saying, "My heart always lives in Asia." For her, the piece that works best with ikebana is "Moonrise," where a moon rises out of waves whose curves are mirrored by ikebana flowers in an elliptical vase.

Fellow artist Frid studied art in Russia and was exposed to styles from countries like Italy and France. Frid is appreciative of Asian art, saying of LeSage, "She's a truly excellent artist." His favorite piece is "Sheer Delight," where he says the ikebana flowers next to the seated figure create an atmosphere "so cozy all together, like she's in a garden."

LeSage herself, who also likes this piece the best, has 50 years of experience with ikebana. In this collaboration, she and four of her students created ikebana pieces that complemented the feel of the bronze sculptures. She was unfazed by the challenge of working with these very different media, saying, "Working with Misha and Heidi was easy. Their pieces embrace nature and work well with the harmony of ikebana."

The exhibit will be on display until May 19 and hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Sundays, when the gallery is closed. For more information, call (415) 956-3650 or e-mail info@artpeople.net.

Pine United Methodist Church invites all needlecraft enthusiasts to join in an afternoon of knitting and crocheting on Sunday, April 27, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Enjoy an afternoon with friends, old and new, as they knit and crochet hats, scarves, afghans and other cozies for those in need. If you knit, bring size 7 or 8 needles and a skein of worsted weight yarn (wool or wool blend). The church will supply the patterns, advice (even lessons for beginners) and refreshments. Donations of yarn (natural fibers), needles and hooks are always welcome.

Pine UMC is located at 426 33rd Ave. between Geary and Clement in San Francisco. For more information, contact Margaret Schulze at (415) 751-0673 or Steve Hall at ionguy@mac.com.

The San Franciso State University Theatre Arts Department and Theatre of Yugen will present "Nohgaku Kai: Classical Japanese Theatre" from May 15 to 18.

Directed by guest artist Jubilith Moore, this performance will be held at two different venues.

"Nohgaku" refers to the traditional Japanese theater forms of noh (drama) and kyogen (comedy), and "kai" means a gathering. Nohgaku is often described as the art of performance. The artists for this event have trained in the dance (komai/shimai) and chant (kouta/utai) of nohgaku and have learned songs and dances of the nohgaku repertoire.

The more than 15 performers will feature Theatre of Yugen Joint Artistic Director (and SFSU alumnus) Lluis Valls.

The performances will be held Thursday and Friday, May 15-16, at 8 p.m., as well as Saturday, May 17, at 2 p.m. at Studio Theatre in the Creative Arts Building on SFSU Campus. Tickets are $5. For more information, call (415) 338-2467 or visit www.theatre.sfsu.edu.

A performance will also be held Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m. at NOHspace, 2840 Mariposa St. in San Francisco. For more information, call (415) 621-7978.

FRESNO - Floyd Mori, national executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), was recently presented with a surprise award.

Mori had been invited by Judge Dale Ikeda to speak at a Day of Remembrance event held by the JACL in Fresno earlier this year. Ikeda heads a group dedicated to preserving the site of the Pinedale Assembly Center, where local Japanese Americans were held in 1942. Similar events are held throughout the country in remembrance of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

That evening, Mori was presented with an award from the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, whose members come from the local Muslim and Arab American communities. The Voices of Courage Award was given for speaking out against racial profiling of Muslim and Arab Americans following 9/11.

Mori was National JACL president at the time. On Sept. 10, 2001, he had just returned from a trip to Japan, where he represented the JACL in a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan peace treaty.

Immediately after the attacks on the World Trade Center, Mori felt compelled to speak out in support of Muslim and Arab Americans, who were becoming targets of hate crimes. Mori, National JACL Executive Director John Tateishi and JACL Washington, D.C. representative Kristine Minami issued a press release admonishing America not to retaliate against innocent Muslim and Arab Americans and not to repeat the treatment of Japanese Americans 60 years earlier.

Presenting the award were Kamal Abu-Shamsieh, director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, and Raafat L. Shahata, President and CEO of ASC Engineers and Associates Inc., also located in Fresno. Also in attendance was National JACL President Larry Oda.

In 2004, JACL spoke out against Michelle Malkin's book "In Defense of Internment: The Case for 'Racial Profiling'" in World War II and the War on Terror, calling it "a desperate attempt to impugn the loyalty of Japanese Americans during World War II to justify harsher governmental policies today in the treatment of Arab and Muslim Americans."

JACL took similar positions before 9/11. In 1990, the organization raised concerns over the potential for acts of violence against Arab Americans prior to the Gulf War.

A documentary entitled “Camp Amache: The Story of an American Tragedy” has been released on DVD.

The story of more than 7,000 Japanese Americans who lost everything and were unjustly interned during World War II was produced, directed and narrated by Don Dexter, who used his own funds.

The documentary features interviews with the late journalist Bill Hosokawa, Rev. Kanya Okamoto of Tri-State Buddhist Temple, Aiko Jane Okubo, George “Joe” Sakato, Youko Yamasaki and Chiyo Nakata Horiuchi, to name a few.

Footage of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, the late Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr, who invited Japanese Americans to settle in his state, and current efforts to preserve the Amache site are included.

The documentary was shown last year at a Day of Remembrance program at Tri-State Buddhist Temple and statewide on Rocky Mountain PBS.

Those who are interested in purchasing the 57-minute DVD or a VHS copy are asked to call the producer at (719) 275-8475 or e-mail dondexter@qwest.net.

The DVD is also available from the Buddhist Bookstore in Berkeley’s Jodo Shinshu Center, (510) 809-1435 or www.bcabookstore.com.

“The story of Camp Amache and the wrongful internment of Japanese Americans and people of Japanese ancestry during World War WII moved me so much emotionally, I felt that I had to complete this documentary so others would know what happened,” Dexter said.

“This documentary was a two-year labor of love. I discovered the story from seeing a picture of five Japanese girls who were graduating from Amache High School, Class of 1943. Research revealed a compelling story that I felt should be told.

“All shooting locations for this documentary were in Colorado. Namely, the Denver metro area, Granada, Lamar, and Camp Amache. The many Japanese Americans that I interviewed for this project were truly remarkable individuals. I found them to be very kind, gracious, and sincere. They spoke straight from their heart.”

Dexter recalled that when he visited the camp site, “Sometimes a calm would eclipse the native sounds of the camp. The concrete slab foundations where families once lived look like memorials from another time.

“I remember the early morning sound of the gravel beneath my feet when I walked the empty street grids throughout the camp. Sometimes, at the first light of sunrise, I would sit on one of the concrete foundations and try to grasp a sense of the past.

“I would try to imagine what it was like to be confined in a distant place, not knowing what the future would bring.”