Arts & Entertainment

The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter St. in San Francisco Japantown, will offer a koto workshop for kids 6 to 12 years of age on Sunday, May 4, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The workshop will cover the general History of the koto; reigi (manners); proper set-up and cleaning of the koto; how to read notes; and how to play the koto.

The instructor will be Shoko Hikage, who has been playing since the age of 3. In 1985, she took special lessons from second iemoto Seiga Adachi and third iemoto Seuga Adachi of the Ikuta-ryu Sokyoku Seigen Kai. In 1988, she graduated from Takasaki College with a major in koto music.

She became a research student in Sawai Sokyokuin and received her master’s certificate under Tadao Sawai and Kazue Sawai. In 1992, she moved to Hawaii to teach koto at the Sawai Koto Kai Hawaii.

Hikage now resides in San Francisco and performs regularly, both solo and with other artists from around the world.

The workshop is open to JCCCNC members and the general public. The cost is $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information and to reserve a space, call (415) 567-5505 or e-mail programsevents@jcccnc.org.

by KRISTYN TANAKA
Hokubei Mainichi

Nikkei Matsuri starts

SAN JOSE - The sun was shining on May 4 and the smell of the Cinco de Mayo weekend barbeques was in the air - plus the smell of teriyaki burgers, fried calamari and gyoza.

It certainly was a weekend for outdoor celebrations and the perfect Sunday for San Jose's 31st annual Nikkei Matsuri and the Yu-Ai-Kai Nihonmachi Run.

The morning kicked off at 9 a.m. with a gunshot as San Jose residents and their families ran, walked, pushed strollers, and walked dogs along the three-mile course.

Meanwhile, just around the corner on 5th and Jackson streets, San Jose Taiko's drums announced the start of the Nikkei Matsuri.

Nikkei Matsuri President Warren Hayashi led the opening ceremony, in which koi banners were raised. The colorful fish floated on the wind throughout the day, standing at the center of the festivities.

Behind the outdoor stage, the little Community Youth Service (CYS) Dancers played about in their frilly pink dresses. Mothers seemed more nervous in anticipation of the dance performance than the girls themselves, who seemed not to have a care in the world as they skipped along and chased each other, making circles around their mothers.

They performed the dances that their instructor Theresa Hawker taught them. Adorable pink frills turned and twirled about the stage, with the girls pausing for the occasional wave to Mom or Dad.

Performances abound

The Nikkei Matsuri never had a dull moment with constant performances occupying both the indoor and outdoor stages.

The indoor stage, located in the San Jose Buddhist Church Annex, housed a breathtaking display of ikebana, bonsai, and kimekomi dolls. On stage was a calming performance by Marimo-Kai, a group of koto players accompanied by flute and shakuhachi. Japanese classical dance performances by students of Madame Hanayagi Michiya and students of Madame Bando Misayasu followed.

Suzuki Guitar, made up of students of Longay Conservatory of Guitar, performed in the afternoon with classical guitarists ranging in age from young to younger. They were led by their director, Frank Longay.

Running back and forth from indoor to outdoor stage, one would not want to miss the momentous dedication of the Japantown Landmarks. With Ed Shikada, as master of ceremonies, Ikoi no Ba (peaceful places to rest, relax, and converse with others) and the Japantown History Markers were dedicated to preserve the history, values and traditions of the local Japanese American community. (There will be a separate article on the monuments.)

The day continued with the joyous music of San Jose Chidori Band and the Wesley Jazz Band, ending as it began with San Jose Taiko. The music moved members of the audience to get up and dance. Three-year-old Trevor Bokura danced to his heartﾕs delight with his yellow balloon to the upbeat music of the Chidori Band. Later, Anet Delacruz and Dale Carrascl put on their dancing show to fox-trot along with the Wesley Jazz Band.

Late afternoon saw kyudo and jujitsu demonstrations on the indoor stage.

In the midst of the performances, the Ika Man ran about announcing his fried calamari at the food booths, various venders sold their pottery, jewelry, T-shirts, and toys at the vendor booths, and the public enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

SAN JOSE — Like cherry blossom festivals across the nation, the San Jose Japantown Nikkei Matsuri is the San Jose Japanese American community’s spring celebration of the colorful and unique Japanese American heritage and culture.

This year is the 31st for the festival, which continues to be vibrant and dynamic. San Jose Taiko drummers begin the festival with the pulsing heartbeat of the taiko during a morning stroll through Japantown while the festival prepares for a day-long celebration.

This has been a tradition in recent years, as the taiko drummers encourage runners participating in Yu-Ai Kai’s Nihonmachi Run, which also takes place that morning. Following the taiko will be the traditional raising of the koi, a gift to the committee from San Jose’s sister city in Japan, Okayama.

A 300-member delegation participated in the Nikkei Matsuri last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sister-city relationship.

History of Nikkei Matsuri

Nikkei Matsuri means “Japanese American festival.” Over 30 years ago, it was one of several ethnic community celebrations planned for the City of San Jose’s bicentennial celebration.

The Nikkei Matsuri created by the Japanese American community in order to share its culture with the city. This celebration was so successful that it has continued since then.

The Nikkei Matsuri Committee, led by Warren Hayashi, is composed of representatives of several non-profit organizations. Together, they coordinate a festival of foods, performing arts, cultural exhibits, and arts and crafts with the goal of sharing and appreciating Japanese American culture in the heart of San Jose’s Japantown.

In addition to Hayashi, the festival’s board includes Jimi Yamaichi, Norman Tanaka, Larry Kaneshiro, Victor Imahara, Pam Yoshida, Sharon Siegenthaler, Kathy Linderman, Frank Tao, Vi Onishi, Ruby Kobashi, Gordon Koo and Kristi Conley.

Participating Organizations

This year’s participating organizations include CYS (Community Youth Services), San Jose Buddhist Church (Venture Scouts, Cub Scouts, Japanese Language School and Fujinkai), Wesley United Methodist Church (Youth Group), San Jose JACL, Nisei Ski Club, Pacific Neighbors, YJA (Young Japanese Americans), San Jose Judo Club, Northern California Kendo Federation and West Valley JACL.

Food Booths

The food booths will serve such Japanese-themed delicacies as teriyaki shortribs, gyoza, bota mochi, udon, ika (squid) fry, yaki soba, manju and Spam musubi. Non-traditional Japanese items such as teriyaki burgers, Chinese chicken salad, shaved ice, and strawberry shortcake are also sold.
Live entertainment on two stages will be featured throughout the day. Groups of all ages, many of them from local community organizations, will demonstrate a variety of talent.

Arts and Crafts

Over 60 arts-and-crafts vendors from throughout the West Coast and Hawaii will be on hand to display their unique handcrafted arts.
Cultural displays will include calligraphy from Nenhitsu Kai (led by Fumi Oki); suiseki from Kashu Suiseki (Ted Kameda); ikebana from students of Shoka Narimatsu, Kika Shibata, Mayumi Kiyohara and Joyce Kubota; bonsai from San Jose Bonsai Club (Ken Azuma); and kimekomi dolls from Mataro Miyabi Kai-Northern California Shibu (Masanori Wasano).

Community Organizations

In addition to the Nikkei Matsuri events, the following community organizations will host activities during the day:
- Yu Ai Kai (Nihonmachi Run/Walk and Health Fair)
- Japantown Business Association (weekly Farmer’s Market on Jackson Street between 6th and 7th streets)
- Suzume no Gakko (children’s crafts at Wesley United Methodist Church)
A representative from the Nisei Veterans’ Stamp Act committee will be on hand to answer questions about the movement to honor Nisei soldiers who served in World War II through a commemorative postage stamp.
Organizers encourage festival-goers to plan to spend the entire day in order to fully enjoy the event.

Event Schedule

Nikkei Matsuri will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with all festivities taking place along Jackson Street between 4th and 6th streets. Admission is free. Further information is available by visiting the website, www.nikkeimatsuri.org, or by contacting Hayashi at (408) 241-0900.

NIKKEI MATSURI ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
Indoor Stage (San Jose Buddhist Church)
10:30 a.m.: Koto performance by Marimo-Kai (directed by Yukari Sakaguchi) with shakuhachi accompaniment
11:30 a.m.: Japanese classical dance by students of Madame Michi-ya Hanayagi
11:45 a.m.: Japanese classical dance by students of Madame Bando Misayasu
12:30 p.m.: Suzuki guitar by students of Longay Conservatory of Guitar (Frank Longay, director)
1:30 p.m.: Kyudo demonstration by Northern California Kyudo Federation (Stephan Scott, instructor and chief of Renseikan Kyudojo)
2:30 p.m.: Jujitsu demonstration by Nikko Jujitsu Dojo (Prof. Richard Bunch, instructor)

Outdoor Stage (5th and Jackson)
9:15 a.m.: Pre-opening by San Jose Taiko
9:30 a.m.: Opening ceremony — raising of the koi by Warren Hayashi, Nikkei Matsuri president
10 a.m.: Community Youth Service Dancers (Theresa Hawker, director)
11 a.m.: Dedication of the Japantown Landmarks by the Japantown Landmarks Committee
12 p.m.: San Jose Chidori Band (Duane Takahashi, director)
2 p.m.: Wesley Jazz Band (Wayne Adachi, director)
3 p.m.: San Jose Taiko (Roy and P.J. Hirabayashi, directors)
4 p.m.: End of Nikkei Matsuri

by SHINTARO TANAKA
Hokubei Mainichi

A special exhibition of Neo-Japanism featuring arts and crafts contributing to international exchange was held at this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival (CBF) in San Francisco Japantown.

A wide array of wonderful Japanese crafts was exhibited. Many visitors came to view the various refined pieces, such as Japanese embroidery, glasswork, and drawings.

In the exhibition hall, noh mask artisan Hayahiko Okubo demonstrated his craft while onlookers asked questions. Miwako Kawasaki, who makes dolls out of traditional Japanese paper (washi), showed visitors how to make the delicate dolls.

For Okubo, who teaches noh mask carving classes for adults in Tokyo, this was the first time to exhibit his craft overseas. Seeing the many visitors, Okubo said with a smile, “I’m glad people were so interested.”

Apparently, noh mask carving is gaining popularity in Japan with the baby boomer generation. Given the nature of the craft, it takes time to get good at it, but if one works at it diligently, the results are worth the effort.

Okubo said, “I hope people’s interest in noh mask carving spreads.”

Kawasaki, a teacher of puppet-making using washi, had the opportunity to exhibit her pieces at the first Neo-Japanism exhibition for such crafts held in Vienna in 2005, the year of cultural exchange between Japan and countries of the EU.

When asked about this CBF exhibit, Kawasaki said, “It was a lot of fun. I was surprised by how many people came. These arts are infused with the unique sensitivity of Japanese handicrafts. I’m glad to have played a role in conveying that.”

Yesterday marked the beginning of a ceramics exhibit entitled "Within Two Hands: The Eye of the Collector" at the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design at 550 Sutter St.

The exhibit, which features more than 70 pieces by artists such as Shoji Hamada, Jun Kaneko, Kanjiro Kawai, and Mineo Mizuno, will be on display until June 29.

The ceramic pieces come from the Marer Collection of Contemporary Ceramics at Scripps College, which also includes the works of non-Japanese artists like Peter Voulkos, Ruth Duckworth, Paul Soldner and many more. The artists of this period are widely credited with ushering in a new era of expressive freedom in ceramics.

The exhibit will also feature other attractions such as a walk-through exhibition as well as a speaker series event titled "It's Not the Same Old Dinnerware Anymore!" with ceramist Nancy Selvin. There will also be programs for kids, such as the "Makeart Workshop" on May 17 and May 31, from 1 to 3 p.m. on both days.

The museum, which is located near Union Square, is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays. Suggested donations are $3 for adults, $2 for students and seniors 62 and over, and free to members and those under 18.

For more information, call (415) 773-0303, e-mail info@sfmcd.org, or visit www.sfmcd.org.

SACRAMENTO - The Crest Theatre, 1013 K St., will host "Japanese Movies at the Crest," a two-day event running Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17, featuring four iconic masterpieces of Japanese cinema.

The film "Always" (2005) will show on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and doors will open at 6:30 p.m. This film won 12 Japanese Academy Awards in 2006, including for best picture, best actor, and best director. Based on a popular manga series, "Always" captures the newness and uncertainty of post-World War II Japan through outstanding cinematography, showing the daily lives of two families in a Tokyo neighborhood.

Another film that will show is "Hot Summer Winds" (1991) by director/writer Emiko Omori. The film will show at 2 p.m. on Saturday and doors will open at 1 p.m. Based on short stories by Hisaye Yamamoto, the film takes place in California in 1934 and revolves around a Japanese immigrant farmer and his wife, a poet. Sab Shimono, a former Sacramentan, plays the farmer and will be interviewed on the Crest Stage before the screening.

"The Slanted Screen" (2006) will show Saturday at 3:45 p.m. and doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior. This documents the history of Asian American actors in Hollywood over a 92-year period, showing Asian actors in stereotyped roles. It also features noted actors like James Shigeta talking about being Asian in the movie industry.
Finally, Akira Kurosawaﾕs classic "Rashomon" (1950) will show at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, with doors opening 30 minutes in advance. One of the must-see films of all time, "Rashomon" has influenced filmmaking throughout the world.

Tickets are $10 for each show or $25 for an All-Fest Pass in advance, and are on sale at www.tickets.com, the Crest box office (1-800-225-2277), or tickets.com outlets.

LOS ANGELES - Figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and her partner Mark Ballas, formerly the front-runners, were in second place after the May 5 and 6 broadcasts of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

The top scorers were Christian De la Fuente and partner Cheryl Burke, despite an arm injury that De la Fuente suffered last week.

R&B singer Mario and partner Karina Smirnoff had the lowest combined scores from the judge and viewers, and were sent home. Besides Yamaguchi, the remaining celebrities are NFL player Jason Taylor and Broadway star Marissa Jaret Winokur.

Yamaguchi and Ballas got mixed reviews for their quickstep and samba. Judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli loved the quickstep, but Carrie Ann Inaba said the couple was "a little bit out of sync."

After the samba, Inaba said that she "didn't care for it" and that the two weren't as graceful as they usually are. But Tonioli said that Yamaguchi looked like "a bejeweled hummingbird going from flower to flower."

In honor of the reality series' 100th episode, three former contestants, including Olympic speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, the fourth-season winner, returned to the dance floor. Ohno and partner Julianne Hough performed to music by Rascal Flatts.

The next broadcast will be on Monday, May 12, at 8 p.m.

by JAMES WOODARD
Hokubei Mainichi

MORGAN HILL — The 48th annual Morgan Hill Haru Matsuri was held April 20 at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center.

It is the oldest of the Nikkei festivals in Northern California. This year also marked the 15th anniversary of the Northern California Taiko Expo, a major attraction of the festival, which featured taiko dojos from around the Bay Area, including: Sandoshin Taiko from Morgan Hill, Drum Revolution from Orinda, Wadaiko Newark, Emeryville Taiko, Watsonville Taiko and San Jose Taiko.

The day started with bright sun and high winds, but the winds were no deterrent for the hundreds of visitors who came to celebrate the arrival of spring and to show gratitude for those who came before them.

There were two stages that featured martial arts demonstrations, dance performances, and the thunderous sounds of the taiko groups.

Food stalls sold teriyaki chicken bento boxes, gyoza, ramen, teriyaki hot dogs with rice, manju, and of course, sake and Sapporo.

What had initially started as a fundraiser to build a Buddhist Sunday school has, over the past few generations, turned into a popular spring festival that has the flavor of an intimate county fair. People of all colors and creeds came out to celebrate, with groups traveling from Salinas, Watsonville, neighboring Gilroy and Madrone, and many other points around the Bay Area and Central Valley.

Inside the church, people of all ages tried their hands at origami and calligraphy. The small church has a modest altar, which some visitors came to offer prayers to. The calligraphy class was especially popular with young children.

In the community center behind the church there were displays commemorating the heroism of Nisei vets who fought during World War II, a timeline of the internment experience, and a small display from Morgan Hill’s sister city of Mizuho, a small tea farming community outside of metropolitan Tokyo.

There was also a small display featuring artifacts from the area’s berry farming industry, including fruit crates stamped with the names of area farmers, like Ota, Hatakeyama and Kawaguchi, just to name a few. There were also several pieces mentioning Driscoll Ranch, which was one of the largest employers of Nisei farmers after the war. It was through this opportunity that many of the Nisei were able to purchase their own farms and save enough to provide for future generations of their families.

The exhibits were the work of retired Air Force Col. Brian Shiroyama, who put them together to honor the struggles and perseverance of the Nisei. He was one of several dedicated Sansei who put together the festival.

“It takes about a week of preparation, with the food and all those items, but it’s really a reunion for a lot of those people to talk about old times,” he said of the Nisei at the festival. “Watching them work together, talking about those things, it’s really a wonderful, wonderful experience.”

Shiroyama has been working with the Morgan Hill Historical Society to get the exhibit in the local museum. If you have any stories, pictures or artifacts that you would be willing to share, contact him at (408) 776-0361 or bshiroyama@yahoo.com.

CUPERTINO — The 2008 Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Memorial Park on Stevens Creek Boulevard across from De Anza College.

Some of the top amateur sumo wrestlers in the U.S. will perform at the festival on April 27. Several of these men are huge — 400 to 450 pounds or more.

They will show sumo rules, techniques, and matches, and there will also be a chance for kids to try pushing the big guys. Festival-goers will have opportunities to meet the athletes, take photographs and get autographs.

This is the third year for the sumo wrestlers to participate in the festival, and organizers say the athletes are getting bigger and bigger each year.

Information and tickets will be provided for the 2008 Los Angeles Grand Sumo Tournament (June 7-8) and other sumo events in California. For more information, check www.usasumo.com.

For more information on the festival, call Lucille Honig at (408) 257-7424 or go on-line to www.cupertinotoyokawa.org.

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival held its annual raffle on April 20 in San Francisco Japantown’s Peace Plaza.

Tickets were purchased from Japantown merchants before and during the festival. With George Yamasaki Jr. serving as emcee, the winning tickets were drawn by 2008 Cherry Blossom Queen Alicia Kagawa, First Princess Miwa Natsuki, Princess and Miss Tomodachi Rie Watanabe, Princess Asuka Nagase and Princess Midori Iwata. Ticket-holders did not need to be present to win.

The winners for the top prizes are as follows:

Grand prize — Ashly Schanback (2009 Toyota Corolla LE)

First prize — Roy T. Yamada (two round-trip tickets to Japan from Japan Airlines)

Second prize — Akiko Miyazono (Panasonic 42-inch plasma TV)

Third prize — Midori Yamamoto (Toshiba laptop computer)

Winners of other prizes included (in alphabetical order): Tony Beaudine (kimono from Nakamaru of Kyoto); Victoria Chua (Japanese bowl from Asakichi); Carol P. Clive (Japanese antique doll from Genji); John Edwards (Okinawa hemp bag from Akabanaa); Calvin Matsuo (red-and-black T-shirts from Super 7); Irene Nakamura (plate from Sanko); S. Natsume (incense burner from Dentoh); Subotina Olga (maneki neko from Katachi); Marjorie S. Osaki (plate from Sanko); Sasaki family (incense burner from Dentoh); Duane Shintaku (nine Super Seven magazines from Super 7); Michael Thick (water pearl necklace from Negishi Jewelry); Masako Thompson (Japanese soy sauce plates from Asakichi); Tsuyoshi Tohyama (Guess bag from Boutique Joy); Margaret Tsai (International Toy Pirates from Super 7); Yuki Watanabe (bamboo screen from Townhouse Living); Tiung Wong (Mataro Japanese doll from Mataro Ningyo members).

The following people won gift certificates: Sachiko Bailey (Fujiya); Sylvia Corrigan (Maki); Masae Essigmann (Do Re Mi); Shozo Hada (Sapporoya); David and Carol Hobel (Sophie’s Crepes); Takako Honda (Mifune); Richard Kaplan (Osakaya); Len Kulawiec (Kuishinbo); William Lee (Osakaya); Ken Matoba (Bushi Tei); Stacey Mitsuda (On the Bridge); Soko Omachi (Mifune); Gordon Park-Li (Sophie’s Crepes); Asako Sakamoto (San Francisco Hiroshima Nikkejin Kai); Ikuko Sakai (Kuishinbo); Sakai Video Production (Super Mira); Mikiko Tanaka (Yasukochi Sweet Shop); Thomas Tran (Nichi Bei Times); Minako Tsuji (Fuku Sushi).

The following seven people won gift certificates from Izumiya: Ingrid Hernandez, Amy Kaufman, Keiko Kitagawa, Yoshiko Lohuis, Hiroyuki Ono, Fumiko Shoemaker, and Robert W. Smith.

The following people won a three-month subscription to Nichi Bei Times: R. Hirano, Dana Kato, J. Leach, The Cheng Sun, Ray Wakiyama, and Yuki Watanabe.

Also, the following people won DVDs from Japan Video & Media: Uina Kubota (“Only the Brave”); Shannon Lee (“Zatoichi”); Helen Sato (“Baian the Assassin”); and Amy Sujishi (“Shall We Dance?”).
Finally, these people won organically grown rice from Nijiya: Marlon Chow, Alice Fukushima, Sumi Hirose, Shinobu Horikiri, Javier Martin, Masae, Sumi Mete, Asuka A. Nagase, Janne Naito, Shoka Narimatsu (twice), Shungo Okegawa, Anne Masuyo Ropke, Mayumi Salah, Maria Sasaki, Seichi Sato, M. Tademaru, Chuan Taguchi, and Jessica Tanabe.

Note that since the handwriting on the tickets is sometimes difficult to read, some names may be misspelled. In some cases, only a first name or last name was given.

The prizes can be picked up at Dentoh, located near the entrance to the Japan Center’s Kintetsu Mall, Post and Buchanan streets (enter from Peace Plaza). To make an appointment, call (415) 359-9570.