THE APPA Newsletter

August 8, 2007

Obon is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obon

http://www.buddhistchurch.com/events/Obon.htm

(last one I know of is San Luis Obispo, this weekend)

August 6 was Hiroshima Remembrance Day

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-08/2005-08-06-voa25.cfm

See This Weekend

MISSION STATEMENT:

Promote full utilization of the capabilities of the Enterprise's employees and champion the betterment of the company and community. Promote interest in Asian Pacific issues and culture and act as a bridge to all groups within our community. (substitute in your Enterprise and company, etc…)

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ed. by Douglas Ikemi

(dkikemi@pacbell.net)

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Back issues of the newsletter for all of 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 are available at http://www.ikemi.info/APPA/newsletters.html if you want to look up some past event. The website www.apa-pro.org no longer exists. This newsletter was originally published under the auspices of the Hughes Asian Pacific Professional Association (no longer extant). It currently has no affiliation and is available to anyone who is interested in downloading it.

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Please send in information on cultural events and news items to dkikemi@pacbell.net or dkikemi@mac.com . Thanks to those who have.

Long range calendar items:

Chinatown Farmers Market EVERY THURSDAY FROM 2-6PM, the Chinatown Farmers' Market takes place at Hill & Alpine bringing fresh fruits and produce by California Farmers to the Chinatown Community. FRIED BANANA, FRIED YAM, HAWAIIAN CHICKEN. We invite you to come and experience the Chinatown Farmers' Market. Free parking with purchase.

The Downtown Arts District/Little Tokyo Farmers' Market

Weller Court 2nd & San Pedro in

Little Tokyo Summer Hours 10-3pm

Features fresh produce, Hawaiian Chicken, more food gifts...and live jazz band.

Tuesdays from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

The weekly market is held every Tuesday from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m year round, rain or shine.

Sponsored by LARABA the market will include farm-fresh produce, Asian produce, organic produce, eggs, seafood, cheese, olives, olive oils, flowers, plants, bread and prepared foods and more.

Hawaiian Chicken, Roasted corn on the cobb

Local businesses interested in having a prepared food booth at the market or individuals interested in volunteering at this non-profit event, please contact Susan Hutchinson at 323-660-8660 for more information

Los Angeles Public Library Celebrates our DiverseCity

http://www.lapl.org/kidspath/events/diversecity/index.html

March 17 - July 29, 2007

Tokyo ADC Exhibition

A blend of pop, tradition and innovation, this exhibition provides a glimpse into the world of Tokyo Advertising Director's Club. Tokyo ADC promises to showcase some of the most trend-setting minds in commercial visual arts in the world today through examples of logos, print and television advertising, and book and product design.

Simple avant garde, comedic and crisp; the competition to stay ahead of the game is so intense, that these commercial artists explore and discover new ways, and new twists on a few old ways of delivering their products to the consumer market.

George J. Doizaki Gallery

Admission Free

Gallery Hours:

Tuesday - Friday, 12 noon to 5pm

Saturday & Sunday, 11am to 4pm

Closed Mondays & Holidays

June 30, 2007 - Sept. 2, 2007 Whose Utopia

An exhibition by Guangzhou artist, Cao Fei at The Orange County Museum of Art

The Orange County Museum of Art launches the Pacific Initiative, an ongoing series of exhibitions, artist residencies, and international collaborations to build relationships with artists and institutions in Asia and Latin America. Cao Fei: Whose Utopia, the first of these projects, presents the work of Cao, an artist born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, who addresses the complexities of the rapidly shifting contemporary moment. The artist spent six months at the OSRAM China Lighting Ltd., a factory in the Pearl River Delta in China, a major manufacturing base for everyday products for Chinese and foreign markets that has drawn workers from throughout China in search of economic opportunities and a better life. The installation is anchored by a video, Whose Utopia, and includes the everyday personal mementos and metal bunk beds present in the workers dormitories. The video is an eerily beautiful portrait of the factory and of the workers’ daily lives, fantasies, and aspirations. Scenes from the flow of the regular workday are interspersed with performances by a peacock dancer, a ballerina dressed as an angel, an electric guitar player, and a break dancer.

Whose Utopia is presented in collaboration with the Walter & McBean Galleries at the San Francisco Art Institute. Cao Fei: Whose Utopia was organized by Aimee Chang, OCMA curator of contemporary art.

Admission

Adults: $10

Students (w/ valid ID) & Seniors (65+): $8

Children under 12: free Members: free

Thursdays are free!

Time: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Orange County Museum of Art

850 San Clemente Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Tel: 949-759-1122

August 28 - September 23 A World Premiere of  

WINNER OF SILVER MEDAL PINTER REVIEW PRIZE FOR DRAMA

Written by: Velina Hasu Houston

Directed by: Shashin Desai

The award-winning author of 2005's hit play TEA is back at ICT with an amazing new World Premiere.

Keiko and her sister were standing outside their home in Hiroshima on a sunny day in August 1945 when the unthinkable happened. Keiko's story in the years after the "accident" is one of anger, denial and, ultimately, growth. This provocative play examines the destructive consequences of past mistakes and how we can learn to make the world a better place for future generations. An engrossing story of redemption and forgiveness, it promotes harmony and understanding. It will touch your heart and remind you why peace is so important in our world today.

ICT is located at 300 E. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90802 in the Center Theater of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. The Center Theatre is located behind the larger Terrace Theater.

ictlongbeach.org

FACES OF BATTLE: Japanese Prints from the Permanent Collection

On display from May 26 - September 26, 2006

This installation explores the themes of samurai virtue in conflicts ranging from legends of pre-history to epic moments of civil war in the late 19th century.

The thirty woodblock prints from the installation are also presented online in an interactive feature with stories of the protagonists, zoom screens enabling close inspection of the images, and a brief biography of the influential printmaker Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-92).

http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/MWEB/about/japan_about.asp

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

5905 Wilshire Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90036

323 857-6000 (general information)

323 857-0098 (TDD) http://www.lacma.org

An Urban Oasis: The Orange County Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum at the Fullerton Arboretum

Spotlighting the rich agricultural legacy of Orange County and the Japanese American community’s contributions to that chronicle.

Sowing Dreams, Cultivating Lives: Nikkei Farmers in Pre-World War II Orange County.

Opens February 10, 2007.

The Orange County Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum has been built on the grounds of the Fullerton Arboretum and has been designed along the lines of a packing house. California State University, Fullerton, and the Fullerton Arboretum are working together to open the museum to the public. The inside of the building is divided into four sections: Nikkei, Pioneer, Educational, and Transportation and Geography. There is a small bookstore and the Potting Shed will move its plant sales adjacent to the bookstore alcove.

The museum will highlight the history, development, and impact of agriculture, as well as the contributions of the Japanese American community and the local pioneer families, to the growth of Orange County. This introductory exhibit will be a peek into upcoming planned exhibitions and will be open throughout the summer.

The first major exhibit will focus on the Nikkei. Sowing Dreams, Cultivating Lives: Nikkei Farmers in Pre-World War II Orange County will journey with the early Japanese immigrants to California, and follow their stories as they establish permanent communities in Orange County by marrying, raising families, founding schools and social groups, and above all, cultivating the land.

Fullerton Arboretum, California State University, Fullerton

1900 Associated Road

Fullerton, California 92831

Persian Visions: Contemporary Photography from Iran

June 22, 2007 - September 9, 2007

Mohammad Farnood, Norooz, 2002

On Friday, June 22, 2007, Pacific Asia Museum will open Persian Visions: Contemporary Photography from Iran, an exhibition that provides a rare, revealing view of Iranian life with more than 60 photographs by renowned Iranian photographers. Subjects include public life as well as the intimate – such as family life and celebrations. This will be the only West Coast venue for this exhibition.

The twenty artists in the exhibition are among Iran’s most celebrated photographers, all of whom use the medium for cultural expression and self-exploration. Many of the artists are well known throughout Europe where they have extensively exhibited their works. Several of these artists have lived abroad and experienced western culture before returning to Iran to document their own culture. This perspective of life in Iran contradicts the way many foreign photographers use the medium: to represent Iran and its people as purely exotic.

Sadegh Tirafkan, Persepolis

Iran has distinguished itself with the quality and international presence of its film and visual art. Now we can extend our appreciation of Iranian artists with the photographic work of Shokoufeh Alidousti, whose self-portraits and family photographs explore both cultural and female identity. Esmail Abbasi draws on Persian literature for his subject matter and adds contemporary side notes on present circumstances in Iran. And Shahriar Tavakoli focuses on his family history through a series of portraits capturing the mood of an Iranian family with all its subtleties.

Persian Visions will travel to the University of Michigan Museum, the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach, the Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka, and the Missoula Museum of Art. Recently it was on view at the Honolulu Academy of Art, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum at Cornell University, and the Art Gallery of the University of Maryland.

Persian Visions was developed by Hamid Severi for the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Iran, and Gary Hallman of the Regis Center for Art, University of Minnesota, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C. This exhibition was made possible in part by the ILEX Foundation, University of Minnesota McKnight Arts and Humanities Endowment, and the Department of Art, Regis Center for Art, University of Minnesota.

Pacific Asia Museum

46 North Los Robles Avenue

Pasadena California 91101 [Google Map]

Hours: Wed – Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm

www.pacificasiamuseum.org

June 30, 2007 - Sept. 2, 2007 Whose Utopia?

An exhibition by Guangzhou artist Cao Fei at the Orange County Museum of Art

The Orange County Museum of Art launches the Pacific Initiative, an ongoing series of exhibitions, artist residencies, and international collaborations to build relationships with artists and institutions in Asia and Latin America. Cao Fei: Whose Utopia, the first of these projects, presents the work of Cao, an artist born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, who addresses the complexities of the rapidly shifting contemporary moment. The artist spent six months at the OSRAM China Lighting Ltd., a factory in the Pearl River Delta in China, a major manufacturing base for everyday products for Chinese and foreign markets that has drawn workers from throughout China in search of economic opportunities and a better life. The installation is anchored by a video, Whose Utopia, and includes the everyday personal mementos and metal bunk beds present in the workers dormitories. The video is an eerily beautiful portrait of the factory and of the workers’ daily lives, fantasies, and aspirations. Scenes from the flow of the regular workday are interspersed with performances by a peacock dancer, a ballerina dressed as an angel, an electric guitar player, and a break dancer.

Whose Utopia is presented in collaboration with the Walter & McBean Galleries at the San Francisco Art Institute. Cao Fei: Whose Utopia was organized by Aimee Chang, OCMA curator of contemporary art.

Admission

Adults: $10

Students (w/ valid ID) & Seniors (65+): $8

Children under 12: free

Members: free

Thursdays are free.

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Orange County Museum of Art

850 San Clemente Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Tel: 949-759-1122

www.ocma.net

August 9, Led by Artistic Director Shida Pegahi, Ney Nava Dance Theatre has been performing fine Persian classical and contemporary dance since 1994. They will bring their beautifully costumed classic dances to Pacific Asia Museum for an evening of timeless beauty. $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Includes museum admission.To register, call (626) 449-2742, ext. 31. Space is limited.

Thursday, 8pm

Pacific Asia Museum

46 North Los Robles Avenue

Pasadena California 91101 [Google Map]

Hours: Wed – Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm

www.pacificasiamuseum.org

Community Photography Exhibition

Friday thru Sunday, August 10-12

Photos by and of the Southern California Persian community will be displayed in the Foyer Gallery. For entry information click here [PDF: 46KB, 2pg]. Contest begins June 15. Free with admission.

Pacific Asia Museum

46 North Los Robles Avenue

Pasadena California 91101 [Google Map]

Hours: Wed – Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm

www.pacificasiamuseum.org

Saturday, August 11, 2007 Lifelong Learning

An Introduction to the Art of Bonsai 2:00pm - 4:00pm

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden, the National Museum presents a four-part series of gardening demonstrations led by horticultural experts.

Part 2 Learn basic bonsai techniques from Shig Miya of the Venice Japanese Community Center. Single demonstration price: $8 National Museum members, $10 non-members. Series price: $25 National Museum members, $35 non-members. Includes Museum admission. Reservations strongly recommended.

This program is sponsored, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and The Boeing Company.

Four-Part Gardening Demonstration Series

August 26 - Water in the Japanese Garden

September 9 - Urban Gardens for Small Spaces: A Container Gardening Demonstration

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

Adults $8.00

Seniors (62 and over) $5.00

Students (with ID) and Children (6-17) $4.00

Children 5 and under and Museum Members, Free.

Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month.

August 18-26 Nisei Week

Sunday, August 19, 6pm

Nisei Week Grand Parade

Downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo

Central Avenue to Second Street

Los Angeles Street to First Street to Central Avenue

Saturday & Sunday, August 25 & 26

Nisei Week Street Arts Festival and Carnival

San Pedro Street

Sunday August 26

Nisei Week Closing Ceremonies & Ondo Community Dance Celebration

First Street/ San Pedro & Central

http://www.niseiweek.org/

Aug 18-19

Tofu Festiva http://www.tofufest.org/

67th Annual Nisei Week Japanese Festival Events at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center

Saturday & Sunday, August 18 & 19 and

August 25 & 26, 2007

A celebration of Japanese American (JA) culture and Japanese heritage through exhibits, concerts and demonstrations.

Nisei Week Events on the JACCC Plaza

Sunday, August 19

JACCC Plaza

Admission Free

1pm Sumo Demonstration

2:30pm Martial Arts Demonstration

Shorinji Kempo of Los Angeles Branch

Concerts on the JACCC Plaza

Saturday, August 25, 2 - 6pm

JACCC Plaza

Admission Free

Next Generation Remix Concert

A celebration of Nikkei culture! This showcase features the 'next generation' of rising young artists from the community expressing their own voice through taiko, modern dance, music and hip-hop performance.

Sunday, August 26, 11am - 4pm

JACCC Plaza

Admission Free

14th Annual Taiko Gathering

Experience the sheer power and spirit of Japanese American taiko. Taiko groups from throughout greater Los Angeles area showcase the growing performance styles of taiko today.

Presented by the JACCC and Nisei Week Japanese Festival.

67th Annual Nisei Week Japanese Festival Events at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center

Japanese American Cultural and

Community Center

244 South San Pedro Street, Suite 505

(between 2nd and 3rd Streets)

Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012

(213) 628-2725

Saturday & Sunday, August 18 & 19 and

August 25 & 26, 2007

The annual celebration of cultural heritage and transformation, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center is pleased to host a variety of exhibitions that are rooted deep in the traditions of Japanese and Japanese American culture.

This year's exhibitors include; Ikebana by Nanka Ikebana Kyoju-kai; Ceramics by the California Japanese Ceramics Guild; Sumie by Long Beach Sumie Club and Kawai Sumie; Calligraphy by Nichibei Godo Shodo; a Samurai Sword display by the Nihon Token Hozon-kai; two Japanese Doll exhibitions by the Ukari-kai and Hirofumi-kai; Tea Ceremony by Urasenke School; Bonsai by Nampu-kai; and Textiles by Akane-kai.

Nisei Week Cultural Exhibits

Saturday & Sunday, August 18 & 19, 10am - 4pm

Ikebana: Flower Exhibit

Nanka Ikebana Kyoju-kai

Ceramics Exhibit

California Japanese Ceramic Guild

Sumie: Japanese Brush Painting Exhibit

Long Beach Sumie Club

George J. Doizaki Gallery, Main Floor

Japanese Doll Exhibit

Yukari-kai

Library, Second Floor

Tea Ceremony

Urasenke School of Tea

Cultural Room, Fifth Floor

Brush Painting Exhibit

Kawai Sumie

Room 302, Third Floor

Nisei Week Cultural Exhibits

Saturday & Sunday, August 25& 26, 10am - 4pm

Bonsai: Miniature Tree Exhibition

Nampu-kai

Textile Exhibit

Akane-kai

Calligraphy Exhibit

Nichibei Godo Shodo

George J. Doizaki Gallery, Main Floor

Japanese Doll Exhibit

Hirofumi-kai

Library, Second Floor

Brush Painting Exhibit

Kawai Sumie

Cultural Room, Fifth Floor

Sunday August 26

Nisei Week Closing Ceremonies & Ondo Community Dance Celebration

First Street/ San Pedro & Central

For more information on the Nisei Week Schedule of Events visit: www.niseiweek.org.

August 18-26

Shojo Manga

"Girl Power"

Manga (Japanese comics) has played an important role in Japanese society. Blending ink and storytelling, the Manga can simultaneously be viewed as entertainment, art and a reflective study in pop culture. This exhibition of Manga focuses on those published specifically for Shojo (young girls) and features a variety of posters, prints andbooks spanning over 60 years of art and style.

While the early Shojo Manga remains timeless in its unique style and storytelling, it is the contemporary Manga and artwork that has transcended borders and has received great interest throughout the world.

Through the vast examples showcased, this exhibition will provide a look at the role Shojo Manga has played and continues to play in Japanese society and through reflection of 60 years of artwork, observe how the lives of young girls and women hanve changed in Japan since the post-war era through today.

Japanese American Cultural and

Community Center

244 South San Pedro Street, Suite 505

(between 2nd and 3rd Streets)

Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012

(213) 628-2725

www.jaccc.org

Saturday, August 18, 2007

9th Annual Summer Courtyard Kids Festival: It's Good to be Green!

11:00am - 5:00pm

Join Courtyard Kaeru and help make the world a greener place! In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden, this year's Courtyard Kids events are tailor-made to raise families' awareness about the environment in a fun and creative way! With whimsical arts and crafts, workshops, and lively music, the afternoon will be a celebration of the beauty of our environment. FREE Museum admission all day!

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

Adults $8.00 Seniors (62 and over) $5.00

Students (with ID) and Children (6-17) $4.00

Children 5 and under and Museum Members, Free.

Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month.

August 18 Hiroshima at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza

7PM, 880 S. Westlake Blvd, Thousand Oaks, 805-557-1234, westlakejazzseries.com

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Lifelong Learning

Little Tokyo Walking Tour

10:15am - 12:15pm

Relive history and learn about present-day Little Tokyo with National Museum docents on this historic walking tour. $8 for National Museum members and $13 for non-members, includes Museum admission. Reservations along with comfortable walking shoes and clothes are recommended. Weather permitting.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

Adults $8.00 Seniors (62 and over) $5.00

Students (with ID) and Children (6-17) $4.00

Children 5 and under and Museum Members, Free.

Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Art, Culture, & Identity

A Special Screening of Mamo's Weeds

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Produced by the National Museum's Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center, Mamo's Weeds is about Mamo Ikeda, a Kibei gardener, besieged with a destructive weed epidemic and a series of strange phone calls. In his search for answers -- from the Southern California Gardeners' Federation to a retro Little Tokyo chop suey house to the lawns of Japanese American neighborhoods -- Mamo finds that the weeds are keys to both his past and his future. Following the screening, scriptwriter Naomi Hirahara joins technical adviser Roy Imazu, director Akira Boch, and actor Ken Takemoto in conversation. Reservations recommended. Free with Museum admission. Dessert reception to follow.

Mamo's Weeds is included in the Beyond the Japanese Garden: Short Stories and Documentaries exhibition DVD available through the Museum Store Online.

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

Adults $8.00 Seniors (62 and over) $5.00

Students (with ID) and Children (6-17) $4.00

Children 5 and under and Museum Members, Free.

Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Lifelong Learning

Water in the Japanese Garden

2:00pm - 4:00pm

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden, the National Museum presents a four-part series of gardening demonstrations led by horticultural experts.

PART 3

Dr. Vergil Hettick, curator, Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at California State University, Long Beach, explores aspects of water in Japanese gardens including its use as a source of meditative inspiration. Topics include pre-industrial water effects in Japan, modern circulatory pumps, water recycling and filtration, and the Japanese influence on modern reflective ponds. This demonstration will feature a sample water recycling setup complete with live fish. Single demonstration price: $8 National Museum members, $10 non-members. Series price: $25 National Museum members, $35 non-members. Includes Museum admission. Reservations strongly recommended.

Made possible, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and The Boeing Company.

Four-Part Gardening Demonstration Series

July 28 - The Herbal and Healing Garden

August 11 - An Introduction to the Art of Bonsai

August 26 - Water in the Japanese Garden

September 9 - Urban Gardens for Small Spaces: A Container Gardening Demonstration

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

Adults $8.00 Seniors (62 and over) $5.00

Students (with ID) and Children (6-17) $4.00

Children 5 and under and Museum Members, Free.

Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month.

JACCC North Gallery

Sunday, August 26 1-3pm Lecture/Demonstration

The Tale of Genji Comes to Life: Courtly Kimonos of Japan’s Golden Age. Following a presentation by Shikoku University’s Professor Hiroaki Sera on the lifestyle and language of the courtly class during Japan’s Heian period, the fashions of the time will be showcased. Historically accurate costumes used in period dramas will be shown by instructors visiting from Seo Shizuko Kimono School. Presented in Japanese with English translation. Free with admission. To R.S.V.P., call (626) 449-2742, ext. 31. Space is limited.

Pacific Asia Museum

46 North Los Robles Avenue

Pasadena California 91101 [Google Map]

Hours: Wed – Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm

www.pacificasiamuseum.org

Sunday, August 26 1-3pm Lecture/Demonstration

46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena California 91101 [Google Map]

Hours: Wed – Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm

Admission:

$7 for adults

$5 for students/seniors

Free admission every 4th Friday of the month!

Parking: Free parking is available in museum parking lot,

located on corner of Los Robles and Union.

General Information & Current Exhibitions:

(626) 449-2742

ext. 10

August 26 9^th Annual Japan Cultural Fair

Woodbride Village Shopping Center in Irvine

1-4:30

Orange County Japanese American Association 714-283-3551

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Books & Conversations

The Sushi Economy by Sasha Issenberg

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Over a generation, sushi in the United States has gone from the unknown to ubiquitous, but even aficionados will be surprised at the true history and complex economics behind their favorite food. The Sushi Economy jumps from Mediterranean docks to the multimillion-dollar tuna auctions of Japanese fish markets, and from the shopping streets of Shanghai to the cargo holds of intercontinental jumbo jets -- all while making a surprising case against eating local. Sushi tasting and book signing to follow. Free with Museum admission.

This book will be available from the Museum Store Online in September.

Sept 16 11^th Annual Japan America Kite Festival 10AM to Sunset

Seal Beach Pier, Main Street and Ocean Ave.

Kiteclub.org

Runs September 20 - October 14, 2007 DURANGO

By Julia Cho

Directed by Chay Yew

When Boo-Seng Lee is laid off from the job to which he has devoted the last 25 years of his life, he decides to take his two sons Jimmy and Isaac on a road trip to Durango, Colorado. As they make their way across the Arizona desert, they confront family secrets, peeling back the layers of identity, alienation and duty that define being Asian in America. DURANGO promises to be a thought-provoking examination of the fears, fantasies, and failures of a family standing in the shadow of the American Dream.

Single Tickets Available Starting August 20th!

WEST COAST PREMIERE

Previews September 13 - 16, 2007

Opens September 19, 2007

Wednesday - Saturday @ 8 pm, Sunday @ 2:00pm

$60 Opening Night

$35 Regular Tickets

$30 Students & Seniors

$20 Preview Tickets

American Sign Language-interpreted performance October 7, 2007 @ 2:00 pm

$20 Tickets for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Patrons

For more information, please call East West Players at (213) 625-7000 or email info@eastwestplayers.org.

Click here to visit the Mark Taper Forum online for more details.

Oct 6 Akimatsuri Fall Festival, presented by East San Gabriel Japanese Community Center, Inc.

12-8PM

1203 West Puente Avenue, West Covina, 91790, 626-960-2566

Saturday, November 03, 2007Forty-eight Buddhas of Measureless Life: Court Eunuch Patronage at the Sculpture Grottoes of Longmen

Amy McNair presents the Twentieth Sammy Yukuan Lee Lecture in Chinese Archaeology & Art

PARKING: Enter UCLA from Sunset Blvd. at Westwood Plaza. Proceed directly ahead to Lot 4. There is an elevator at the southeast end of Lot 4 and a stairwell at the northeast end, closest to the museum. Parking is $8.

The centerpiece of the sculpted cave-shrines at Longmen is the colossal Vairocana assembly sponsored by Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu during the Tang dynasty (618-907). Fifty years after its completion, however, a consortium of court eunuchs added a display of forty-eight Buddha figures to its walls. This intrusive project allows us to explore questions about the spiritual and social purposes of Buddhist statuary and patronage in medieval China.

Amy McNair is the author of Donors of Longmen: Faith, Politics, and Patronage in Medieval Chinese Buddhist Sculpture, published in 2007 by the University of Hawaii Press. She is Associate Professor of Chinese Art at the University of Kansas, where she teaches and researches early and medieval Chinese art.

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Lenart Auditorium

Fowler Museum of Cultural History

UCLA

Los Angeles, CA 90095

For more information please contact

Richard Gunde

Tel: 310 825-8683

gunde@ucla.edu

DAWN'S LIGHT: THE JOURNEY OF GORDON HIRABAYASHI

By Jeanne Sakata

Directed by Jessica Kubzansky Based on a true story. During the Japanese Internment of WWII, UW student Gordon Hirabayashi refused evacuation orders as a violation of his civil rights and became a federal prisoner. His 1942 conviction was not overturned until 1987.

WORLD PREMIERE

Previews - November 1 - 4, 2007

Opening Night - Wednesday November 7, 2007

Performance Run - November 8 - December 2, 2007

Wednesday - Saturday @ 8 pm, Sunday @ 2:00pm

*NO PERFORMANCE Thursday, November 22, 2007

$60 Opening Night

$35 Regular Tickets

$30 Students & Seniors

$20 Preview Tickets

American Sign Language-interpreted performance Sunday, November 25, 2007 @ 2:00 pm

$20 Tickets for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Patrons

For more information, please call East West Players at (213) 625-7000 or email info@eastwestplayers.org.

Click here to visit the Mark Taper Forum online for more details.

Dec 1, 2 Japan Expo 2007

*NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Chinese American Museum

Jake Lee exhibit opens.

See LA Library DiverseCity events at http://www.lapl.org/kidspath/events/diversecity/index.html

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This Weekend (and earlier/later)

Community Photography Exhibition

Friday thru Sunday, August 10-12

Photos by and of the Southern California Persian community will be displayed in the Foyer Gallery. For entry information click here [PDF: 46KB, 2pg]. Contest begins June 15. Free with admission.

Pacific Asia Museum

46 North Los Robles Avenue

Pasadena California 91101 [Google Map]

Hours: Wed – Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm

www.pacificasiamuseum.org

Saturday, August 11, 2007 Lifelong Learning

An Introduction to the Art of Bonsai 2:00pm - 4:00pm

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden, the National Museum presents a four-part series of gardening demonstrations led by horticultural experts.

This program is sponsored, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and The Boeing Company.

Four-Part Gardening Demonstration Series

August 26 - Water in the Japanese Garden

September 9 - Urban Gardens for Small Spaces: A Container Gardening Demonstration

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

Adults $8.00

Seniors (62 and over) $5.00

Students (with ID) and Children (6-17) $4.00

Children 5 and under and Museum Members, Free.

Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

First & Central Summer Concerts

For Alice with Love: Celebrating the Music of Alice Coltrane

The Coltrane name is synonymous with deeply creative, passion-filled modern music. This special evening is a tribute to the legacy of the family matriarch, the late Alice Coltrane (1937-2007), whose approach to the piano was nothing short of genius. Performers include her beloved Ashram Community Choir and The Universal Consciousness Orchestra featuring vocalist Dwight Trible. The concert will also include a set by Mrs. Coltrane's talented nephew Flying Lotus. Guest Curator: Carlos Nino, Host, KPFK's Spaceways Radio.

FREE!

Made possible, in part, by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; the James Irvine Foundation, and the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. Media sponsors KPFK 90.7 FM and "Los Angeles Downtown News."

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

Adults $8.00

Seniors (62 and over) $5.00

Students (with ID) and Children (6-17) $4.00

Children 5 and under and Museum Members, Free.

Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month.

Last weekend (or so) I went to:

San Diego Obon

There was a sort of taiko jam there since all three of the local taiko groups performed that evening, 2 from San Diego and one from Vista. Considering that the San Diego groups were only 3 y ears old, they performed pretty well.

Gardena obon

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Links to selected articles from the LA Times. To actually access the articles, you may have to sign up for a free account.

Behind enemy lines

Fledgling organizers — a Democrat in Kansas and a Republican in Berkeley — don the armor of conviction in unfriendly territory.

By John M. Glionna, Times Staff Writer

August 7, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-outcasts7aug07,1,31467.story

Weinstein to fund Asian movies

From Bloomberg News

August 7, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-weinstein7aug07,1,3678187.story