THE APPA Newsletter

Sept 4, 2007

Happy   Labor Day

 

 

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, etcÉ)

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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

 

 

August 28 - September 23 A World Premiere of Calling Aphrodite

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 communityÕs 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

 

October 12, 2007 - January 21, 2008

Rank and Style : Power Dressing in Imperial China

For generations ChinaÕs rulers wore emblems on their robes that identified their place in a complex system of rank and privilege. This exhibition explores how this imperial hierarchy was maintained through the bestowing and wearing of exquisitely woven and embroidered Ôrank badges,Õ as they have become known in the West.

Identity and status, so carefully crafted and preserved among ChinaÕs elite, were expressed primarily through garments and their decoration, making them virtually a second skin Ð so intimately connected to oneÕs person that even in death wearing the appropriate badge assured a continuation of earthly status. The exhibition is rich in a wide variety of rank and festival badges worn by the emperor, members of the imperial household, and civil and military officials.

Rank and Style: Power Dressing in Imperial China presents for the first time in the United States selections from the Chris Hall Collection of Hong Kong. These rare and exquisite rank badges date from 1500 to the mid-19th century, with many from the Ming Dynasty (1368Ð1644). Numerous badges feature woven or embroidered mythical creatures such as the dragon and phoenix, while others depict rabbits, cranes and tigers. Additional pieces in the exhibition are drawn from the collections of the Pacific Asia Museum and local collections.

Dale Gluckman, Guest Curator

This exhibition will be part of the fourth city-wide collaboration of PasadenaÕs cultural institutions, ÒArt and Ideas.Ó

Related Events

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 1-4pm,

Free Family Festival

In celebration of the new exhibition Rank and Style: Power Dressing in Imperial China, this all-ages festival will focus on activities related to Imperial Chinese culture and the symbolism of dragons, birds, lions, tigers, flowers and lanterns in works of art.  Free.

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

Hours: Wed Ð Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm

www.pacificasiamuseum.org

 

Sept 13 Celso Duarte & Sonex

6:30pm

Our summer concert series closes with a fandango jarocho featuring Celso Duarte and Sonex. Best known for his stunning work with Lila Downs, virtuoso harpist and multi-instrumentalist, Celso Duarte, simply dazzles. The Los Angeles Times calls Sonex a vibrant testimony to the wealth of talent among Mexico's emerging artists. Both are gaining a well-deserved reputation for invigorating son jarocho with their infectious rhythms and dynamic lyrics.

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

 

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.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

Sept 16 11th 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.

 

Saturday, September 22, 2007 Lifelong Learning

Sumi-e and Origami Cards Ryosen Shibata

2:00pm - 3:30pm

Create beautiful cards for those special people in your life that can be shared on birthdays, holidays, or just because. $8 for National Museum members, $13 for non-members. Includes supplies and Museum admission. Reservations recommended.

Made possible, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Books & Conversations

From Barbed Wire to Barbed Hooks: Work in Progress 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Cory Shiozaki explores the history of Manzanar inmates who turned to trout fishing to escape the hardships of incarceration. The filmmaker suggests that through fishing inmates found a much sought-after feeling of freedom, however brief, as they matched wits with the wily trout of the famed Eastern Sierra fishing grounds. Shiozaki will share stories of "escaping" at night from camp, highlight Manzanar's well-known fishermen, and share examples of fishing tackle used in camp.

Made possible, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

CaliforniaJapanese-Style Gardens: Tradition & Practice

September 28-30, 2007; Los Angeles, CA

Three day conference presented by the California Garden & Landscape History Society and Co-hosted by The Garden Conservancy, the Japanese American National Museum, and the Los Angeles Conservancy.

Exotic portions of great estates, commercial teahouse gardens, modest bungalow gardens, and public sister city or friendship gardensÑfor more than a century the lure of Japan has inspired a category of gardens that will be the subject of the California Garden and Landscape History SocietyÕs conference and annual meeting.

Little Tokyo, long-time heart of the Los Angeles Japanese American community, is the site of the conference. Through talks, an exhibition visit, and garden tours, the conference will focus not only on the Japanese-style garden in California but on the Japanese Americans who designed, constructed, and maintained them.

Registration and Fees: (Registration deadline September 7)

Members (CGLHS, JANM, GC, LAC)                       $225.00*

Non-members                                                              $270.00*

Saturday Dinner                                                            $ 75.00

Pre-conference bus tour                                                $ 70.00

* Includes Friday evening reception and exhibit; Saturday lectures and walking tour of Little Tokyo; Sunday garden tours and closing reception.

To register, fill out the attached form. For more information visit www.cglhs.org, e-mail conference@cglhs.org or phone (323) 462-2443.

Hotel:

A block of rooms has been reserved for Conference attendees at the New Otani hotel in Little Tokyo.  Call by September 5 for the special group rate of $105 per night: reservation desk at 800-639-6826 or 213-253-9215, Rosalind Pargas or 213-253-9242, Nini Whitaker and refer to Group name:  California Garden & Landscape History Society. 

Conference Schedule:

Friday PM      Opening Reception & Exhibit

Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden

Japanese American National Museum, Little Tokyo

This multimedia exhibition reveals the personal stories, historical journeys, communities, and creativity that underlie the surface of the ÒJapanese garden.Ó

Saturday         Lectures

Democracy Center, Little Tokyo

Highlights: Walking tour of Little Tokyo during mid-day lecture break; late afternoon visit to New Otani Hotel roof top garden and no-host cocktail reception; optional dinner includes a reading by Naomi Hirahara.

Sunday            Self Driving Tour:

Cultivating LA: 100 Years of Japanese-Style Garden Making in Southern California

Los Angeles Conservancy docents will be on hand to interpret five gardens and sites featured in the JANM exhibit and discussed in SaturdayÕs lectures.

Car pools will be arranged for Conference attendees. The day will end in a special private garden.

Cultivating LA is included with conference registration. Additional tickets for people not attending the conference are available at www.laconservancy.org     

Speakers (partial list)

Kendall H. Brown, Associate Professor, Asian Art History at California State University, Long Beach is the foremost scholar of AmericaÕs Japanese gardens. He is the author of Japanese-Style Gardens of the Pacific West Coast, Rizzoli, 1999. In addition to giving us a general overview of California Japanese-style gardens he will speak on ÒKinzuchi Fujii and the Storrier-Stearns Japanese Garden.Ó

Naomi Hirahara is an award-winning author of a mystery series set in Los Angeles featuring Japanese American gardener and atomic bomb survivor, Mas Arai. Hirahara is the editor of Green Makers: Japanese American Gardeners in Southern California, and she has written or edited numerous other works. Her short film, MamoÕs Weeds, featuring another fictional Los Angeles gardener is part of the exhibit Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden.

Takeo Uesugi, Ph.D, FASLA, taught landscape architecture for several decades at Cal Poly (CSPU) Pomona, and is much sought after as a designer of Japanese-style gardens. His James Irvine Garden at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center will be featured during the Conference. Dr. Uesugi, in his talk ÒFrom Japanese Garden to California Landscape,Ó will discuss the future of California Japanese-style gardens based on his experience in the design, construction, and maintenance of gardens and his knowledge of the history and concepts of Japanese gardens.

William Noble, Director of Preservation Projects for The Garden Conservancy will moderate a panel discussion, Traditions in Transformation. This panel will examine issues surrounding the preservation of three southern-Californian Japanese-style gardens: the Huntington Japanese Garden; the James Irvine Garden and the Ganna Walska Lotusland Japanese Garden.

The panelists include: 

Bill Noble, Moderator, The Garden Conservancy

Chris Aihara, Executive Director, Japanese American Cultural and Community Center

Jim Folsom, Director of the Huntington Botanical Gardens

Greg Kitajima, Japanese Garden Specialist, Lotusland

Trudi Sandmeier, Director of Education, Los Angeles Conservancy

Gardens to be visited during the Conference (partial list)

Garden in the Sky, New Otani Hotel, Little Tokyo

Huntington Japanese Garden

James Irvine Garden, Seiryu-en, Little Tokyo

Norton Avenue

Garden of Peace, Roosevelt High School, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles

Storrier-Stearns Japanese Garden, Pasadena

San Gabriel Nursery

UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden

Pre-Conference Options for Friday, September 28

There are several public Japanese-style gardens of note in the Los Angeles area. Conference attendees are encouraged to visit some of these gardens during the day on Friday. A list of public gardens will be included with registration confirmation.

Bus Tour 9am-5pm:

Designed for out-of-town guests, this tour will visit two important public Japanese-style gardens. The tour departs from the New Otani Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and travels to west Los Angeles to the UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden. After lunch in the Sawtelle area, the tour continues across town to Pasadena to visit the Japanese Garden at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. At both gardens there will be a guided special tour. Please reserve early as space is limited.

Self Drive to UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden:

This garden is open to the public by appointment only. The Conference is making special arrangements with the University to visit on Friday. There will be a fee to park on campus and for a shuttle to the garden. Information about this special opportunity will be sent with the registration confirmation.

Carolyn Bennett

Landscape Historian

Nancy Goslee Power & Associates

1660 Stanford Street

Santa Monica, CA  90404

310.264.0266

 

Saturday, September 29, 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

 

Sept 30 Samurai Films at the JACCC in Little Tokyo

11AM

Three Outlaw Samurai

Bandits vs Samurai Squadron

Samurai Rebellion

Throne of Blood  (MacBeth in feudal Japan)

Festival pass $30 or $10 single

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

 

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

 

2007 U.S. Tour -  Bunraku: The National Puppet Theatre of Japan

Because Bunraku is based in Osaka, Japan, special attention was given to Kansai-area Sister Cities in the United States.  The troupe will perform in Boston, MA; Champaign, IL;  Evanston, IL;  Berkeley, CA;  San Francisco, CA;  concluding its tour in Los Angeles with four performances at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Aratani/Japan America Theatre.  In 2007, San Francisco celebrates its 50th anniversary of Sister City Affiliations with the city of Osaka.

 Dates:   October 2 Ð 20, 2007

 Program: An Introduction to Bunraku  (25 minutes)

 Tsubosaka Kannon Reigenki Р

  Miracle at the Tsubosaka Kannon Temple  (55 minutes)

 Date Musume Koi no Higanoko Р

    OshichiÕs Burning Love  (25 minutes)

 Company: 16 Puppeteers, Musicians and Narrators, with an 17 additional

touring staff of wig masters, costumers, and stage technicians.

October 12, 2007

 Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

October 13 & 14, 2007

  Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA

 University of California, Berkeley

October 18, 19 & 20, 2007

 Aratani/Japan America Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

 Japanese American Cultural & 

 Community Center

An Exclusive Southern California Engagement

Experience Bunraku in its first full-scale U.S. performance in nearly two decades!

Presented in Japanese with English super titles.

Thursday October 18, 2007 8pm

Friday October 19, 2007 8pm

Saturday October 20, 2007

2pm & 8pm

Aratani/Japan America Theatre

$100 Opening Night Gold Circle Seating (includes Reception)

$65 orchestra, $58 balcony

$60, $55 JACCC Members

To purchase tickets, or for more information call the Aratani / Japan America Theatre box office at (213) 680-3700 from noon to 5 pm, Monday through Saturday and Sundays only on performance days.

Fax orders to (213) 680-1872 or send email inquiries to boxoffice@jaccc.org.

Call 213-628-2725 to become a JACCC Member and receive Priority Handling!

The 2007 U.S. Tour of Bunraku: The National Puppet Theatre of Japan is

 produced and coordinated by the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center.

 

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)            

 

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Shake, Rattle & Bang!

11:00am - 4:00pm

Target Free Family Saturday

Don't miss this opportunity to make some noise! Spend the afternoon moving to the beat of the National Museum's special drum circle. Kids of all ages can make their very own percussion instrument and then join in the fun by trying their hand at playing drums from around the world.

FREE!

Also on this day...
Karaoke Ice Comes to the National Museum
a delicious pop culture mash-up
created by Nancy Nowacek, Katie Salen, and Marina Zurkow

Popsicles, Squirrels and Songs!

Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions presents KARAOKE ICE in LOS ANGELES, a mobile public art project that contributes to the unique expressions of Los Angeles street culture. Lucci, an ice cream truck-turned-mobile-karaoke-show, is deployed to local streets to activate communities through song. The artists believe this is a marriage of necessity; the ice cream truck needs a better soundtrack (one that reflects the interests of neighborhood), and karaoke singers need an audience. Karaoke Ice will debut on Labor Day Weekend, making its way through the spaces of metropolitan Los Angeles. To view a short documentary of Karaoke Ice in action, go to www.o-matic.com/isea/documentation/

2007 Target Free Family Saturdays
July 14 - Let's Go Fly a Kite!
September 8 - Shake, Rattle, and Bang!
November 10 - Flower Power!

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

Sept 8 Nikkei Album Workshop

1:00pm - 2:30pm

Learn how to browse and contribute to Nikkei Album, an exciting and versatile online tool on the National Museum's award-winning DiscoverNikkei.org web site. Nikkei and others from around the world share personal family stories, community histories, lesson plans, and more through photos, text, audio, and video. Free with National Museum admission. Reservations are required; space is limited. For information and reservations, e-mail editor@DiscoverNikkei.org.

Made possible by the generous support of The Nippon Foundation.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

September 8, 2007 ONLY THE BRAVE begins it's national tour in Los Angeles!

See it on the big screen!

A searing portrait of war and prejudice, this new motion picture will take you on a haunting journey into the hearts and minds of the forgotten heroes of World War II Ð the all-volunteer, Japanese-American 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team.

In 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, there were 5,000 Japanese Americans serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.  Overnight, these second-generation citizens were stripped of their official duties Ð simply because they looked like the enemy.    

On the mainland, 120,000 innocent men, women and children were rounded up and swept into remote internment camps, where they would remain behind barbed wire for the duration of the war. 

Determined to prove their loyalty, the discharged Hawaiian Territorial Guardsmen of Japanese descent successfully petitioned the U.S. government to allow them to serve.  These 1400 Hawaiian Nisei (second-generation Japanese-Americans) became the 100th Infantry Battalion.

Saturday, 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm only!

Aratani Japan America Theatre

244 South San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, CA


Call the box office at (213) 680-3700 to reserve your tickets.

$10.00 General Admission - $8.00 for JACCC Members, Seniors, Students and Groups (10 or more)

Admission free for our U.S. Armed Forces Veterans.

This limited engagement made possible by KYOCERA Corporation, co-sponsored by the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center and support from the Japanese American National Museum.

http://www.onlythebravemovie.com/

 

Sunday, September 9, 2007 Closing of the exhibition Akio Morita

Developed by members of the Akio Morita family, this exhibition commemorates the remarkable life and achievements of Mr. Akio Morita (1921-1999), co-founder of Sony Corporation.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Lifelong Learning

Urban Gardens for Small Spaces: A Container Gardening Demonstration

2:00pm - 3:30pm

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 4
Horticultural consultant and LA Times garden writer Lili Singer shows you how you can improve your green thumb -- even in small spaces -- through container gardening. 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 GardenAugust 11 - An Introduction to the Art of BonsaiAugust 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

2:00pm - 3:30pm

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

369 East First Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

phone: (213) 625-0414

fax: (213) 625-1770

 

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 Ð 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 IranÕs 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 Ð Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm

www.pacificasiamuseum.org

 

Sept 7-9 Mikomicon anime convention at Cal State Northridge

http://www.mikomicon.com/Welcome.php

 

 

 

 

Last weekend (or so) I went to: 

 

 

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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.

 

China gains in drug trials

The country surpasses India as a site for testing of new medicines.

By Andrew Jack and Amy Yee, Financial Times

September 3, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-ft-drugtrials3sep03,1,2796377.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

 

BOOK REVIEW

'Shortcomings' by Adrian Tomin

A graphic novel takes a literary look at issues of race, gender and alienation.

By Peter Terzian

September 2, 2007

Shortcomings: A Graphic Novel

Adrian Tomine

Drawn & Quarterly: 104 pp., $19.95

http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/books/la-bk-terzian2sep02,1,2253926.story?ctrack=3&cset=true

 

Congregations remove the language barrier

Two Lutheran churches share a building and, thanks to a new bilingual book, they also share services four times a year.

By K. Connie Kang, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

September 1, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs1sep01,1,7094028.story?ctrack=4&cset=true

State's API results a mixed bag

Schools' average scores go up, but fewer campuses meet their targets.

By Howard Blume and Mitchell Landsberg, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

September 1, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-scores1sep01,1,603645.story?ctrack=5&cset=true

 

China pop festival with a rock-hard edge

Unthinkable a few years ago, Public Enemy and Nine Inch Nails will headline a concert in Beijing.

By Peter Spiegel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 31, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-et-chinapop31aug31,1,2390392.story?ctrack=6&cset=true

 

Study finds whites still outlive blacks

Health issues and homicide are among the reasons for a persistent disparity in groups' life expectancies, but some findings are puzzling.

By Mary Engel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 30, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mortality30aug30,1,4986634.story?ctrack=8&cset=true

 

'Tale of Genji' translator dies.

Edward Seidensticker was 86.

From Times Staff and Wire Reports

August 29, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-seidensticker29aug29,1,4505058.story

 

When East meets Midwest

Two of the seven U.S. female gymnasts at world championships are coached by Chinese-born men, including Iowa's Shawn Johnson

By Diane Pucin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

September 1, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-gym1sep01,1,2994955.story

 

Wealth, mystery surround donor Hsu

Fugitive Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu is linked to shadowy businesses and unsavory episodes.

By Greg Miller and Chuck Neubauer, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

August 31, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-na-hsu31aug31,1,487411.story

 

MOCA's Chinese future

In 2026, the museum will acquire the recent artwork just purchased by East West Bank.

By Suzanne Muchnic, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 29, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-moca29aug29,1,2150128.story