Third Annual Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest: Submission Deadline is January 31

imagine LT call 2016

“Kazuo embraced Mondays like no other, and that was because of its silence. Mondays were sweet, a sweep of semi-peace in the streets of Los Angeles. The typical street-crawlers were in school and the typical tourists at their nine to five jobs, and so Kazuo chose Monday to roam, map, conquer his neighborhoods unperturbed. Mondays were a convenience only when eighty five of your years had passed and your company along with it. It was nice timing for those who desired solace. The old man had fit this criteria to a tee.”
– Linda Toch, “Kazuo Alone”

The evocative words above constitute the opening paragraph of Linda Toch’s “Kazuo Alone,” the 2015 Youth Division winner of the Little Tokyo Historical Society’s Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest. Toch is a self-described “proud Cambodian American” who is now a freshman at Soka University of America. On a family outing in Little Tokyo, she found the neighborhood so positive and uplifting that she imagined a sad person’s spirits would be brightened there. She wrote “Kazuo Alone” as a response.

The Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest, created to raise awareness of the neighborhood, is now in its third year and it continues to grow. Last year’s expansion of the categories to include a Japanese-language division and a youth division (18 and younger) proved to be stimulating, attracting submissions from all over the country and the globe. The English-language winner for 2015 was Nathaniel J. Campbell of Fairfield, Iowa with “Fish Market in Little Tokyo,” while Miyuki Sato of Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan took the Japanese-language prize for “Mitate Club.”

The three winners all received cash prizes and were published in the print edition of the Rafu Shimpo, on the Little Tokyo Historical Society website, and on JANM’s own Discover Nikkei website. Stories by 11 other finalists were also published online. A public reception to announce the winners was held at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles.

If you feel inspired by Little Tokyo and have dreamed of seeing your name in print, you have until January 31 to submit your story for consideration in this year’s contest. The story must be fiction, and must be set in Little Tokyo. The cash prize in each category is $500. For complete details, click here.

Girl Scout Creates Patch Program to Raise Awareness of WWII Japanese American Incarceration

Ambassador Girl Scout Lauren Wong sits in front of JANM's Common Ground exhibition.
Ambassador Girl Scout Lauren Wong sits in front
of JANM’s Common Ground exhibition.

 

My name is Lauren Wong. I am an Ambassador Girl Scout with Troop 881, based at the Orange County Buddhist Church in Anaheim, California, and a candidate for the Girl Scout Gold Award. This award is similar to the Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts; it is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Applying for it is a seven-step process that begins with identifying a global issue and ends with creating a project that educates, inspires, and promotes awareness of that issue. For my Gold Award application, I have created a special Girl Scout patch program for the Japanese American National Museum.

Since I was little, my grandmother has told me stories of her incarceration at Tule Lake concentration camp, inspiring my passion for learning more about my Japanese American history. Students do not generally get the opportunity to learn about the mistreatment of Japanese Americans during World War II, as it is often overlooked in history classes. Even today, many of my school friends do not know about the camps. My goal is to educate the general public and inspire them to appreciate the lives they have today and not let history repeat itself.

Girl Scout patch for those who complete Lauren Wong's Common Ground curriculum. Designed by Lauren Wong.
Girl Scout patch for those who complete Lauren Wong’s Common Ground curriculum. Designed by Lauren Wong.

 

I have created an educational tool called Experience the Past, available in three separate worksheets geared toward elementary school students, middle school students, and high school students/adults. The worksheets, which can be requested at JANM’s front desk, are designed to accompany a visit to the museum’s core exhibition, Common Ground: The Heart of Community. They pose questions and suggest exercises that are designed to help visitors identify with the exhibition, think more deeply about what they’re seeing, connect it with aspects of contemporary life, and converse with others about their experience.

At the end of their visit, participants who complete a worksheet earn a custom patch that I created. Through this program, I hope to spread awareness of the history of Japanese American incarceration, which is important not just to Japanese American history, but to American history as a whole.

Tickets are still available for two upcoming Girl Scout programs at JANM. On January 9 and 16, current Girl Scouts are invited to take a private tour of Giant Robot Biennale 4, followed by a zine-making workshop with exhibiting artist Yumi Sakugawa. For more details and to register, visit janm.org.

The Hoshida Family’s WWII Incarceration Story, Told Through Words and Images

George Hoshida, Kilauea Military Detention Camp, 1942, ink and watercolor on paper. Japanese American National Museum. Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida, and Carole Hoshida Kanada.
George Hoshida, Kilauea Military Detention Camp, 1942, ink and watercolor on paper.
Japanese American National Museum. Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida, and Carole Hoshida Kanada.

 

Not long after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, George Hoshida was arrested by FBI agents. Having immigrated from Japan with his family in 1912, when he was only four years old, Hoshida had made a life for himself in Hilo, Hawai‘i. He had married a Hawai‘i–born Japanese American woman named Tamae and gotten a job at the Hilo Electric Company; he had also become active in several Japanese American community organizations, including a Buddhist group and a judo association. It was Hoshida’s position in the community and his perceived influence on others that led authorities to deem him a threat.

Hoshida was forcibly separated from his wife and four daughters as he was sent to a succession of special Justice Department camps, reserved for community leaders like himself: Kilauea Military Camp on the Big Island, Sand Island on Oahu, and a variety of camps in Texas, Nevada, and New Mexico. After a year of separation, Tamae, who was handicapped, found it too difficult to raise the children without George. She made the decision to give up their home and, on the recommendation of government officials, moved with three of their daughters to the Jerome War Relocation Center in Arkansas, where George could be transferred.

George Hoshida, Inside Our Apartment, Looking Towards Door, Jerome Relocation Center, 1944, ink on paper. Japanese American National Museum. Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida, and Carole Hoshida Kanada.
George Hoshida, Inside Our Apartment, Looking Towards Door, Jerome Relocation Center, 1944, ink on paper. Japanese American National Museum. Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida, and Carole Hoshida Kanada.

 

Arriving there after an arduous journey, the family would have to wait another year before George’s transfer process could be completed. Tragically, the eldest daughter, who had to be left behind in a facility in Oahu due to a handicap, died while the rest of the family was incarcerated.

During this challenging time, Hoshida and his wife wrote letters to each other every day. Hoshida also kept a detailed journal and made numerous sketches, drawings, and watercolors depicting what he saw around him. These letters, journal entries, and artworks are now considered a rare record of life in the Justice Department camps; the depictions of the Kilauea camp are the only ones known to exist. In 1997, the bulk of these artifacts were donated to JANM, where they now reside in the permanent collection. Many of the items can be viewed online through JANM’s George Hoshida Collection page as well as a special online exhibition website called The Life and Work of George Hoshida: A Japanese American’s Journey.

George Hoshida, Shoji Fujishima and Haruto Morikawa, 1944, ink on paper. Japanese American National Museum. Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida, and Carole Hoshida Kanada.
George Hoshida, Shoji Fujishima and Haruto Morikawa, 1944, ink on paper.
Japanese American National Museum. Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida, and Carole Hoshida Kanada.

 

Earlier this year, a new book was published that tells the Hoshida family’s story through a curated selection of Hoshida’s journal entries, memoir excerpts, letters, and artworks. Edited by Heidi Kim and supplemented with historical background information, Taken from the Paradise Isle: The Hoshida Family Story provides “an intimate account of the anger, resignation, philosophy, optimism, and love with which the Hoshida family endured their separation and incarceration during World War II.”

The hardcover edition of the book is already sold out; the JANM Store and janmstore.com are currently waiting on an order of the paperback edition. The book should be restocked in time for an author discussion event on January 9, in which Heidi Kim will read from and discuss the book. To read more about the Hoshida family’s story, check out this Discover Nikkei article.

Restaurant Owner Has Deep Roots at JANM

Chef Andrea Uyeda at her restaurant, ediBOL. Photo by Carol Cheh.
Chef Andrea Uyeda at her restaurant, ediBOL. Photo by Carol Cheh.

 

On a recent lunch outing, a few coworkers and I decided to try ediBOL, a new restaurant in the Arts District. We were delighted to find that not only was the food delicious, but the gracious owner and chef, Andrea Uyeda, has many connections to JANM—her father designed the first public iteration of the museum, when it was located in the Historic Building across the plaza from the current facility, and she herself volunteered at the museum as a child.

Uyeda has a special fondness for JANM, and recently agreed to join the museum’s Neighborhood Discount Program for members. Current JANM members may present their membership card at ediBOL to receive a free order of fried pickle chips or rice fritters with the purchase of any large BOL. My group tried the pickle chips, and they are very tasty! Read on for an interview in which Uyeda discusses her restaurant’s origins and philosophy, and her family’s connections to JANM.

JANM: What inspired you to open a restaurant?

Andrea Uyeda: My earliest memories revolve around cooking—waking up super early on weekend mornings to make animal-shaped pancakes with my dad; my grandmother teaching me how to cook, season, and cool sushi rice to the perfect, glossy taste and texture; looking forward to mochitsuki all year, then making and eating mochi all day long on New Year’s Day; and home-cooked Sunday dinners at my grandparents’ house in Boyle Heights.

Growing up, a bowl of Japanese rice was a part of every meal. The ediBOL menu stems from my favorite way of eating: out of a bowl filled with fresh ingredients, hand-crafted flavors, and various textures and temperatures. Every item on our menu is served in a bowl, symbolizing love, family, comfort—all that’s good in life, with a punch of bold flavors that make you say WOW!

Andrea Uyeda tends to her customers, who in this case happen to be her cousins, at ediBOL. Photo by @social.agenda.
Andrea Uyeda tends to her customers, who in this case happen to be
her cousins, at ediBOL. Photo by @social.agenda.

 

JANM: Please describe your restaurant’s philosophy.

AU: I love creating, learning, sharing, exploring, collaborating—life is about feeling and connecting. I’ve had so much fun coming up with the ediBOL menu, which is a creative mix of favorite foods, flavors, textures, and temperatures. Each dish has roots in a lifelong love of cooking, with more recent layers of experimentation—playing with various ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques until we hit the magic combination.

In addition to designing the menu, I have also had a blast sourcing our lapis azul granite high-top tables, enamelware bowls, deep blue chairs, dark wood dining tables, barnyard lighting fixtures, stone bathroom tiles, and the 300-year-old reclaimed teak used for our teal kitchen wall. Cooking, design, and woodworking are all passions of mine, and ediBOL is truly a passion project.

We hope to be creating a very special place for the family of workers here, the family of regular diners, and the various farmers, artisans, vendors, and neighbors whose passionate creations are showcased at the restaurant. We have a very welcoming space with an outdoor patio, and my ultimate dream is for ediBOL to not only serve great food and drinks, but to also be a place where people can gather and share their passions, which could include coffee, rice, beer, art, acting, writing, fashion, music, and lots more!

ediBOL's delicious pork belly bowl. Photo by Carol Cheh.
ediBOL’s delicious pork belly bowl. Photo by Carol Cheh.

 

JANM: What is your professional background?

AU: At age 13, I got my first job making waffle cones and scooping ice cream. Every job since then has been in some aspect of the hospitality industry, whether it be in the kitchen, operations, catering, marketing, purchasing, accounting, technology, design, or development. While completing a thesis on Japanese American cultural identity at Princeton, I worked the graveyard shift and ran a bakery/café owned by the mayor of Princeton. Sourcing the highest quality ingredients and coming up with seasonal scones and muffins each morning were always highlights of the day!

After graduation, I moved to Santa Monica and got a job as a host at Border Grill. Over the years, I steadily took on more responsibility as I worked my way up to Sales and Special Events Manager, General Manager, Director of Operations, Chief Operating Officer, and eventually, Co-Owner. I didn’t have a career plan or goal—I just knew that I always loved the energy of cooking on the line and being on the dining room floor.

ediBOL's miso peanut ramen. Photo by Kajsa Alger.
ediBOL’s miso peanut ramen. Photo by Kajsa Alger.

 

JANM: Tell us about your connections to JANM.

AU: My father, Robert Uyeda, was the architect for JANM’s first public space, located in what is now called the Historic Building. He was super excited to be involved in such a history-making venture. Somehow he got a bunch of young kids (my cousins, brother, and me) also excited to spend our summer vacations volunteering in the first JANM office, located in a loft space on Third Street. My aunt would drop us off and we’d spend the day licking stamps and sealing envelopes. When we got older, we graduated to transcribing interviews with camp survivors. I learned so much about our community’s history and feel so fortunate to have been a part of the early, formative years of JANM. It has been amazing to see so many of JANM’s ideas and dreams come to life.

ediBOL is located at 300 S. Santa Fe Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. Visit edibol.com to peruse their menu, make reservations, or place an online order.

A Courtyard Kid Returns to JANM

Staci Yamanishi stands next to her Children's Courtyard engraving.
Staci Yamanishi stands next to her
Children’s Courtyard engraving.

When eighth-grade teacher Staci Yamanishi visits JANM with her students, she takes them through Common Ground: The Heart of Community, our ongoing exhibition on the Japanese American experience, and Fighting for Democracy, our appointment-only interactive exhibit on civil rights. Before they leave to return to their classroom however, the students receive one very special bonus assignment: find their teacher’s name engraved on the JANM courtyard.

Since JANM’s Pavilion building was opened in 1999, the museum has engraved the names of its youngest constituents in the Children’s Courtyard. For JANM, the Courtyard is a way to connect to each new generation, with the hope that being a part of the museum in this way will inspire a lifetime of sharing and discovery. As the young visitors grow into adults, we hope that they will continue to return to this institution and feel that they are a part of this community.

For Staci, the engraving was a gift from her grandparents. She remembers coming to the museum with her parents when she was young to look at her name, and she has returned many times over the years. She remembers visiting JANM on a school trip in the eighth grade and again when she was a student in UCLA’s Teacher Education Program.

Staci Yamanishi's eighth-grade students discover her name engraved on JANM's Children's Courtyard.
Staci Yamanishi’s eighth-grade students discover her name
engraved on JANM’s Children’s Courtyard.

 

Museum staff began getting to know Staci during her UCLA years, and soon after, she contributed a poem titled “I Come from Many Memories” to JANM’s experimental exhibition Xploration Lab 2012, which explored issues of identity. Staci has also served on an educator committee, which the museum’s Education Unit convenes on occasion to help brainstorm ways JANM can better serve teachers and students.

Now, in addition to occasional visits with her family, Staci returns every year on an eighth grade field trip—no longer as a student, but as a teacher. When asked why she brings her students to JANM, she replies that it’s important to her that the students understand her history—a unique history that is not found in their textbooks.

Staci and her students inside Common Ground.
Staci and her students inside Common Ground.

Much of Yamanishi’s knowledge of her history comes from conversations she had with her grandfather before he passed away. Having served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team while his wife (Staci’s grandmother) was incarcerated at Manzanar, he was an advocate of sharing the Japanese American World War II experience. He ingrained in Staci the importance of being proud of one’s history and passing it on to the next generation. Now, as a teacher herself, she encourages her students to explore their own stories through family history projects.

JANM is proud to know Staci and we are thankful for people like her, who share our mission to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.

If you are interested in purchasing an engraving for a child or youth (21 and under) in your life, visit our Children’s Courtyard Engraving page for complete details.

Diary of a Nisei Week Princess, Part Four: The Trip to Japan!

The 2015 Nisei Week Court pays an official visit to Mitsukoshi department store.
The 2015 Nisei Week Court pays an official visit to Mitsukoshi department store.

It’s hard to believe that a little over a month ago, my fellow 2015 Nisei Week Court members and I (and many of our parents) were exploring Tokyo and Nagoya. It was a trip of a lifetime and unlike any other trip to Japan I’d experienced before. Even though I’d been to Japan a handful of times and studied abroad in Tokyo for one year, we still managed to do things I will probably never have the opportunity to do again.

After checking into the Hotel New Otani Tokyo at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, October 13, we wasted no time exploring the city, visiting the Tokyo Skytree restaurant and observation tower and the Ueno, Asakusa, Harajuku, and Shibuya districts all in one day. Three coffees and nearly 20,000 steps later, I thought my legs were going to fall off. The next day, we went to Tokyo DisneySea, a theme park located in Urayasu, Chiba, just outside the city. I couldn’t tell who was more excited (or who shopped more)—the parents or us. We all had a great time going on rides, shopping, and eating the specialty foods.

Enjoying some custard manju at Tokyo DisneySea.
Enjoying some custard manju at Tokyo DisneySea.

 

By Thursday it was already time to make our way to Nagoya—the main focus of our trip. Nagoya and Los Angeles have been sister cities since 1959—in fact, they are each other’s first sister cities, which makes for a special relationship. Nagoya’s biggest annual event is the Nagoya Matsuri, a festival held to spread Nagoya’s rich history and culture to the world—not unlike our own Nisei Week Japanese Festival back home. As official representatives of Nisei Week, our job was to spread goodwill and maintain strong relationships between the two physically distant communities.

We took the shinkansen (high-speed rail) from Tokyo Station to Nagoya Station and checked in to the Nagoya Creston Hotel. Our welcome dinner that night (which included geisha performances!) was hosted by Pyua O2, a Nagoya-based business association whose members would accompany us for much of the rest of our time there.

Taking in a tea ceremony, courtesy of Pyua 02.
Taking in a tea ceremony, courtesy of Pyua 02.

 

The next day we paid official visits to Matsuzakaya department store, Mitsukoshi department store, and Nagoya City Hall, where we met Mayor Takashi Kawamura and his staff. After these visits, Pyua O2 took us to the unique and world-famous Osu Shopping District, which has a 400-year history and is home to over 1,200 businesses. That evening, we attended the Sister City Reception, where we met representatives from Nagoya’s other sister cities and performed two Elvis songs, “Love Me Tender” and “Hound Dog”—the latter with the help of Mayor Kawamura, who was dressed as Elvis!

The Court sings Elvis tunes for the crowd, and gets a little help from Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura!
The Court sings Elvis tunes for the crowd, and gets a little help
from Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura.

 

Saturday was the start of the Nagoya Matsuri. During a special Sister City event, we had the pleasure of reprising our modern dance number from Coronation at a shopping mall called Oasis 21. That night, we had dinner at a restaurant owned by one of the Pyua O2 members and sang the night away with karaoke.

A fancy shabu shabu dinner with Nagoya city officials.
A fancy shabu shabu dinner with Nagoya city officials.

 

Sunday was our last and possibly most memorable day in Nagoya. We squeezed in a short tour of Nagoya Castle before we had to get ready to be in the parade! I couldn’t believe the number of people in attendance—thousands and thousands. The best part was seeing all the children smile as we waved at them. We finished the night eating wagyu shabu shabu with Nagoya city officials.

A view of Gero Onsen, an idyllic hot spring resort in Gifu Prefecture.
A view of Gero Onsen, an idyllic hot spring resort in Gifu Prefecture.

 

The next morning we went on an overnight trip to Gero Onsen, a hot spring resort, accompanied by Pyua O2. Along the way we stopped in Takayama and other spots in Gifu Prefecture. On Tuesday morning, we headed back to the Creston Hotel, and then it was time to say goodbye. Even our tour guide was crying! Our time in Nagoya wouldn’t have been nearly the same without the hospitality of Pyua O2 and Nagoya’s city officials.

Camryn and her parents in front of Nagoya Castle.
Camryn and her parents in
front of Nagoya Castle.
For the rest of the trip, everyone in the group went their separate ways. Some went back home to Los Angeles while others extended their stays with excursions to Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. I decided to go back to Tokyo on my own to spend time with friends I didn’t get to see earlier in the trip.

To say we all had a great time would be an understatement. It was such an honor to represent the Nisei Week Foundation and to continue the good relationship between Nagoya and Los Angeles. We had the best food anyone could possibly eat, met the nicest people, and created lasting memories with each other and our families. We’re all looking forward to seeing the members of Pyua O2 and Nagoya city representatives at next year’s Nisei Week Japanese Festival!

Camryn Sugita is blogging about her year as a Nisei Week Princess. If you missed previous entries, you can catch up here on part 1, part 2, and part 3.

A Show of Community Solidarity at Homeboy Industries’ 5K and Festival

JANM staffers and volunteers gather for Homeboy Industries' Every Angeleno Counts 5K and Festival. Photo by Richard Murakami.
JANM staffers and volunteers gather for Homeboy Industries’
Every Angeleno Counts 5K and Festival. Photo by Richard Murakami.

 

Last weekend, JANM volunteers, staff members, and friends of the museum participated in the “Every Angeleno Counts 5K and Festival” hosted by Homeboy Industries, a local organization dedicated to gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry. The event provided our museum with an opportunity to support a worthy cause. It also—in ways unexpected—prompted a meaningful display of solidarity by the JANM community.

JANM Events Assistant and Nisei Week Princess Camryn Sugita. Photo by Ben Furuta.
JANM Events Assistant and
Nisei Week Princess Camryn Sugita.
Photo by Ben Furuta.

It all started earlier this year. Upon being selected as a candidate for the Nisei Week Court, JANM Events Assistant Camryn Sugita was asked by the Queen’s Committee to pick an organization or cause to support throughout 2015. Camryn’s choice was Homeboy Industries.

Every October, Homeboy holds its 5K and Festival, which celebrates the worth of every Angeleno and the work of the organization. Leading up to this year’s event, Camryn urged JANM staff and volunteers to participate—by running the 5K, making a donation, and/or coming out to attend the festivities. Among those eagerly accepting Camryn’s challenge was longtime JANM docent and taiko workshop leader, Hal Keimi. Hal, who has volunteered for the museum with his wife Barbara since 1990, signed up to join Camryn in the 5K.

JANM staffers Sylvia Lopez, Kelly Kawata, and Vedette Philip participate in the 5K run. Photo by Richard Murakami.
JANM staffers Sylvia Lopez, Kelly Kawata, and Vedette Philip
participate in the 5K run. Photo by Richard Murakami.

 

Fate, however, took an unfortunate turn. Prior to the race, Hal had a serious fall while running near his home and suffered significant injuries. He was hospitalized and needed surgery on his jaw. Learning of Hal’s accident, JANM staff and volunteers were even more determined for the museum to have a strong presence at the 5K and Festival. They launched a campaign called “Help Hal to Help Camryn” to rally support for their two friends and Homeboy Industries.

JANM staffer Clement Hanami, volunteer Michael Okuda, and staffer Evan Kodani. Photo by Richard Murakami.
JANM staffer Clement Hanami, volunteer Michael Okuda,
and staffer Evan Kodani. Photo by Richard Murakami.

 

On the day of Every Angeleno Counts, members of the JANM community ran (and briskly walked) the 5K, cheered on participants, and staffed a vendor booth to spread the word about JANM and its mission. When all was said and done, Camryn had successfully raised nearly $2,300 for Homeboy Industries.

JANM volunteer Michael Okuda, staffer Sylvia Lopez, Hirotami Ogawa, and his wife, volunteer Kyoko Ogawa, at Every Angeleno Counts. Photo by Richard Murakami.
JANM volunteer Michael Okuda, staffer Sylvia Lopez, Hirotami Ogawa, and his wife, volunteer Kyoko Ogawa, at Every Angeleno Counts. Photo by Richard Murakami.

 

“Thank you to everyone who came out and donated to the Miss GEO 2015 team!” said Camryn, whose title reflects her pageant sponsor, the Gardena Evening Optimist (GEO) club. “It was a huge success! Despite Hal’s injuries and absence, he inspired us to go forth and do our best in the 5K. I wouldn’t have been able to reach my fundraising goal without him, and now I’m looking forward to organizing my next fundraising event for Homeboy Industries.”

JANM staff and volunteers at the museum's information booth. Photo by Ben Furuta.
JANM staff and volunteers at the museum’s information booth. Photo by Ben Furuta.

 

As for Hal, his condition is improving steadily. Barbara thanked all the individuals who came together to help Hal support Camryn and Homeboy.

Giant Robot Biennale 4 is now on view!

Having fun inside of kozyndan's custom vinyl mural, Heat Run Samadhi. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Having fun inside of kozyndan’s custom vinyl mural, Heat Run Samadhi.
Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.

 

Since 2007, JANM has partnered with Giant Robot founder Eric Nakamura to produce the Giant Robot Biennale, a recurring art exhibition dedicated to showcasing the diverse creative works brought together under the ethos of the popular brand. The latest edition, Giant Robot Biennale 4, examines the evolution of the Giant Robot aesthetic from its humble origins in drawing to its many celebrated manifestations in painting, installation, muralism, and photography.

This past Saturday night, GRB4 had its grand opening celebration. More than 2,000 guests gathered at the museum for a lively evening of art, music, food, and crafts. Enjoy the photos that follow!

Certificates of appreciation were given to curator Eric Nakamura and each of the GRB4 artists by Danielle Brazell of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Photo by Steve Fujimoto.
Certificates of appreciation were given to curator Eric Nakamura and each of the GRB4 artists by Danielle Brazell of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Photo by Steve Fujimoto.
Danielle Brazell of the Department of Cultural Affairs, right, presents curator Eric Nakamura with his certificate of appreciation. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Danielle Brazell of the Department of Cultural Affairs, right, presents curator Eric Nakamura with his certificate of appreciation. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
More than 2,000 people attended the opening night festivities. Photo by Richard Murakami.
More than 2,000 people attended the opening night festivities. Photo by Richard Murakami.
A popular activity of the evening was custom finishing a button using designs started by GRB4 artists. Photo by Ben Furuta.
A popular activity of the evening was custom finishing a button using
designs started by GRB4 artists. Photo by Ben Furuta.
A family makes buttons together. Photo by Ben Furuta.
A family makes buttons together. Photo by Ben Furuta.
Excited guests line up to have their designs pressed into buttons. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Excited guests line up to have their designs pressed into buttons. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Artist Audrey Kawasaki poses in front of her artwork. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Artist Audrey Kawasaki poses in front of her artwork. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Dublab spins some tunes to keep the party going. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Dublab spins some tunes to keep the party going. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Tasty bites were provided by Mama Musubi. Photo by Richard Murakami.
Tasty bites were provided by Mama Musubi. Photo by Richard Murakami.
Cafe Dulce also got in the spirit with special Giant Robot x JANM donuts. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Cafe Dulce also got in the spirit with special Giant Robot x JANM donuts.
Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Nerdbot's Photo Booth brought out the flair in everyone. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Nerdbot’s Photo Booth brought out the flair in everyone. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Eric Nakamura, right, and a few of the artists admire kozyndan's mural. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Eric Nakamura, right, and a few of the artists admire kozyndan’s mural.
Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Kozue and Dan Kitchens, aka kozyndan, pose in front of their work. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Kozue and Dan Kitchens, aka kozyndan, pose in front of their work.
Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
People couldn't get enough of kozyndan's mural! Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
People couldn’t get enough of kozyndan’s mural! Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
A guest tries his hand at drawing inside a replica of artist Edwin Ushiro's studio. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
A guest tries his hand at drawing inside a replica of artist Edwin Ushiro’s studio.
Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Curator Eric Nakamura, left, and artist Mike Lee check on a few last-minute details in the replica Giant Robot store. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Curator Eric Nakamura, left, and artist Mike Lee check on a few last-minute details
in the replica Giant Robot store. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Artist Mari Inukai in front of her painting. Photo by Richard Murakami.
Artist Mari Inukai in front of her painting. Photo by Richard Murakami.
Ray Potes of Hamburger Eyes poses in front of the collective's installation. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Ray Potes of Hamburger Eyes poses in front of the collective’s installation.
Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Katsuya Terada wows onlookers with his live drawing skills. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Katsuya Terada wows onlookers with his live drawing skills. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
A rapt crowd gathers to watch electronic musician Daedalus. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
A crowd gathers to watch electronic musician Daedalus. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Daedalus in action. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Daedalus in action. Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
No opening at JANM is complete without a visit from the reigning Nisei Week Court! Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
No opening at JANM is complete without a visit from the reigning
Nisei Week Court! Photo by Nobuyuki Okada.
Curator Eric Nakamura, JANM President and CEO Greg Kimura, and artist Esao Andrews. Photo by Steve Fujimoto.
Curator Eric Nakamura, JANM President and CEO Greg Kimura, and artist Esao Andrews. Photo by Steve Fujimoto.

Tuesday Night Café Showcases Asian American Talent

Tuesday Night Café in the Aratani Courtyard of Union Center for the Arts. Photo: Fiona Potter for Discover Nikkei.
Tuesday Night Café in the Aratani Courtyard of Union Center
for the Arts. Photo: Fiona Potter for Discover Nikkei.

 

Recently a friend took me to experience Tuesday Night Café, an Asian American grassroots entertainment event held in the Aratani Courtyard of the Union Center for the Arts. I didn’t think I’d last through the three-hour-long evening of amateur and open mic acts, but much to my surprise, I found myself riveted to the very end by the event’s quality and variety. There were slam poets, folk singers, dancers, and even a female rap artist, and every one was excellent and had something unique to offer.

I was amazed that such a thing existed right under my nose here in Little Tokyo without my knowledge, so I did some research. Tuesday Night Café is actually the oldest currently running Asian American open mic event in the country. Launched in 1999, it is the flagship program of Tuesday Night Project, an Asian-American volunteer-based organization. Each Café begins with three open mic slots, followed by a curated program. TNC has been named to several Top Ten lists by such publications as USA Today and LA Weekly.

TNC is currently organized by Sean Miura, Producer and Lead Curator, and Quincy Surasmith, Communications Manager and Associate Producer. Quincy graciously agreed to answer a few questions via email so we could learn more about the project.

JANM: I was truly impressed by both the quantity and the quality of talent that I saw on display at the last TNC. How do you find so many amazing acts?

QS: I think it’s a mix of people (artists, organizers, and other community members) connecting folks to our space and us making sure we build the kind of space where these amazing performers feel encouraged and safe and have the opportunity to really shine. We also do our best to get out to other spaces and events in the city, such as Sunday Jump in Historic Filipinotown, Common Ground in Santa Ana, and Kollaboration, to name just a few—supporting them and building bridges with their organizers and artists.

Tuesday Night Café. Photo: Fiona Potter for Discover Nikkei.
Tuesday Night Café. Photo: Fiona Potter for Discover Nikkei.

 

JANM: When curating the Tuesday Night Café, what are the criteria that you use?

QS: We look at each show holistically; each program is a careful balance of people with different disciplines, experience levels, artistic content, and identities/backgrounds. We also want to set a tone that Tuesday Night Café isn’t just a handful of open mic slots nor an “established stars only” showcase, but a place where everyone can experience those beautiful fleeting moments of raw, outside-your-comfort-zone, heart-palpitatingly earnest connection with someone’s words, voice, movement, emotion, sound, and story. Creating a positive space for the performers helps both emerging and seasoned artists feel comfortable taking risks, trying new things, and using our space to grow.

JANM: I imagine many TNC performers go on to successful careers in show business. Any famous alumni you care to name?

QS: Artists like Connie Lim and Mista Cookie Jar continue to amaze audiences with their music, while folks like Dawen and David Tran aka Applesauce are sharing their music abroad (in Taiwan and Vietnam, respectively). Jenny Yang is a rising dynamo producing Disoriented Comedy shows and showing up all over the place (notably on Buzzfeed). Greg Watanabe of the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors is making his Broadway debut this fall in the musical Allegiance.

While those are a few of the successes we celebrate, it’s important to note that Tuesday Night Project is less about celebrity and more about artists in process, trying things, collaborating, and creating their own respective paths. We want to celebrate each career as each person finds their own understanding of success, famous or otherwise!

Priska Neely mesmerizes the audience with her funny, mellow songs. Photo: Audrey Chan.
Priska Neely mesmerizes the audience
with her funny, mellow songs.
Photo: Audrey Chan.

JANM: TNC is 17 years old this year. Can you reflect on some of the changes and accomplishments that have occurred over the years?

QS: I’ve only been in the space since 2009, but in that time, I’ve seen a noticeable shift from a word-of-mouth, come-because-you’re-connected-to-someone, heard-about-it-through-the-community-grapevine project to a known-entity, internet-searchable, come-for-the-opportunities-to-perform kind of audience and space. This means a lot more people are coming in fresh; a significant portion of the crowd are first-timers at each show! But it also means that people are coming who don’t yet understanding who we are and what we’re about, so it’s even more important that we’re really clear about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.

JANM: What is your vision for TNC going forward?

QS: I’d love to sort through our archive footage and photos to reconnect with and share our history, build more partnerships, and strengthen our online presence. Ultimately though, it’s not about growing Tuesday Night Project into some huge expansive brand for its own sake. We share art to build and bridge communities; validate and highlight diverse Asian American voices and stories; create safe, positive space; and at our core (as our Director/Co-Founder traci kato-kiriyama will gladly remind us), cherish people as each others’ greatest resource. Everything we’ve done and continue to do is with constant mindful consideration of those intentions.

Tuesday Night Café runs from April through October each year, taking place on the first and third Tuesday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. The last two Cafés of 2015 will take place on October 6 and 20. If you can’t attend in person, you can watch their live feed.

Introducing Mark Robbins

JANM recently hired Mark Robbins as the museum’s new Community and Government Relations Officer. To help introduce Mark to the greater JANM community, we conducted the following brief interview.

New JANM staff member Mark Robbins, right, attends the Go For Broke National Education Center's 14th Annual Evening of Aloha Gala Dinner with his wife, Iryll Robbins-Umel, center. At left is keynote speaker and pioneering Asian American athlete Natalie Nakase.
New JANM staff member Mark Robbins, right, attends the Go For Broke National Education Center’s 14th Annual Evening of Aloha Gala Dinner with his wife, Iryll Robbins-Umel, center. At left is keynote speaker and pioneering Asian American athlete Natalie Nakase.

JANM: What led you to come to work for the museum?

Mark Robbins: The mission of the museum appealed to me greatly. I was impressed by how JANM aims to tell the full Japanese American story, in all its shades and complexities. As a hapa and a fourth-generation Japanese American, I saw joining the JANM staff as an opportunity to contribute to something important while learning more about my own family’s history. I was also excited about all of JANM’s programs—the performances, workshops, film screenings, panels, and so on. It’s a vibrant institution that offers so much to its visitors and tests the boundaries of what a museum can be.

JANM: How do you visualize your role at the museum?

MR: Right now, I have a lot to learn, both in terms of the history of Little Tokyo and the various efforts underway at JANM. I see my role, though, as helping the museum be an informed and valuable partner in the community. While we are a national museum, Little Tokyo is in our DNA. Helping to preserve the health and distinct character of Little Tokyo is critical to our mission and our future. I will also play a role in the museum’s government relations, identifying federal grant opportunities for the museum, and working with our Young Professionals Network.

JANM: Can you tell us about your education and work history prior to joining the museum?

MR: I studied Communication and Political Science as an undergraduate at Stanford and went to law school at UCLA. I worked in Washington, DC, for about seven years as a policy advisor in the offices of the late Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska and former Governor of Alaska Sean Parnell. I then moved back to Los Angeles and held temporary positions as an attorney for Legal Aid in Compton before the opportunity with JANM came up.

JANM: You were born in Alaska. Can you tell us about your experience growing up there?

MR: I grew up on Kodiak Island, which is located in the Gulf of Alaska. In addition to its huge brown bears, Kodiak is known for its fishing. My father ran a commercial fishing boat for about 40 years there, catching cod, halibut, and salmon. That was our family business, and my older brother and I worked on the boat in the summers to earn money for school.

JANM: What have been your most memorable experiences so far at the museum?

MR: There have been many. Bringing my family (including my wife, young daughter, and mother) to the Natsumatsuri Family Festival in August was definitely a highlight. We had a large and energetic crowd on hand for the event and I was happy to have three generations of my family share the experience. I have also appreciated spending time with our volunteers, several of whom have committed their time and effort to the museum for decades. Their spirit and enthusiasm are inspiring and a constant reminder of why what we do here is so important. More recently, I’ve been getting to know our New Leadership Advisory Council. They are an impressive group and I’m excited about what we can accomplish together.