Annual Midori Kai Arts & Crafts Boutique
September 10, 2011
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Mountain View Buddhist Temple
575 N Shoreline Blvd
Mountain View, CA
A special thank you to all of our boutique sponsors, vendors, non-profit recipients, and attendees. We had 73 vendors and over 1,100 attendees at this year's event!
100% of the profits from the boutique are donated to our selected non-profit recipients. Proceeds from the 2011 boutique supported the following non-profit organizations:
- Asian Women’s Shelter of San Francisco
- Japanese American Museum of San Jose
- Yu Ai Kai – Senior Center
- Ed Iwasaki Scholarship Fund
Special Raffle
A special raffle was held as part of the Boutique — only 500 tickets were sold at $5 each, for a chance to win a beautiful hand-made quilt, an original woodblock print by Kunio Kaneko, or a vintage haori (kimono coat).
2011 Vendors
| A Hui Hou Alaina Shiu Designs Ami Wada Asian Pair Ayers Hand Woven Beautiful Things Be One/Nikonina Carol Oshiro Chizu's Creations Classic Hawaiian Designs Clayvision, LLC Collette Kondo Creative Accents Creative Handcrafted Gifts Cynthia Sasaki Designs Dardie Ishida Details Company Donna Tojo Eco Soil Fancy Four Paws Four Yams The Glass Studio Happy Shirts/Omiyage Hoshida Kimono H.S.K. Creations Hug A Sumo Joy Imai Pottery Studio Kathy Yoshihara Designs Karolyn Fujimoto Designs Kelley's Kookies Kimiko's Crafts Maki Sushi |
Mariko III Marjie's Creative Originals Meiji Designs Mountain View Buddhist Temple Women's Association M Wong Design Natural Imitations Nikkei Traditions Now and Zen Okada Originals Pat on the Back Patricia Jeong Pomegranate Designs The Rare Orchid RM Creations Sachiko Fashion Collection Sarah Alice Britton Designs Sew Asian Sharon Ito Shigemi Sanders Shirley Nishikawa Shiro Designs Smilin' from Ear to Ear The Soap Nymph Soo-Ling Designs Sozai Corner Sumofish Suzye Ogawa Timothy O'Brien Waka Watsonville Buddhist Temple Yume Glass Art |
Yu-Ai Kai Sake San Jose, May 26, 2011Yu-Ai Kai Senior Services hosted a benefit sake tasting walk through San Jose's Japantown's various businesses and restaurants, each having different types of sakes at special tables. This year, Sake San Jose premiered a new event in the brand new James Akiyama Wellness Center, the Akiyama Sake Tasting. A special collection of premium sakes were assembled for tasting in the Center's Sakura Room. Along with sake, a variety of "small plates" were offered to accompany the sakes. Sake experts were available to offer information about the different sakes being tasted. Midori Kai Directors were honored to be invited to serve food at this successful premier event. Proceeds from Sake San Jose benefit Yu-Ai Kai Senior Services, a nonprofit senior center in Japantown. |
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Reiko Kawano, Vicki Wynne, Connie Decena, Julie Hubbard, Sally Takemoto, Ruth Shikada and JoAnn Kato. |
Connie Decena, Sally Takemoto, Reiko Kawano, Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, JoAnn Kato and Vicki Wynne. |
Midori Kai sponsors monthy bingo at Yu-Ai Kai on April 27, 2011
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Pictured: Irene Okimoto, Julie Hubbard, Phyllis Osaki, |
Making Home from War
April 16, 2011
Yu-Ai Kai Building in San Jose
3-5 pm
The event is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
We are pleased to announce that Midori Kai is celebrating the publication of “MAKING HOME FROM WAR”, an anthology of memoirs written by twelve different Japanese Americans about their experience coming home after they left the Internment Camps. Midori Kai is sponsoring the reading by some of the authors.
Please join Brian Komei Dempster, editor of Making Home from War, as well as production manager Jill Shiraki and some of the contributing writers from the book, for a presentation and celebration of their work. Produced by the JCCCNC and published by Heyday, this anthology offers memoirs--written mainly by Nisei--on the Japanese American post-war resettlement experience and a workshop model for other former camp prisoners to tell their own stories. Major funding for the anthology was provided by the California State Library--Civil Liberties Public Education Program. The program will also feature Felicia Hoshino, illustrator of My Dog Teny, a children’s book written by Wayne Osaki. The story was first published in the anthology, From Our Side of the Fence: Growing up in American’s Concentration Camps; produced by the JCCCNC.
Seating is limited so please let us know by calling or emailing the contact numbers below if you plan to attend. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee seating, but it will help if we have a general idea of the number of attendees.
Be sure and mark your calendar for this wonderful event. The books “Making Home from War” and “My Dog Teny” will be available for sale that afternoon (proceeds shall benefit JCCCNC) and the authors and Ms. Hoshino will autograph the books that afternoon. This will be a wonderful event for students and adults. We hope you are able to attend!
For RESERVATIONS please call Phyllis Osaki @ (925) 596-1770 or email at posaki@gsmanagement.com, or Julie Hubbard (408)
Pictured below are the book's twelve writers--then and now!
Top row (L to R): Florence Ohmura Dobashi; Kiku Hori Funabiki; Sato Hashizume; Fumi Manabe Hayashi
Middle row (L to R): Naoko Yoshimura Ito; Florence Miho Nakamura (in memoriam; co-author, Kristen Langewisch Marchetti, not pictured); Ruth Y. Okimoto, Ph.D.; Yoshito Wayne Osaki (co-author, Sally Noda Osaki, not pictured)
Bottom row (L to R): Toro Saito; Daisy Uyeda Satoda; Harumi Serata; Michi Tashiro
JAMsj Grand OpeningOctober 16, 2010 The Grand Opening Ceremony occurred on Saturday, October 16, at 1:00 pm, and featured entertainment by San Jose Taiko; a blessing by board member, Reverend Byron Ishiwata; and an opportunity for the public to view the new exhibits. Midori Kai Board Members Aggie Idemoto is JAMsj current President and Pam Yoshida is the architect on this project.
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Evan Yoshino (Applegate Construction) |
Spirit of Japantown FestivalOctober 2, 2010 San Jose Japantown is one of the last three major Japantowns that remain in the United States. Japantown Community Congress of San Jose (JCCsj) was created to continue the cultural and historical preservation of our 120 year-old, multi-ethnic Japantown. The JCCsj is composed of Japantown advocates, including representatives of major organizations, members-at-large, residents, businesses and property owners. Midori Kai members volunteered at the Silent Auction Booth and donated several items. |
Julie Hubbard, Connie Decena, Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, Irene Okimoto, Carol Eejima and Sally Takemoto volunteer at Sake San Jose |
Annual Midori Kai Arts & Crafts Boutique
September 11, 2010
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Mountain View Buddhist Temple
575 N Shoreline Blvd
Mountain View, CA
FREE entertainment: 10:30am Ukulele Jams; 2pm Marimo Kai – New Age Koto
Lots of new vendors! 70+ vendors already confirmed!
Proceeds from the boutique support the following non-profit organizations:
- Asian Women’s Shelter of San Francisco
- Japanese American Museum of San Jose
- Yu Ai Kai – Senior Center
- Ed Iwasaki Scholarship Fund
Mountain View Voice - September 10, 2010
Midori boutique features handcrafts, music
San Jose Mercury News - August 23, 2010
Midori Kai awards grants to four groups
Special Raffle
A special raffle was held as part of the Boutique, for a chance to win one of two beautiful hand-made quilts, a vintage obi and a vintage haori (kimono coat). View quilt photos.
Mountain View Buddhist Temple Obon
Left to Right: Joyce Iwasaki, Marsha Baird, Vicki Wynne and Irene Okimoto help out at the chicken teriyaki booth.
July 17, 2010
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Sake San Jose combines sake tasting with a walk through Historic Japantown San Jose
May 27, 2010 Japantown San Jose The Yu-Ai Kai Senior Community Center hosted this benefit sake tasting walk through Japantown’s various businesses and restaurants, each having different types of sake at special tables. Sakes made in Japan and the US, such as daiginjo, ginjo and junmai grades of premium sake were available for tasting, providing a great opportunity for connoisseurs and novices to sample and learn about a variety of sakes. Proceeds from Sake San Jose benefit Yu-Ai Kai Senior Services, a nonprofit senior center, in Japantown. |
JoAnn Kato, Julie Hubbard, Reiko Kawano, June Sakamoto, Sally Takemoto & Marsha Baird volunteer at Sake San Jose |
JAMsj Fashion Show and Luncheon
"From Kimono to Contemporary"
Featuring designs from renowned May 22, 2010 |
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Midori Kai Recognized With "Asian-American Hero" Award
October 27, 2009
Hong Fu, Cupertino
Midori Kai was recognized in the category of "organization or agency" for overall work, but primarily for our work on the "Diaper Drive." Midori Kai members attended a luncheon where the award was presented by Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss (District 5).
Below, left to right: Sally Takemoto, Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, Vicki Wynne, Liz Kniss (Santa Clara County Supervisor Fifth District), Joyce Iwasaki, Michelle Ma (West Valley Community Services).
Read the award letter |
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Spirit of Japantown Festival
September 26, 2009
San Jose Japantown
San Jose Japantown is one of the last three major Japantowns that remain in the United States. Japantown Community Congress of San Jose (JCCsj) was created to continue the cultural and historical preservation of our 119 year-old, multi-ethnic Japantown.
[Midori Kai Directors pictured at right (L-R): Sally Takemoto, Marsha Baird, Connie Decena, Vicki Wynne]
The Spirit of Japantown Festival has a variety of sections and activities:
- Main Street - Local San Jose Japantown merchants, restaurants, professionals, and organizations
- Original Arts and Crafts
- Car Exhibition - including imports, classics, and more
- Fruits, Flowers and Plants
- Antiques and Fine Arts
- Food and Products from Japan
- Hawaiian Section
- Kid's Activity Zone
- Entertainment
For more information, please check our the Spirit of Japantown Festival website.
Midori Kai members volunteered at the Silent Auction booth and donated two baskets for the auction.
Annual Midori Kai Arts & Crafts Boutique
September 12, 2009
Mountain View Buddhist Temple
575 N Shoreline Blvd
Mountain View, CA
This year's event featured 70 vendors, and was enjoyed by over 1200 participants.
Members of the Asian American jazz group Hiroshima signed copies of their 30th anniversary CD.
2009 Vendors
| A Hui Hou A Touch of Orient Akemi Pottery Ami Original Art Asian Gift Designs Asian Pair Beard Papa Beautiful Things Belika Bags Chizu's Creations Classic Hawaiian Jewelry Clayvision Collette Kondo Creative Accents Cynthia Sasaki Designs Dardie Ishida Details Company Donna Tojo Exclusively Yours Fancy Four Paws Four Yams The Glass Studio Graphic Ink Happy Shirts |
Hug A Sumo Japanese American Museum of San Jose Joanne Vasquez K Kreations Karen Eng-Toda Kayoko Designs Kelley's Kookies Kimiko Nishina Kimura Gallery Kristies Kookies Kyoto Kimono Luana's M Wong Design MAC Knife, Inc. Magnetic Touch Marci-Ann Ando Mariko III Marjie's Originals Mountain View Buddhist Temple Seniors MiNiche Naomi Iwai Natural Imitations |
Nikkei Traditions of San Jose |
"Talking Story" - An Intimate Conversation with Asian American Authors
Presented by Midori Kai, Inc. and the Japanese American Museum of San Jose
In Celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
May 16, 2009
Northside Community Center
488 North Sixth Street
San Jose, CA 95112
Read author biographies - featured authors included:
Delphine Hirasuna, who wrote Art of Gaman, about the art that the Japanese American Internees made during their WWII Internment.- Gail Tsukiyama, who is the author of six novels including “Women of the Silk”, “The Samurai’s Garden”, ”Night of Many Dreams”, “The Language of Threads”, ”Dreaming Water” and her latest novel, “The Street of a Thousand Blossoms”.
- Jeanne Mirikitani, who is married to Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial Church and was named 2002 San Francisco Poet Laureate
- Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, who co-wrote Farewell to Manzanar with her husband
- Firehorse Woman; Marlene Shigekawa, a former Midori KaiDirector w ho has written a couple of children books about her family’s internment experience and written a couple of screenplays
The event, which we co-sponsored with the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, was a huge success. Midori Kai organized the event, obtained the authors and handled Public Relations; JAMsj coordinated the book-selling portion by ordering the various books written by these authors and selling them that day to the public attendees.