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Current Events

Annual Midori Kai Boutique

Midori Kai Boutique 2010September 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 will 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

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More event information

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
Mountain View Buddhist Temple

 

JAMsj Fashion Show and Luncheon
"From Kimono to Contemporary"

Featuring designs from renowned
fashion designer, Sachiko Tabata

May 22, 2010
Yu-Ai Kai Community Senior Service
588 North Fourth Street
San Jose, CA 95112

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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).

 

Letter from ALA

Read the award letter
from Supervisor Liz Kniss

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Spirit of Japantown Festival

September 26, 2009
Jan 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:

  1. Main Street - Local San Jose Japantown merchants, restaurants, professionals, and organizations
  2. Original Arts and Crafts
  3. Car Exhibition - including imports, classics, and more
  4. Fruits, Flowers and Plants
  5. Antiques and Fine Arts
  6. Food and Products from Japan
  7. Hawaiian Section
  8. Kid's Activity Zone
  9. 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.

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Annual Midori Kai Boutique

Midori Kai Boutique 2009September 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.

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View event poster

 

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
Nikken
Now and Zen
Okada Originals
Origami Mommy
Paper Desserts
Paradisus
Parasol Paperworks
Patricia Jeong
Pomegranate Designs
Rhinoko
RM Creations
Sew Asian
Sharon Ito
Shimada Styles
Shiro Iida Designs
The Soap Nymph
Soo-Ling Jewelry
Special Handling Pottery
Sumofish
Vacation on a Chair
Waka
Yume Glass Art

 

"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

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View event poster

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.