Speaker Series

Speaker Series: Restoring America’s Promise: The Fight for Justice

Join us for a truly impactful and interactive presentation that delves into the poignant history of the Japanese American WWII experience. Nationally recognized redress movement scholar, Dr. Mitch Maki, will guide you through this critical chapter in American history, exploring the challenges of incarceration and military service, and culminating with the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Through the blending of historical facts with compelling community anecdotes and audience perspectives, Dr. Maki fosters a dynamic dialogue that connects this history to today’s crucial issues of social justice and the enduring strength of democracy. This is more than a presentation; it is a moving and inspirational opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the unwavering Go For Broke spirit of the Japanese American soldiers and the ongoing relevance of their fight for the freedoms and liberties we all cherish. This is a chance to explore how their legacy impacts us and future generations

Speaker Series: What’s All The Fuss: The Global Enthusiasm for Japanese Green Tea & Matcha

Matcha, sencha, gyokuro, hojicha — how many kinds of Japanese green tea do you know? At this talk, Rona Tison, Tea Ambassador & Executive Advisor of ITO EN- North America, the global leaders of green tea will take you through the fundamentals of this time honored beverage. Learn how to best brew and drink the teas, the health benefits you may expect, and the new trends in the world of tea.

Film: Tokyo Cowboy

Brash businessman Hideki convinces his Tokyo bosses he can turn a profitless Montana cattle ranch into a premiere-performing asset. However, when his Japanese Wagyu-beef expert fails him, Hideki is poised to fail unless he identifies a missing element that’s key to the transformation: himself.

Speaker Series: A Brief History of Yōkai

From Godzilla to Pokémon, Japan is monster country. And all of Japan’s monsters have their roots in the bizarre menagerie of creatures called yōkai. Noted monster scholar and yōkai folklorist Zack Davisson guides you through the history behind yōkai; a journey from the invisible monsters of the Heian period to the yōkai catalogs of Edo. A book signing with Zack Davisson will follow the lecture.

Speaker Series: The Cultural Significance of AKIRA

Join the curators of the exhibition AKIRA: The Architecture of Neo-Tokyo for an introduction to the production process of Japanese animation in general and to the details of the classic ground-breaking animated film AKIRA’s genesis. Hiroko Myokam will highlight the archiving situation of these important artifacts of a historic milestone in animation history in today’s industry. Stefan Riekeles will elaborate on the specific cultural value of AKIRA’s background artwork which continues to inspire artists and an audience alike to this day.