Underwritten by United States - Japan Foundation
Documentary Film - Fall Seven Times, Get up Eight: The Japanese War Brides
Discussion led by Co-Director Karen Kasmauski and Moderator Carla Stansifer, Curator of Japanese Art
Despite lingering wartime enmity, tens of thousands of Japanese wives -- the biggest influx of Asian women in U.S. history -- crossed the Pacific. They began new lives in difficult and to them mysterious circumstances, scattered across the country in places where they were often the first Japanese ever seen. What was it like to abandon family, friends and country, and marry a former enemy? Even for those whose choice of spouse proved to be a tragic mistake, there was no turning back. Many in Japan viewed them as social outcasts and even today the words "war bride" in Japanese carry such a stigma -- of bar girls, even prostitution -- that people don't like to say them. Now these women are in their 80s. This is their story, of lives shaped by one irrevocable decision.
Kathryn Tolbert was a
Talk by Artist Mariko Kusumoto
Speaker Series: My Creative Journey
Learn about Kusumoto’s journey as an artist, beginning with her undergraduate studies working in 2-dimensional medium (oil painting and printmaking), and then her 18-year career as a metalsmith, and how she transitioned into working with fabrics. As new opportunities presented themselves, the direction of her work was able to evolve by allowing her instinct to lead her. Through that evolution her career has been like a journey.
1:00PM, Friday, November 7, 2025
Morikami Theater
Sponsored by JM Family Enterprises
Speaker Series: What’s All The Fuss: The Global Enthusiasm for Japanese Green Tea & Matcha
Talk by Rona Tison
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.
12:00PM, Saturday, December 13, 2025
Morikami Theater
Underwritten by Linda and Michael Sonnenreich
Film: Tokyo Cowboy
Discussion led by Director Marc Marriott
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.
Sponsored by JM Family Enterprises
Speaker Series: A Brief History of Yōkai
Talk by Author Zack Davisson
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.