A couple of big taiko performances are happening in the next month!
The Genki Spark 5th Anniversary Making Women's History
The Genki Spark, the only all female, pan-Asian taiko troupe in the US, continues their year-long celebration of their 5th anniversary with two concerts later this month. Their events and performances are always high energy and positive and I love seeing them perform!
Being our 5th year we want to celebrate BIG! This year's 2 hour show is filled with some of our favorite pieces like 'Renshu', 'Kizuna', and our spoken word piece 'Who Am I? What Am I?' In addition, our brand new pieces: 'Hot Flash', 'Kachidoki', and 'Immigration Stories'
feature and celebrate the diverse experiences of the women in our
membership. New location, new pieces, same Genki love, joy, and passion!
As
always, our show will begin with a reception with yummy treats, so
bring your friends, bring your family, and come early to relax and
celebrate with us.
Date & Time
Saturday, March 19, 2016
6:00pm Reception
7:00 - 9:00pm Show
Sunday, March 20, 2016
11:00am Reception
12:00 - 2:00pm Show
Parking
See the Hibernian Hall website for details.
Admission
In advance: $20 general admission, $10 student w/ ID, $8 children under 10
At the door: $25 general admission, $15 student w/ ID, $10 children under 10
Group discounts available.
Purchase tickets here.
Tamagawa Taiko & Dance
Tamagawa Taiko & Dance, a performance group from Tamagawa University in Tokyo led by professor and kabuki master Isaburo Hanayagi, is returning to the Boston area for a performance at Wellesley College. Their performance is co-presented by The Japan Society of Boston.
Join us to experience an exciting evening of high energy Taiko drumming and Japanese folkloric dancing on the beautiful campus at Wellesley College.
The Tamagawa Taiko & Dance group has been touring the world since 1961. With a growing fan base, they have been invited to the Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Festival every year since 2003.
This group of over 40 highly talented performers are returning to the U.S. this year to share their music & dance in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., New York and Boston! Performances in New York have been sold out every year since 2010.
Date & Time
Saturday, April 9, 2016
5:00pm Doors open
6:00 - 7:30pm Performance
If you're aware of a 3.11 event that I haven't listed, please post
a comment with a link to the event or details if the info isn't on a
public webpage. This page will be updated if I find out about more events.
This year is the fifth anniversary of the tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear disaster that happened in Japan on March 11, 2011. Although the world's attention has moved on to other disasters, some
groups in Boston continue to be involved in supporting Japan through
this crisis and educating the public. If you're interested in learning
more, please consider attending one of these events. Events are listed in chronological order.
MIT Japanese Tea Ceremony will hold their annual remembrance and fundraising event at the Sanzashi-An Tea House
on Showa Boston's campus. Each session is about 75 minutes, includes
Japanese Tea Ceremony performance with Japanese confectionery and green
tea. Children are welcome to join and babysitter available upon request.
This charity event is to commemorate the North-Eastern Japan Earthquake
and Tsunami Disaster that happened on March 11, 2011. We hope to support
the survivors to improve their living conditions, rebuild the area, and
for each of us to remember the tragedy.
The major part of the areas where struck by the earthquake
and Tsunami started to recover and rebuild little by little, but is
still suffering from the long-existing damages. Even with all the
donations and funds collected by countless organizations, groups, and
individuals from all over the world, they are still experiencing
difficulty making improvements from the destructions. With a great help
of our supporters, we hope to become a part to help Japan's retrieval of
the losses from the affects.
We believe that we learned something important from this
incident. Please do not forget what happened on March 11, 2011, and how
the struggles have been made. Take this opportunity for memorials and to
support.
"Peacefulness through a Bowl of Tea" is phrased by Sen
Genshitsu, the Great Grandmaster of Urasenke Japanese Tea Ceremony. He
has always been flying around the world to spread the Japanese Tea
Ceremony along with peacefulness; to share one bowl of tea together with
all. We, as a part of his family clan, attempt to succeed his
expression in the United States as well.
As a extent of our effort, we try our best to support Japan to come together to successfully overcome the tragedy.
Date & Time
Sunday, February 21, 2016
10am/11:30am/1pm Registration form must be received by Friday, February 19, 2016
Panelists Richard Samuels (MIT, Political Science), Tatsujiro Suzuki
(Former Vice Chairman of Japan Atomic Energy Commission of the Cabinet
Office), Kenneth Oye (MIT, Political Science & ESD), Miho Mazereeuw (MIT, Architecture) and Akinobu Murakami (University of Tsukuba) will speak on the current state of
Northeastern Japan five years after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear
meltdown. This panel is part of the Starr Forum.
Five years
have passed since the devastating events of March 11, 2011, when the
triple disaster of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear
meltdown in Fukushima hit northeastern Japan. Nearly 16,000 lives were
lost, and around 2,500 remain missing. Indeed, beyond the physical
damage, emotional grief, and the immediate humanitarian response to
these, the Great East Japan Earthquake has had an immeasurable impact on
the country’s security relations, business and economic environment,
energy policy, and domestic politics and institutions.
How has
this disaster changed Japan's political and economic spheres? What
policy-making lessons has Japan learned, and what lessons can other
countries learn from it? Within five years, has Japan returned to how it was before 3/11, or has it even improved?
The Japan Club at The Fletcher School invites you to an
interdisciplinary panel to assess reconstruction, recovery, and
resilience since 3/11. The panel will examine closely developments in
the U.S.-Japan security alliance, sustainable economic growth,
challenges in energy policy, and reactions of domestic politics and
institutions.
Opening Remarks: Fumi Tataki (MIB 2016) Moderator: Prof. Shinsuke Tanaka (Fletcher School) Panelists: Prof. Keiko Hirao (Harvard University/Sophia University) and
Yoshikazu Watanabe (Eastern Army Commanding General, Ret., Japan Ground
Self Defense Force)
Coastal Fisheries and Industrial Development in Fukushima Satsuki Takahashi, Toyota Visiting Professor, Center for Japanese Studies, Univ. of Michigan and Assistant Professor of Anthropology, George Mason University
Network Crisis Archiving: From First Response to Remembrance Kyle Parry, Postdoctoral Fellow, Visual and Cultural Studies and Digital Humanities Center, University of Rochester
Community Reconstruction in the Tohoku Region Andrew Littlejohn, PhD candidate in Social Anthropology, Harvard University
Moderator: Theodore C. Bestor, Reischauer Institute Professor of Social
Anthropology and Director, Reischauer Institute, Harvard University
"Natural and Unnatural Disasters: 3/11, Asbestos, and the Unmaking of Japan's Modern World," the talk given by Brett L. Walker on January 29th will be given again at MIT on Friday, February 19th. The talk was very interesting and Professor Walker also talked a little about his research on 9/11 as an environmental disaster.
Trees Make Happiness
This will be the fourth year that Boston Children's Museum welcomes students from Tohoku University of Art and Design to mark the anniversary of 3.11. For the second year the students will have an art and friendship exhibit. The public is invited to attend the exhibit opening. Children can meet the artists from Japan and engage in a hands-on activity. See photos from last year (here and here) when they had fun making monsters. The exhibit is brought to the museum by artist Minatsu Ariga and her “ART THINKING” project team at the university.
Enjoy the special opening event of Art Exhibition in the Japanese
House Gallery: Art as Ecology – Building the future by exploring the
trees that make happiness grow!
Meet the artists from Tohoku, Japan.
This
special art show and programs are brought to you by the members of the
“ART THINKING” project team at Tohoku University of Art & Design in
Japan. After the devastating earthquake and tsunami in their hometown in
March 2011, they decided to use the special power of ART to make the
world a better place and connect with many friends like you. Please stop
by and say hi to the student artists from Tohoku, Japan and enjoy
hands-on activities!
Admission
Please see the museum's website for admission details.
Please note that "Adults unaccompanied by children must leave proper photo identification
at the Admissions Desk. Examples: State Driver’s License or Passport."
Tewassa,
a Cambridge-based volunteer group that produces "message quilts" for
schools and organizations in the Tōhoku region, will be holding a memorial event.
"It has passed almost five years since Great East Japan Earthquake.
However, it is still important to “never forget” about the incident. On
the day, we will share information from Japan, introduce our activities,
and an activity for those attending. We will also prepare free coffee
and snacks, feel free to come and join us!"
Date & Time
Saturday, March 12, 2016
2:00 - 6:00pm
Public Transit & Parking
GrayMist
is accessible by the 72 and 75 buses from Harvard Square. There is free
on-street parking along Huron Ave. and neighboring streets.
Cranes on the Square 2015 Photo courtesy of Timothy Nagaoka
This
year is the fourth annual Cranes on the Square event organized by local
Japanese language teacher Timothy Nagaoka with support from the Boston Parks & Recreation
Department, the Japanese Consulate, and the Japan Society of Boston.
Volunteers will teach people how to fold origami cranes which
will form a temporary public art piece in Copley Square then be
collected and delivered to people in the disaster area.
Date & Time
Sunday, March 13, 2016
11:30am - 4:30pm
5th Anniversary Commemoration for Tohoku: ~ Tohoku, 5 Years After ~ :: 東北は今 ::
Date & Time
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
6:00 - 8:30pm
6:00 - 6:15pm: Registration & Opening Remarks
6:15 - 6:30pm: Keynote Speech by Mayor of Ofunato Kimiaki Toda
6:30 - 8:00pm: Speakers Presentations & Performance by TOMODACHI Suntory scholars at Berklee College of Music
Born out of the
natural disasters that devastated northeastern Japan on March 11,
2011, the FYS has quickly developed into one of Japan's finest
youth orchestras. Led by conductor Tetsuji Honna,
and featuring soloists Panos Karan (piano) and
Zach Tarpagos (flute), the FYS will perform a
program including concertos by Mozart and Rachmaninoff, as well as
orchestral works by Glinka and Barber. This concert is part of a
unique cultural exchange program, supported by the governments of
Japan and the United States, and by the Tomodachi Program's Fund
for Exchanges of the U.S.-Japan Council, in commemoration of the
fifth anniversary of the disasters of 2011.
The Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta was created by students from
four Fukushima high schools in the immediate aftermath of the
earthquakes/tsunami/nuclear disasters of 2011. Determined to aid in
the recovery of their devastated communities, the students found
solace in music. They asked pianist Panos Karan and flute virtuoso
Zach Tarpagos, two professional musicians visiting from Greece, to
help them form an orchestra. Since 2011, Karan and Tarpagos have
returned nearly twenty times to Fukushima to coach the orchestra
and have invited other international musicians from Europe, the
U.S., and India to join in working with the FYS. The orchestra has
contributed significantly to the Japanese recovery, bringing
confidence and hope to the devastated area, and it has been widely
recognized as a leading symbol of communal cohesion during the
period of rebuilding. In April 2014, the British charity Keys of
Change invited the FYS to London for a highly successful
performance at Queen Elizabeth Hall. In August 2015, the FYS made
its Tokyo debut in a major concert at Tokyo Opera City Concert
Hall, in the presence of the Empress of Japan.
If you're aware of a 3.11 event that I haven't listed, please post
a comment with a link to the event or details if the info isn't on a
public webpage. This page will be updated if I find out about more events.
March 11, 2015 will be the fourth anniversary of the historic triple disaster that Japan experienced in Tōhoku on March 11, 2011. Although the world's attention has moved on to other disasters, some
groups in Boston continue to be involved in supporting Japan through
this crisis and educating the public. If you're interested in learning
more, please consider attending one of these events. Events are listed in chronological order.
This remarkable documentary offers a glimpse into the life of Taylor
Anderson (JET Program, Miyagi prefecture, 2008-11), a young American
woman who dedicated herself to teaching Japanese children, through
in-depth personal accounts from her loved ones. Laced with emotional
recollections, moving photographs and home movies which are as many bits
of the wonderful puzzle that was her incredible existence, the film
walks the viewer through Taylor's 24 years on earth and untimely end
caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011. In light
of the tragedy, the film sends a message of hope for all to follow their
hearts. [90 minutes. USA, 2012. BD.]
Regge Life has been making
groundbreaking films for over two decades including the acclaimed
Doubles: Japan and America’s Intercultural Children , and most recently
Reason to Hope, which chronicles the events surrounding the 2010 Haiti
earthquake.
Date & Time
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
6:00pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Harvard University
CGIS South Bldg., 1730 Cambridge St., Tsai Auditorium S010, Cambridge, MA 02138
MIT Japanese Tea Ceremony will hold their annual remembrance and fundraising event at the Sanzashi-An Tea House
on Showa Boston's campus. Each session is about 45 minutes, includes
Japanese Tea Ceremony performance with Japanese confectionery and green
tea. Children are welcome to join and babysitter available upon request.
Date & Time
Sunday, March 8, 2015
10am/11am/12pm/1pm/2pm
RSVP by Thursday, March 5, 2015
This
year is the third annual Cranes on the Square event organized by local
teacher Tim Nagaoka with support from the Boston Parks & Recreation
Department, the Japanese Consulate, and the Japan Society of Boston. Volunteers will teach people how to fold origami cranes which
will form a temporary public art piece in Copley Square then be
collected and delivered to people in the disaster area.
Survival rates and recovery rates from the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami have varied tremendously across the coastal towns in Japan's Tohoku area. A few villages and towns have rebuilt all of their schools, repopulated homes, and reestablished businesses and infrastructure, while others struggle to do so.
Using quantitative data, Professor Daniel Aldrich of Purdue University will illuminate the factors responsible for these outcomes in a lecture, followed by a reception with light snacks.
Date & Time
Monday, March 9, 2015
8:30pm
Location
Tufts University, Olin Center, 180 Packard Ave., Room 012, Medford, MA 02155
Harvard has been doing a great job of hosting
talks year-round about the problems Japan is still facing after 3.11.
Talks are open to the public, though inconveniently scheduled for people
with 9-5 jobs. Some of the talks are posted on the Program on
U.S.-Japan Relations Vimeo page.
Meditation for Fukushima
Tewassa, a Cambridge-based volunteer group that produces "message quilts" for schools and organizations in the Tōhoku region, will be holding a memorial event.
"Updates from Tohoku, a journey to new life," is a commemoration of the fourth anniversary of 3.11, the disaster that occurred on March 11, 2011 in the northeastern region of Japan and affected nearly 500,000 people, including 20,000 deaths and missing.
Hosted by the Consulate-General of Japan in Boston, Berklee College of Music, Fish Family Foundation, Japan Society of Boston, and the U.S.-Japan Council/TOMODACHI Initiative, the event will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at Berklee College of Music.
With the purpose to not let Tohoku be forgotten, the event will celebrate the friendship between Boston and Tohoku, and showcase individuals and projects working on the disaster ground, including Shun Kanda of the MIT Japan 3/11 Initiative, Anne Nishimura Morse of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Megumi Ishimoto of Women's Eyes. Two Berklee students, recipients of the TOMODACHI - Suntory scholarship program, will also perform short pieces as tributes to Tohoku.
I'm watching a special event with George Takei promoting his upcoming musical, Allegiance, about the Japanese American incarceration during WWII. They've made a mini-album available for free on Google Play today! (Even though it's free, Google Play requires a credit card - mine wasn't current and it wouldn't let me download until I updated it. :( )
Also, I've been meaning to post that the Boston Asian American Film Festival will be screening To Be Takei next Monday at the Somerville Theater and George will be there! Discount code to follow in another post.
I can't say I pay any attention to sports. I know that there are Japanese players on the Red Sox and I might even be able to name them, but that's where my knowledge ends. I only recently learned that the team has a player from Hawaii who's part Japanese and Okinawan and he's the reason they made it to the World Series again.
When I was looking at local news the other day this entertaining Boston-St. Louis (orchestra) smack talk video caught my eye. I love that Seiji Ozawa is rocking some bright red sneakers!
My friend Atsushi Tanimura's production company, A2C Productions, will be releasing the official Yume Wo Katare CD at the Japan Festival in Boston on Sunday, May 19th. Stop by their booth (location F5, download event guide with map) to buy a copy! Rion Takada (vocals, acoustic guitar) will be here from Japan to promote the CD and he'll be performing at at the festival 2:55pm. Yume Wo Katare fans may notice that all song titles share the same name as Tsuyoshi-san's previous restaurants.
Yume Wo Katare will be also be at the festival (location A5) serving maze soba.
Update 6:30pm: I randomly ran into Atsushi in Porter Square this afternoon and became the first person to buy the Yume Wo Katare CD! I love that the CD is a bowl of ramen.
A2C is also releasing Shingo Hirashima's album Into the Blue, his first album to be released in the U.S. Shingo will perform right after Rion at 3:25pm.
If you can't make it to the Japan Festival, Rion & Shingo will be performing three shows at A2C Productions in Allston. CDs will be on sale at the shows!
Thanks to the craziness overwhelming success of last year's Haru Matsuri, the organizers decided to do it again, but this time at City Hall Plaza. The event has been rebranded as the Japan Festival in Boston. They're expecting 20,000 people this year (last year was estimated to be around 13,000). They've expanded to ~34 food booths and ~80 non-food booths. I'm hoping that they'll have worked out the issues they had with the food last year and that I'll actually be able to eat this time!Update 5/15/13: I'm told that they have worked out the food issues and will not be using tickets this year.
This is the fourth and largest of four local Japanese festivals in May that I'm aware of.
Date & Time
Sunday, May 19, 2013
10am - 6pm
Hopefully it won't rain, as there is no rain date.
Free, but there will be food and stuff available for purchase. Bring small bills!
I'll be there with Tewassa. We'll be selling t-shirts ($20) and tote bags ($12) which say 手仕事 (teshigoto, which means "handwork"), omen for kids (Japanese masks), assorted bento & Japanese stationery items (erasers & letter sets), origami crane decorations, and hand-crocheted heart-shaped tawashi to keep our group running. Stop by our booth and say hi!
This post is a work in progress. Am I missing something? Let me know at keiko dot in dot boston [at] gmail dot com!
Many of the businesses and organizations on this page are Japanese-owned or operated. I list mainly those that are exclusively Japanese, as opposed to everywhere you can find anything Japanese. My geographic focus is Greater Boston, but there are some businesses and organizations outside of that area.
Disclaimer: Please note that inclusion on this page does not constitute an endorsement. Some of these businesses are owned by my friends and I'm a customer at others, but some I've had no interaction with.
Boston has many Asian groceries stores, some that are focused on specific countries/regions and others that are pan-Asian. Many of the non-Japanese Asian grocery stores are cheaper. Although many of them carry Japanese staples & snacks, there are certain Japanese foods and products you just can't find at a store that isn't specifically a Japanese grocery store. As far as I know, as of summer 2013, Ebisuya is the only exclusively Japanese grocery store in New England.
Ebisuya | Medford, MA | Yelp
Ebisuya also has a sushi bar. If there isn't sushi in the case that you want, they will make it while you shop. They also sell onigiri,bento, and other prepared side dishes and full meals. There are a few tables so you can eat there if you're too hungry to wait until you get home. They also offer free knife sharpening on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
I recently learned there is much more Japanese agriculture in New England than I was aware of so I thought I would include links here. None of them are in the Boston area but Ebisuya Market stocks Sunbow 5's produce and Assawaga Farm will be coming to farmer's markets in the Boston area this season. Assawaga Farm | Putnam, CT
Yoko Takemura and Alex Carpenter are just getting this vegetable and herb farm started. They are growing a variety of Japanese and other organic produce.
Sunbow 5 Foundation (Facebook) | Hadley, MA
(Website is English only. Facebook page in Japanese & English. )
I'm not sure when Sunbow was founded but Ebisuya Market in Medford, MA has been stocking their produce for several years.
Ever since sushi became trendy, Japanese cuisine has popped up on menus in other Asian restaurants. Some non-Japanese restaurant owners figured out that Japanese food would be more profitable and opened "Japanese" restaurants. While I'm all for diversifying people's culinary experiences, I've found that some Japanese food around Boston doesn't taste like what I think of as "authentic". Don't even get me started on fusion cuisine. I originally planned to title this section "Japanese-Owned Restaurants," but I've discovered that you don't need to be Japanese to cook authentic-tasting Japanese food. This is a subjective list based on my opinions and recommendations from others. The majority of the restaurants listed here are Japanese-owned. I'm not vouching for the quality of their food, just that the owners are Japanese or serve food that tastes authentic.
Heiwa Tofu | Rockport, ME
Founded in 2008 by Maho Hisakawa and Jeff Wolovitz, Heiwa Tofu makes organic tofu from primarily Maine-grown soybeans. Read more in the Portland Press Herald: "It’s a scramble to source local, organic soybeans".
Japonaise Bakery | Brookline, MA - St. Mary's | Yelp As of July 2013 the Allston Comm Ave. location is closed. As of March 2015 the Porter Square location is closed.
Boston's oldest independent Japanese bakery making Japanese-styled baked goods.
Old Japan, Inc. | Boston, MA - South End | Yelp Japanese gifts with a focus on vintage/antique goods. They do have some modern goods. 10/15/15: They will be open through Christmas and closing by the end of January.
The information in this section was provided by my friend, sartak.
Since Sasuga closed its physical store in 2004, Boston has been without a Japanese bookstore. The closest Japanese bookstores that I'm aware of are in New York City: Kinokuniya (website Japanese only) and BOOKOFF. There are a few stores where you can buy books and magazines and rent DVDs in Boston.
Ebisuya | Medford, MA | Yelp
Small selection of books & magazines; some books in English. Great collection of DVDs.
Reliable Video (no website) | Somerville, MA - Union Square | Yelp
No books or magazines. Collection of mostly older Japanese DVDs. Located next to Reliable Market, a Korean grocery store with a substantial selection of Japanese groceries. If the video store is closed, ask for help at the market.
The Minuteman Library Network has some books & DVDs. If the item you're looking for isn't at your local library, you can usually request it to be sent to yours.
This list is only for permanent collections. Many of our local museums bring in Japanese-themed temporary exhibits. The New England JACL monthly newsletter is a great source for information on temporary exhibits. The newsletter is emailed to members, but also posted on their website a few days into the month. Read The Boston Globe's "MFA exhibit tours Japan, will not be seen in Boston" to learn why Boston museums have such incredible collections of Japanese art.
314 Studio | based in Somerville, MA
Chihiro Makio, jewelry artist
Afternoon Concerts | Brookline, MA
Periodic classical music concerts staged by local musicians, most of whom are Japanese.
The Art Complex Museum Tea Hut | Duxbury, MA | Yelp
An authentic Japanese tea house built in Kyoto in 1969. It has been in Duxbury since 1975. They offer tea presentations and a concert series. The 2013 series has a variety of non-Japanese artists playing Western instruments.
Chorus Boston | Greater Boston area
"[A]n amateur choral group whose goal is to enjoy singing together while striving to attain a high level of musical performance. ... The group sings both classical and modern music, focusing on Japanese music but singing as well from the choral repertory in English, Latin, Hebrew, Italian, and other languages."
The Genki Spark | Greater Boston area
"[A] multi-generational, pan-Asian women's arts and advocacy organization that uses Japanese taiko drumming, personal stories, and creativity to build community, develop leadership, and advocate respect for all."
Kaji Aso Studio | Boston, MA - Symphony | Yelp
"Kaji Aso Studio offers experience in the visual arts, music, poetry, philosophy,and Japanese culture... Members have the opportunity to exhibit and collaborate on central themes."
Odaiko New England | based in Woburn, MA
Taiko performance, workshops, and lectures.
Origamido Studio | Haverhill, MA
Origami studio. Private classes by appointment. You may have seen their work at the 2007-2008 Origami Now! exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum.
Some of these clubs have membership fees, but may also have events that are open to the public. The primary language for these clubs may be Japanese or English.
Boston Japanese Researchers Forum (BJRF)
A networking group for Japanese researchers in the Greater Boston area. Monthly talks "on a variety of topics, including life sciences, arts, engineering, space sciences, health sciences, music, business, markets, Japanese cultures, physics, chemistry, geology, and/or politics" are presented in Japanese from September to May at MIT. Lectures are followed by a light meal. Non-native speakers wishing to improve their Japanese and network with Japanese researchers are welcome.
The Japan Society of Boston
"[A] not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote cultural and economic ties and active interchange between Japanese and Americans for mutual understanding, benefit and enjoyment.
New England Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
It seems unfair to refer to the JACL as merely a club since their role in Japanese American life is so significant. The JACL launched the campaign for redress for Japanese Americans who were interned during WWII, which ultimately led to payment of $20,000 per person by the U.S. government. From their website: JACL "is the nation's oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization… whose mission is to secure and maintain the human and civil rights of Americans of Japanese ancestry and others victimized by injustice." The local chapter is small but they try to do a few events per year and co-sponsor events with other groups. Their monthly newsletter is a great source of Japanese and Asian activities in New England. It is emailed to members at the beginning of each month and posted on their website a few days later.
Japanese Association of Greater Boston
"The Japanese Association of Greater Boston (JAGB) was created in 1950, and has grown to be the largest Japanese run social group in the Boston area."
Japanese Women's Club of Boston (JWCB)
"[A] group that offers various social opportunities and monthly lectures for its members. Japanese women who are independent, have a desire to improve themselves and respect others are qualified to join. The group is engaged in various relief efforts in the wake of the [3.11] disaster in Japan as a part of Boston's Japanese community.
Massachusetts Hokkaido Association
"[D]edicated to supporting the historic relationship between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Japan's northern island prefecture of Hokkaido."
NEJETTA (New England JET Program Alumni Association)
"We support JET program participants, former, current, and future, in
bringing Japan and the United States closer together. Headquartered in
Boston, we serve Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, and Vermont."
Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society
"In December of 1987 a delegation of dignitaries from the New Bedford/Fairhaven area journeyed to Tosashimizu, the home town of Manjiro, and signed a "Sister City" agreement. This led to the incorporation of the "Fairhaven/New Bedford-Tosashimizu Sister City Committee, Inc.". Since that time there has been an on-going exchange of political leaders, Little Leaguers, students, quilters, artists...etc." It seems they also have a small museum in Fairhaven, MA.
College Clubs & Organizations
[Last updated: April 2015]
Many area colleges have Japanese clubs. Membership requirements vary - groups may be open to the public, or you may need to be a member of the college community to join. Even if clubs are not open to all, they may have events or classes that are open to the public.
Harvard For Japan | Cambridge, MA [Note: appears to be inactive.]
"Harvard For Japan is a cross-Harvard alliance created in response to the Great Tohoku Earthquake that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. Our mission is to spread awareness of the effects of the quake and the resulting aftershocks, tsunamis, and nuclear crisis and to help the affected regions."
MIT Japan 3.11 Initiative | Cambridge, MA
"The MIT Japan 3.11 Initiative is MIT’s response to the March 2011 triple disaster in Japan. This Initiative, established by the MIT-Japan Program at the Center for International Studies, will provide a mechanism for faculty and student exchange between MIT and universities in the Tohoku region for the study and implementation of disaster-resilient planning."
New England Japanese Intercollegiate Network | Greater Boston
This is an umbrella organization that "aims to bring together Japanese students and students interested in the culture through various events."
JB Line (Japanese Bostonians Support Line)
Who knew there was a 24-hour support hotline for Japanese people? Although their website is entirely in Japanese, they say they provide phone support in English as well. Call any time day or night if you're feeling down and need someone to talk to.
KanaSwirl - Turns hiragana and katakana study into a game!
An iApp designed by my friend sartak, who lives in Somerville, MA. I figured I'd include this in the vein of "Shop Local." :)
Daigo Fujiwara runs this website about Japanese baseball players who play in the US. I don't follow baseball, but it looks quite detailed.
Secret Asian Man blog
You may have seen the comic Secret Asian Man in the Weekly Dig, the free alternative paper around town. What you may not know is that writer and illustrator Tak Toyoshima is local.
