Sunday, September 26th, 2010 | 11 AM – 6 PM
Upper East Side

Every culture and people has its soul food—food that comes from recipes that have been passed down from generations that can be called the authentic flavor of a people.

The different regions of Japan all have their own soul food specialties. In this festival, several restaurants and companies will introduce some of Japan’s most best-kept gastronomic secrets.

Come visit the JapanTown Soul Food Festival on September 26th to taste the unique character of Japan’s diverse regions.

Directions to Soul Food Festival
Location:
Lexington Avenue between 94th and 96th Streets

Subway:
6 train to 77th Street
4, 5, 6 train to 86th Street
6 train to 96th Street

The Consulate General of Japan in New York is participating in the 92nd Street Y Street Festival this year. We will have two sets of real Samurai armors and have people try on and take pictures at our booth. Attached is a photo of the two Samurai armors we are renting for this event. We need a few JETAA volunteers who will staff the booth; wear armor for photo sessions, helping putting armor on, taking pictures, etc.

If you are interested, please contact Noriko Furuhata at the JET Office by email at jet@ny.cgj.org

[Full Article on Mainichi's website]

The organizers of the First Annual Japanese Heritage Night are looking for JETAANY volunteers to represent the JET Alumni Association!!

Volunteers are needed for

1. Information Tables: setting up and manning two tables with info on Japanese and Japanese Americans
2. Pre-Game performance: coordiinating taiko and bon dance participants
3. Mets Spirit Awards: coodinating Award participants
4. Transportation: JET members w/cars driving Award participants &others to & from Citi Field
5. Partnership outreach: generating ticket donations/ funding / services from companies & individuals
6. Program: assisting with writing and production for printed program
7. Outreach: reaching communities who are not yet aware of Japanese Heritage Night
8. Press/media: assisting with media needs, individual interviews
9. Documenting:video, photo & reporting coverage of the event

SCHEDULE FOR JAPANESE HERITAGE NIGHT
Friday, August 27, 2010

4:15 Material for Information tables can be dropped off at Mets office

4:40 Information tables set up

5:40 Performers enter Bullpen Plaza Gate, escorted by Mets staff

6:30 Pre-game entertainment begins (20 min)
Taiko drumming by Soh Daiko “Hachidan Uchi” (10 min piece)
Obon dance “Tanko Bushi” led by Japanese Folk Institute of New York. Dance participants include people from the Japanese heritage community and friends (3 min piece)

6:50 Spirit Award Ceremony (5 min)
Awards given to the following communities and received by members of those communities.
Baseball – received by Satoru Tsufura (Nisei ballplayer) and Shuji Kato (JAA baseball league)
Military Service – Kaz Yamagushi (WWII vet) and Lt. Janelle Kuroda (Navy, active duty in Iraq)
Community Service – Suki Terada Ports and Sam Kiyomi Turner (activists, HIV AIDS, Ninth Ward)
In attendance: Ambassador Nishimiya

6:58 National Anthem sung by Kurt Sanchez Kanazawa

7:10 Game starts

(5th inning Information Tables broken down)

Also, for our pre-game event, JET alumni are invited to dance the Tanko Bushi on the Mets centerfield! It is a simple and fun bon dance honoring one’s ancestors. Here are the online instructions for the dance  and an an mp3 of the song for you to practice.

TICKETS: All JET alumni volunteering and/or dancing at Citi Field must have a ticket to the game. The Mets have made available discounted tickets in specific areas of the stadium. I believe your website has a draft of the flyer with outdated information saying that the ticket purchase cutoff was August 5. Please inform your members that discount tickets are now available until Thurs, August 26. Regular tickets can be bought on the day of the game.

To purchase:
http://www.mets.com/japan
Sign in ID: JAPAN (in caps)
Password: METS (in caps)

Discounted tickets to sections reserved for us are:
$26 – Promenade Reserved Infield (sec 508)
$41- Pepsi Porch (sec 305)
$58 Baseline Box (sec 106)
(prices do not include service charge)

Group discount sales of 25+ receive scoreboard recognition. For group sales of 25+ contact John Hazelett at 718.559.3046, Jhazelett@nymets.com. I encourage JET to have 25 alumni come as a group and support this event – this will enable you to get “JETAANY” featured on the Big Stadium Screen. A photo of this with JET alumni in foreground would be an impressive visual to show the contributions of JET-NY to Japan.

Alumni who cannot attend the game can purchase a ticket and we can give it to one of our constituents, possibly WWII veterans or Japanese families suffering from domestic violence – the children would love a night at a ballgame.

If you are interested, please contact Donna Tsufura at thedayako[at]gmail[dot]com (put JETAANY in your subject line)

JET ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK (JETAA NY)

with support from the Consulate General of Japan in New York

Presents

A Special Play Reading of critically acclaimed Off Broadway Play

SAKE WITH THE HAIKU GEISHA

The JET Alumni Association of New York is pleased to present a limited one-night reading of the critically acclaimed play “Sake with the Haiku Geisha,” written by JET alumnus and playwright, Randall David Cook (Fukui-ken, 1991-93).

Date: Friday, August 13

Start time: 8:30 p.m.

Location: Tinker Auditorium (between Park & Madison Aves.) 22 E 60th St, New York, NY 10065, (212) 355-6100

Cost:

• $5 in advance ($10 at the door) for JET alumni
• $10 in advance ($15 at the door) for Friends of JET

Advanced ticket sales for this event has ended.  Please purchase your tickets at the door.

SEATS ARE LIMITED!

“Sake with the Haiku Geisha” premiered Off-Broadway in 2006 and was based on the collective experiences of three JETs who were placed in Fukui-ken from 1991-1993: an American from South Carolina, a Canadian from Nova Scotia and an English woman from Devon. The structure of the play is inspired by the classic Noh play: an opening ceremony, five acts (each of which uses a different speaker and a spirit or ghost), and a closing ceremony. The show starts on at a farewell party for the visiting JETS, and first three acts are told from the perspective of the visiting JETs, and then the tables turn, and the final two acts are told from the perspective of two Japanese: the supervisor of the Canadian JET, and the geisha’s story, which closes out the play.

The first act, “Sushi and Scones” was a finalist in five major festivals in the USA and England, won the “Best Play” award at the Southeastern Playwrights Conference and was taped and broadcast by as a BBC radio play in late 2005. See a full review of the play in the New York Times.

This event is being organized in cooperation with the Consulate General of Japan in New York.

If you’re one of those people who discovered yakiniku as the 5th food group in Japan, you’ll love our August Nihongo Dake Dinner. Invite your Japanese friends and join us at Gyu Kaku in the East Village for karubi, grilled vegetables, chicken and shrimp, tongue optional and remember why paying to cook you own food is so worthwhile. As always, from beginner to expert, all levels of Japanese speakers welcomed and encouraged!

To RSVP click on the button below or click here.

Application deadline: September 9, 2010

Well known samurai performer, Yoshi Amao will lead a special class of Samurai Sword Fighting, where we’ll learn very basic sword techniques such as breathing, walking, gripping, swinging, stances, forms, and KAKARI KEIKO (an actual fighting style.)

Yoshi was born in Osaka, and has been entertaining in NY since 1990. He performed at Budweiser commercial in 2000, The Late Night with Conan O’ Brien in 2004, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2009, was casted for movie “The Beaver” and TV series “White Collar” on USA, and hosted for BIG IN JAPAN in Greece, Sweden and Denmark 2008 and 2009. Also he performed at Cherry Blossom Festival and Kiku Festival at the NY Botanical Garden, New York Anime Festival and Japan Day. Meanwhile he has been teaching Samurai Sword Fighting Class since 2003.

More info  http://www.yoshiamao.com/home.

To reserve your spot, please click on the PayPal button below or click here. If you have any questions contact JETaaNY@mieinc.net

**************

The event is produced by MIE Inc.

Date: Saturday September 18, 2010
Opening Ceremony: 9:00am
First game: 9:30am
Location: Red Hook Brooklyn

The slow pitch softball tournament is a full day event, starting with the opening ceremony at 9:00am in Red Hook, Brooklyn.  The day is sure to be fun-filled whether you’re a player or spectator, with an after party near the field to reward us for all of our hard work.  All levels of softball players welcome!  The JETAANY team is guaranteed to play at least three games and more if they win. Depending how much interest we have we might be making two teams this year.

Cost: $15
Includes: T-shirt, Bento lunch box, drink, After Party BBQ dinner and beverages (keg) at nearby bar
Contact: Monica Yuki with questions vicepres@jetaany.org

JOIN THE TEAM

Click on the button below, or click here!

Last day to sign up Friday 9/10.  Once you have paid you will be contacted to chose your bento order (beef, fish, or veggie)

Check out photos from last year!
http://picasaweb.google.com/jetaanyvp/JETAANYSoftballTournament2009?feat=directlink

D’espairsRay, Aug. 12-13 @ The Studio at Webster Hall

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=2191105&REFERRAL_ID=tmfeed

Dir En Grey (with Apocalyptica), Aug. 24 @ Nokia Theatre Times Square

http://nokiatheatrenyc.com/eventdetail.php?id=28422

Ken Hirai, Aug. 25-26 @ B.B. King Blues Club & Grill

http://www.bbkingblues.com/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=5120

Puffy AmiYumi, Oct. 10 @ Irving Plaza

http://www.livenation.com/event/000044ECAE537CC9?artistid=930134&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60

WHEN: Sunday, August 8th 2010
TIME: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
WHERE: The White Box @ 440 Studios, 440 Lafayette Street & Astor Place
COST: $10/child advance ($15/child at door)

EVENT DETAILS: We have a variety of activities lined up to keep the kids engaged and entertained. Games, crafts, dance, musical performances, gifts and prizes!

To order tickets please call 646-334-7426 or wrote to events.nycnda@gmail.com
For more info on NYCNDA check out http://www.nycnda.com