Viva Calle SJ 2017 - September 17th

One of my favorite events of the year returns in just couple of weeks. During Viva Calle SJ, miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose.

Viva Calle features multiple activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This year they will be located in Japantown, Roosevelt Park, the Mexican Heritage Plaza, Alum Rock Village, and Lake Cunningham Park. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at each and every one. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores.

The route has changed again this year. It is now just a single line without branching out, and for the first time it will go straight down Santa Clara Street. At 7 miles and five activity hubs, it is the largest Viva Calle yet!

If you are one of the 50 million people that still play PokemonGo, the company that makes the game is leveraging Viva Calle as their first official event in San Jose. I'm about to out myself as a huge nerd, but I use the game when visiting someplace new to find hidden street art and all sorts of points-of-interest that even locals don't know about. It's like a hyper-local Tripadvisor for each block. The game will feature temporary stops and extra pokemon along the route as part of the event.

Viva Calle 2017 takes place on Sunday, September 17th from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). It is completely free and has no designated beginning or end as it's not a race. You can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!

Cellista presenting Finding San Jose in tribute to the 100th anniversary of Jean Cocteau's Parade

CELLISTA TO PRESENT: Finding San José  | A Multimedia Stage Poem
in tribute to the 100th anniversary of Jean Cocteau's Parade
May 18-20th, 2017 | 8PM
Akiyama Wellness Center in SJ Japantown
110 Jackson Street, SJ, 95112
Tickets: $12-15 at door of via Cellista.net

Cellista, the multidisciplinary artistic director of the performing arts company Juxtapositions has created a stage poem which places the eclectic communities of San José side by side. The production, first staged and workshopped in San Francisco to a sold-out, enthusiastic audiences makes its way home to San José.

This presentation of Finding San José marks the 100th year anniversary of the realist ballet Parade directed by French surrealist Jean Cocteau. The work, created for the Ballets Russe incorporated music from Eric Satie, artwork from Picasso, and choreography from Léonide Massine.

Finding San José is Cellista’s attempt to set the aura of her home of San José, to music, dance, film and stage, placing artists from across disciplines side-by-side.

The production, first staged and workshopped in San Francisco to a sold-out audience makes its way home. The production features video projections and short films by filmmaker Jennifer Gigantino (jennifergigantino.com), daring dance choreography from Lilith Ransom of Ransom Dance (facebook.com/ransomdance), Mojo DeVille (Haus Serpens Cabaret), and San Jose’s own Lauren Baines (laurenbaines.com). It includes a short experimental documentary entitled Cellista by filmmaker Brian Favorite.

Using her critically acclaimed debut full-length album of the same name as its soundtrack, Finding San José renders a lyrical truth to our present day and presents Cellista’s want to provide a mirror to the community she calls home. Finding San José, the stage poem is a complete work that juxtaposes disciplines in order to create a reaction to the reality of what it means to have a sense of place within a participatory and observational place.

Finding San José comes home for three performances on May 18-20, 2017 at 8PM at the Akiyama Wellness Center (110 Jackson St. SJ, CA 95112)
Tickets available via Cellista.net

Find out more about Cellista online: Cellista.net
Listen to the album: cellista.bandcamp.com
Fb link: facebook.com/cellista.music/


QUOTES

“Freya (Cellista) is a classically trained, punk rock spirited girl with the charm and elegance to defy the stereotype that classical music isn’t cool.”
— Belle Foundation

“Beautifully weird.”
— Director Brian Allan Hobbs

“Cellista is an American cellist, artistic director, and arts advocate and may very well be part cello. When she was born maybe a little piece of cello squirmed inside her bassinet and burrowed its way into her very being making the otherworldly performances she produces come to life. That’s the only explanation that makes sense at least."
— Rushtix

Bay Area Bike Share expansion maps reveal new service areas

Bay Area BikeShare is responsible for those light blue bikes that you see throughout Downtown San Jose and parts of San Francisco. Thanks to a new sponsor--Ford--the program is going to dramatically expand starting in Spring of 2017. Bay Area BikeShare will also be renamed "Ford GoBike."

The program will go from 700 bikes to 7,000 bikes. Oakland and a couple other East Bay cities will also be added. If you are a subscriber, you will be able to access bikes in any available location in the Bay Area.

Below is the map of the area we care most about. The existing service area for San Jose is in orange, which includes most of Downtown San Jose and one station in Japantown. Phase 1 of the expansion will bring BikeShare to The Alameda. Phase 2 will push the service out beyond Japantown to the North and beyond Highway 280 to the South. Phase 3 will extend to the Airport area, the tech campuses on North First, and Naglee/Taylor. Finally, Phase 4 will go to Midtown, East San Jose, and towards Berryessa.

All phases should be complete by the end of 2018.

Expansion will start in Spring 2017 and roll out in phases, enlarging bike share in San Francisco, San Jose - and bringing bike share to the East Bay for the first time

Program to be renamed Ford GoBike as expansion begins

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Motivate and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) released maps Thursday showing the contours of the expansion of bike share in the Bay Area. The program will grow from 700 to 7,000 bikes with the first new stations being installed in spring 2017. The expansion will take place in phases, building outward from the existing service areas in San Francisco and San Jose and outward from more dense areas of the cities in the East Bay. Motivate and the MTC also released more specific maps with the proposed station locations for Phase 2 expansion stations. (Phase 1 locations were released earlier this year.) Expansion is expected to be complete by the end of 2018.

Station locations are being selected through an extensive community engagement process. Locations for the first two phases of expansion are the product of over 120 meetings with local officials, community leaders, business owners and residents, 19 public workshops, and door-to-door outreach – with more still to come. There is also an online station-suggestion portal that has generated over 5,000 unique station location suggestions submitted by the public so far. Motivate will continue this outreach as it plans additional phases of expansion, with Phase 3 public workshops beginning next week in Oakland and Berkeley (workshop schedule).

At full build-out, the system will have stations every few blocks in San Francisco from the Bay to the Beach; it will connect Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville; and it will extend the San Jose service area from the downtown core. It will link people to MUNI and BART, to jobs and schools, to businesses and parks. San Francisco will have more bike share bikes per capita than any other system in North America and will have one of the highest ratios of bike share bikes per capita than anywhere else in the world.

The program’s expansion is enabled by a public-private partnership, and Motivate recently announced that Ford Motor Company has signed on as the program’s title sponsor. The program will be renamed Ford GoBike as expansion begins in the spring.

“Since the launch of Bay Area Bike Share in 2013, we’ve heard a strong desire from the community to bring bike share to the East Bay,” said Emily Stapleton, General Manager of Bay Area Bike Share. “In the first year of our expansion, we’re planning to connect the key commercial corridors in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville to provide residents, workers and visitors in these thriving cities with a new and accessible option to travel in and between them.”

This week, Motivate and the MTC also released the proposed locations for Phase 2 stations for additional public feedback. Phase 2 will bring over 100 new stations that will expand the San Francisco service area into new neighborhoods including the Haight-Ashbury, Hayes Valley, and Dogpatch, make new connections across Berkeley, Oakland, and Emeryville, and expand service throughout downtown San Jose. Maps will be posted on the Bay Area Bike Share website, see below for details.

The best bike share station locations are highly visible, close to bicycle facilities, co-located with other transportation connections, and/or close to local destinations like parks, commercial districts, or other major destinations that attract large numbers of Bay Area residents. Bike share systems thrive when stations are placed close to one another, typically no more than a quarter mile or a five-minute walk. Specific locations are chosen through a process that couples feedback from the station suggestion portal with extensive public consultation in neighborhoods where the expansion is expected to take place, along with a technical assessment of site suitability.

See specific proposed station locations and learn more about how to get involved: bayareabikeshare.com/expansion

About Bay Area Bike Share, operated by Motivate
Bay Area Bike Share is a quick, convenient and affordable way to travel around the Bay Area. The system is growing from 700 to 7,000 bikes by the end of 2018, and expanding into the East Bay. Bay Area Bike Share is operated by Motivate, a global leader in bike share. Motivate manages all of the largest bike share systems in the United States and many of the largest systems in the world, including Citi Bike (New York and Jersey City), Divvy (Chicago), CoGo Bike Share (Columbus, OH), Capital Bike Share (Washington, D.C., Arlington and Alexandria, VA, and Montgomery County, MD) Hubway (Boston, Somerville, Cambridge and Brookline, MA), Pronto (Seattle), BIKETOWN (Portland, OR), Bike Chattanooga (TN), Bike Share Toronto, and Melbourne Bike Share in Australia. Learn more about Bay Area Bike Share at bayareabikeshare.com.

About the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, go to mtc.ca.gov.

Save Empire Seven Studios

The Empire Seven gallery in Japantown has hosted hundreds of art shows over its 10 year run. Unfortunately, the building will soon be torn down to make room for luxury apartments. Officially, they will be kicked out on January 1st, 2017.

Empire Seven's proprietors are now looking to build a new gallery in the heart of Japantown. The project would create a new four-story building with the gallery on the main floor, a recording studio in the basement, and artist residences on the upper floors. The residences would help keep local artists in San Jose.

They are asking for donations through a GoFundMe campaign over here. Every little bit helps, including getting the word out to as many people as possible. Check out their 8-minute video below and learn more about the project here.

Viva Calle SJ 2016 is going down this Sunday

My favorite event in 2015 is returning this year with several improvements. During Viva Calle SJ, miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, bike, skateboard, or dance down the streets of San Jose. The route has changed a bit this year. Instead of extending to East San Jose, it will go to Japantown and Midtown instead and there will be even fewer intersections where the streets are not fully closed.

In 2016 there are four different "Activity Hubs," all of which are in new locations. These include the Arena Green in Downtown San Jose, W. San Carlos (Midtown), Willow Glen, and Japantown. Each hub has food, drinks, live music, vendors, and all-around good times. Last year I also noticed several stores and organizations were also setting up booths outside of the hubs. Try to visit as many as you can.

The event takes place Sunday, September 18th from 10am-3pm. It is completely free and has no designated beginning or end (it's not a race). You can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!

If you are a fan of skateboarding, Empire Seven Studios has a great new exhibit for you. They have works from over 40 artists in tribute to Jim Phillips, both an artist and skateboarding icon. There is an opening reception tomorrow from 7-10pm. The exhibit will be at Empire Seven Studios (525 N. 7th Street) until January 30th.

Featuring over 40 international and locally curated artists:
Jason Adams, Jason Arnold, Ben Alexy, Lou Barberio, John Barrick, BB Bastidas, Bigfoot, Andrei Bouzikov, Blake Brand, Todd Bratrud, Steve Caballero, Thomas Campbell. Nathan Carrico. Sean Cliver, Sam Davidson, Ken Davis, Tim Diet, Dirty Donny, Eric Dressen, Jessica Eastburn, Tyler Emanuel, Jeremy Fish, Drew Flores, Israel Forbes, Justin Forbes, Amanda Fox, Mark "Fos" Foster, Todd Francis, Colin Frangicetto, Funeral French, Nicky Gaston, Erlin Geffrard, Mike Giant, Benny Gold, Mark Gonzales, Abel Gonzalez, Scotty Greathouse, Andres Guerrero, Harv, Keith Haupt, Mark Heredia, Ben Horton, Paul Imagine, Aye Jay, Jay222, Andy Jenkins, Jesico, Jason Jessee, Tyson Johnston, Natas Kaupus, Eric Kneeland, John Lucero, Frances Marin, Keith Meek, Zack Morrissey, Jeff Meadows, Mesngr, Mouse, John Munnerlyn, Lucas Musgrave, Steve Olson, Opski, Mitsy Avila Ovalles, Judi Oyama, Kyle Pellet, Jim Phillips Sr., Jimbo Phillips, Colby Phillips, Pitchgrim, Andy Pitts, Ben Ramey, Brian Romero, Drew Roulette, Crab Scrambly, Michael Siebon, Skinner, State of Grace Taki, Jai Tanju, Jeral Tidwell. Mark Widmann, Tosh Woods, Makoto Yamaki
...and many more!''

Anthony Bourdain Visits San Jose's Japantown for an Episode of "Parts Unknown"

Parts Unknown is an emmy-award winning show hosted by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. Last June he swung by the Bay Area to learn more about our changing food scene and ended up at Japantown's Minato chomping on chicken katsu with curry sauce and cod cheek. The show airs tonight at 9pm on CNN. The San Jose segment appears just before the 30 minute mark.

Source: SanJose.com

New Mural called "Little Moment" in Japantown

Japantown is building quite a collection of impressive murals. The latest one is called "Little Moment" and is located at 140 Jackson Street (on the side of Nichi Bei Bussan). The giant mural was done by Nosego, a Philadelphia based artist known for colorful and emotive public art. What do you guys think?

Source: Hi-Fructose

Japantown 125th Anniversary Concerts

San Jose has one of only three remaining Japantowns in the United States. On August 15th and September 12th, Japantown San Jose is celebrating their 125th anniversary with a duo of concerts. Featured musicians are Chidori Band, San Jose Taiko (love these guys), Shirley Muramoto, Wesley Jazz Band, Wesley Ukulele Band, and Halau Na Wai Ola.

Get your tickets right over here.

Oh and check out the latest Japantown Art Boxes below.

1st Annual San Jose J-Town Filmfest!

First came Cinequest, then the San Jose Short Film Festival, and now there is a brand new festival for movie lovers. The San Jose J-Town Filmfest will run from May 29th to the 31st at the JTS Northside Community Center and the Japanese American Museum of San Jose. There will be a total of seven screenings, two special events, and multiple Q&As with the filmmakers.

For more information and tickets, just head over here.

San Jose J-Town FilmFest Film Line-up:



Friday  May 29   (Northside Community Center)
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7:00pm - Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farmworkers (30min)

Delano Manongs tells the story of farm labor organizer Larry Itliong and a group of Filipino farm workers who instigated one of the American farm labor movement's finest hours :  The Delano Grape Strike of 1965 that brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union.

After the film, there will be a discussion and reflection on the 1965 Delano Grape Strike by famed playwright/filmmaker Luis Valdez and Marissa Aroy, the film's director.


8:15pm - Special Live Music Event featuring San Jose-based group Sonido Clash. Enjoy a night of live music, dancing, and food to kick off the first night of the festival!



Saturday  May 30   (Northside Community Center)
___________________________________________________________


11:00 am - Hibakusha (45 min)

An animated documentary/drama directed by Steve Nguyen and Choz Belen, the film centers around Kaz Suyeishi, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. As an older woman, she recalls her most vivid and horrific memories of the bombing when she was a student in Hiroshima.

The filmmakers reached out to Mrs. Suyeishi in order to tell her story using computer animation and hand-drawn techniques. The film utilizes specialized graphic design techniques and 3-D implementation to establish the unique visual animation style.

Film screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Steve Nguyen.


12:45pm- Kumu Hina (77 min)

Kumu Hina is a powerful feature docu-drama that shines light on the struggle to maintain Pacific Islander culture and values within the Westernized society of modern day Hawaiʻi. It is told through the lens of Hina Wong-Kalu, an iconic Native Hawaiian figure who is both a proud māhū (transgender woman) and an honored and respected kumu (teacher) and community leader.

A special Q & A with Kumu Hina live via Skype will follow the screening of the film.


3:00pm - Skin Stories (60 min)

Skin Stories is an anthology of stories and stunning images gathered from the hot spots of Pacific tattoo culture. The film offers an insight into how various Pacific Island cultures have reclaimed their deep ancestral heritage of tattooing.

Co-Producer Emiko Omori will appear for a post-screening Q&A discussion.


5:00pm - East Side Sushi (100 min)

Winner of the Audience Award at the Cinequest and CAAMFest film festivals, this critically acclaimed film introduces us to Juana, a working-class Latina single mother struggling to make ends meet.

After landing a job at a Japanese restaurant, Juana is introduced to a completely new culinary experience after observing the restaurant's sushi chefs. A reinvigorated Juana embarks on a journey to become a great sushi chef, determined not to let anyone stop her from achieving her dream.

A Q&A with director Anthony Lucero will follow.


7:15pm - Special Sushi Reception

Join East Side Sushi director Anthony Lucero and other special guest filmmakers for a festival reception with sushi!


8:30pm - The People I've Slept With (89 min)

Karin Anna Cheung stars as a promiscuous young woman who finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy. Determined to find the father, she goes on a comical and raunchy hunt through her past hook-ups in this charming romantic comedy.

There will be a post-screening Q&A discussion with screenwriter Koji Sakai and the female lead, Karin Anna Cheung, after the film.



***Sunday May 31 (Japanese American Museum of San Jose)***
___________________________________________________________


1:00pm - Issei: The First Generation (54 min)

Filmed in and around Walnut Grove, this historical documentary revolves around original interviews with Issei (first generation Japanese Americans) as they recount their lives and experiences growing up in rural California before, during, and after World War II.

***SCREENING ONLY AT THE JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF SAN JOSE ***


Filmmaker Toshi Washizu will appear for a post-screening Q&A discussion.

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You can join us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/765557100224091/

For more information, visit our main website: http://www.catsasiantheater.com/

Japantown Project Moving Forward

Hanover Co., is in contract to purchase Cannery Park Village at 357 E. Taylor St., which is the location of a now defunct corporation yard (maintenance and repair facility for vehicles/equipment and material storage). They are planning to build a four-story building on the 8-acre lot with 403 apartments. The project will also include nearly 600 parking spaces which will be mostly in a garage, 5,000 SQFT of retail on East Taylor Street, and a small 0.7-acre park.

If all goes well, approvals will come by the end of the year and construction could begin in 2016.

Source: SVBJ

New 150-Foot-Long Mural in San Jose

The fact that a mural this size can be completed in 5 days is pretty astounding. Check out some "making of" photos over here and the full description from Empire Seven Studios below.

From Empire Seven Studios:

Andrew Schoultz new mural in San Jose, CA

A couple weekends ago, we brought out Andrew Schoultz to San Jose, CA to paint a large scale mural. Completed in 5 days measuring at 150ft long x 24ft tall, this is the 11th mural part of the E7SWallSJ Project.

Below is an statement by the artist:
"Generally speaking, my approach to murals happens somewhat spontaneously and organically on location of the mural. I enter in with general ideas, and maybe an initial starting point image. In this case I wanted to begin with the idea of the vessel. To be more specific a vessel on its side or tipped over. A vessel's purpose is to carry water. In this picture there is not much water falling from the vessel, instead there appears dust clouds instead. I try very hard to incorporate social and political ideas into my public works, but I strive to keep it on a subtle level, that encourages a viewer to think about the picture and arrive at their own conclusion. Obvious political and social messages in public art and murals becomes nothing more than a message that preaches to the choir, and eliminates a viewer who does not subscribe to those particular politics or social messages from even considering or thinking about what they see.

With this particular mural, that I am loosely titling "Empty Vessel"  the underlying theme without being too obvious or didactic has to do with the water crisis that California is currently facing. To make a long story short, this is a catastrophic problem. Technically California has been considered in a drought for nearly 6 years, and no one really seems to care on any sort of mainstream level. Its typical in America for there to be huge problems going on, and as long as they do not effect our day to day life, they seem to be easily Ignored. So then comes in the huge Beast, or monster that appears in the mural. Perhaps the idea of there being a giant monster in the room that no one wants to talk about or deal with is a good description of this water crisis. The idea of outer space is also incorporated, in kind of a loose tongue and cheek sort of way, in that there is no water on the moon or in outer space for that matter, and outer space and the moon
are not inhabitable places. Living things cannot exist… etc.

On purely aesthetic level, I do also try to create walls that are fun to look at and create a dynamic experience for a viewer in the public space. I try to push forward with new and exciting painting techniques every time I do a wall. In this case I used a paint sprayer in ways I have never used one before…"

-Andrew Schoultz

Sourisseau News: "Our Japanese Neighbors"

The latest edition of Sourisseau News features a more somber story on what happened to Japanese Americans in San Jose during World War II. The video is less than three minutes long and as always is well worth your time. Watch it through the end for a surprisingly ironic ending to the story.


Our Japanese Neighbors from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Largest Ramen Event in the US Coming to San Jose!

The largest ramen event in the country is coming to the San Jose Convention Center on October 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, and 12th. Given that we have one of only three remaining Japantowns in the country and a large population that enjoys Japanese cuisines, San Jose is a logical destination for this event.

9-10 Ramen Shops will be participating each day, and the food looks awesome! Have a look at the press release below and a few photos from the participating eateries.

###

Ramen Yokocho festivals by the Ramen Yokocho Association (RamenyokochoUS.com) have been hugely popular, attracting over 100,000 ramen lovers throughout the last 5 events in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco.

The next Yokocho will take place at the San Jose Convention Center's (www.sanjose.org) South Hall in downtown San Jose on October 3, 4, 5 and 10, 11, 12 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). This Japanese noodle festival will feature the best ramen from Japan and the US. From America, the original ramen burger creator will unveil a new dish. Two of the best ramen shops from Kyushu, where tonkotsu ramen was born, will present their special bowls. From ramen hot spots, Tokyo and Osaka, renowned ramen chefs will bring both traditional and innovative dishes. 10 ramen shops are scheduled for the first week, and 9 are scheduled for the second week.

Some of the notable ramen shops include: Kohmen from Ikebukuro, Tokyo where many ramen shops are competing to be the best. They are known for its slow cooked tonkotsu and chicken blend soup (they call it “jyukusei soup”). Kohmen has nearly 20 years of history in Ikebukuro. Chanpon-Tei offers ramen noodle soup topped with pork, seafood and vegetables, called “chanpon ramen”. Tonkotsu has been the popular broth in the U.S. Chanpon-Tei’s seafood broth is unique and gives Ramen Yokocho attendees an option to try something different. There’s also beef based Kamitoku Ramen from Ginza, Tokyo. Pioneer in beef based soup, Kamitoku Ramen’s soup is often compared to French oxtail soup. Keizo Shimamoto of ramen burger fame just announced that he’ll be joining Ramen Yokocho, and bringing “Burger Ramen” (a soupless noodle dish, not his usual ramen burger).

For all ramen line ups, please see the attached poster.

Dates: Friday-Sunday; October 3-5 and 10-12, 2014
Time: Fridays: 4PM-9PM; Saturdays and Sundays: 11AM-9PM
Venue: San Jose Convention Center South Hall
Address: 435 South Market Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Price: Admission $5/person (children 12 and under are Free); ramen $8/bowl **Cash Only
VIP ticket $60 (presale on website; includes admission, 2 ramen, souvenir, ramen express lane)

Ramen Yokocho Association was established in Southern California in 2013 to promote the understanding of the delicious Japanese noodle soup, Ramen. “Yokocho” means alleyway in Japanese. When you visit Japan, you will see small alleys filled with a variety of shops. Following that tradition, Ramen Yokocho Association is eager to please ramen enthusiasts and ramen novices alike by bringing different styles of ramen noodles to events. There are many kinds of noodles, toppings, and soups depending on the region. Ramen Yokocho is planning to bring the event nationwide.

Three New Apartment Buildings Coming to Japantown

8 acres of land in Japantown at 357 E. Taylor St. is expected to go into contract with a major apartment builder soon. There were big plans for this site five years ago, but the economy killed any potential for development back then. Now, it looks like things are moving forward and the land is already entitled for around 400 residential units.

The project should include three new five-story buildings with a chance for even greater density. The old Continental Can Co. brick warehouse at the site will be preserved and even perhaps integrated into the project. A 1-acre park would be in the mix here as well.

Source: SVBJ

Sake San Jose - This Thursday @ Japantown

The 9th Annual Sake San Jose will take place from 5:30pm to 8:30pm this Thursday in San Jose's Japantown (Jackson between 3rd and 7th). Not only will you get a chance to sample many different Sake's across Japantown, but this entire event is a fundraiser for the Yu-ai Kai Senior Service organization, so you will be drinking for a good cause! All of the details are below:

Yu-Ai Kai’s 9th Annual Sake San Jose event will be held on Thursday, May 22, 2014 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Join the hundreds of sake tasters as they embark upon the streets of historic Japantown San Jose (on Jackson Street, between 3rd and 7th Streets) for one of the most anticipated fundraisers of the year.

This year’s opening ceremony will again feature our guests of honor in a ceremonial sake cask breaking (Kagami-wari) and a toast of Kanpai! Approximately 25 Japantown businesses will host a pouring station, where Yu-Ai Kai volunteers will offer samples of sake made both in Japan and the U.S.

Early Bird tickets are $40 when purchased by May 18th; $50 after May 18. There is also a VIP ticket for $60 which includes admission, a Horitaka design Year of the Horse T-shirt, and express check-in line at Registration.

Returning again this year will be celebrities participating at various pouring stations. So don’t be surprised if you see a familiar face. Check the News and Update Section as they are confirmed.

WHEN:	May 22, 2014 5:30pm-8:30pm
WHERE:	Japantown San Jose On Jackson Street Between 3rd and 7th Streets
TICKETS:	BUY NOW!

Japantown's 37th Annual Nikkei Matsuri Today, 9:30am-4pm

Japantown is considered one of San Jose's hippest neighborhoods, and today they are going to be extra hip with a massive event. The Nikkei Maturi is a festival that celebrates the community's appreciation for Japanese-American culture and heritage. The event was started in 1976 and includes variety of performances (marial arts, dance, music), cultural displays, a Japanese food court, and Japanese arts & crafts fair. Expect a solid day of Japanese culture immersion! The core of the event is at 5th and Jackson, but I'm sure all of Japantown will be partying today.

Empire Seven Studios Anniversary Show

The San Jose arts scene is not just expanding in Downtown San Jose, but in other parts of the city as well. Empire Seven Studios is the anchor studio in Japantown and they are gearing up to celebrate their Sixth Anniversary. Tomorrow between 7-11pm they are doing an open reception for their latest exhibit featuring tons of artists, live music, and a taco truck.

The coolest part of the anniversary event will likely be the live murals at AEF Grocery, Santo Market, The Esplanade, and Towing Services. These will nicely compliment the three existing murals at 10th & Empire, 8th & Empire, and 7th & Empire. Check out the great map below with the locations of all the murals. For more info, check out the Empire Seven Studios website.

Japantown Art Walk Tomorrow

Come check out a new Art Walk in Japantown featuring Empire Seven Studios, Cukui, and 2Twenty5. The galleries will be open until at least 9:30pm and there are a ton of great places in the area to grab a bite before or after the walk. I hope this becomes a regular event like South FIRST FRIDAYS!

SF Beer Week is Here! Check it out With the "Japantown Beer Walk"

                                                       JAPANTOWN BEER WALK-

                            LOCATION: SAN JOSE'S JAPANTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD

                                                             FEBRUARY 8TH, 2014

                                                                 TIME: 2PM - 6PM

SF Beer Week is here yet again, starting off its opening Gala on February 7^th 2014, at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco. The San Francisco Brewers Guild and associates sponsor this week-long event as a collaborative effort between local breweries and participating cities throughout the Bay Area. As it states on their website, “Our purpose is to restore and preserve San Francisco’s brewing heritage, and unite those who make local beer with those who love it”; it couldn't be done in a better fashion than its week’s worth of events and activities dedicated to the craft of brewing. The contagious spirit of this eventful week and its rising fame--putting together as many as 500 events--has reached into neighboring cities, and has made its way into San Jose’s Japantown. Participants in association with the festivities have made this ongoing tradition hit its 6^th year in the Bay Area, and for San Jose’s Japantown Beer Walk it marks its 3rd year with beer tasting sweetness at every unique destination.

As it grows in popularity there is an ongoing effort between organizations to bring awareness to this cool tradition located near the heart of Downtown San Jose. I had the pleasure of participating last year for the first time. Joining me was a good friend and we had an inebriating experience walking from establishment to establishment, tasting what seemed like a good amount of quality beer. Which now reminds me; it might be his turn to buy the tickets this time around, and I should recommend dinner a little closer to the event than his house down the street. Not that the Bar-B-Q was bad (the slow cooked ribs were delicious), but I’m definitely looking forward to some sushi, or a teriyaki chicken bowl between destinations. There are a variety of great restaurants, and parlors in the neighborhood in which to dine and snack at, and it’s a good idea to take a little extra cash for any on the spot purchases you might have an itch for.

There are plenty of attractions that bring this beer walk together and if the weather permits, it should be a great one to join in on this weekend. You can take a nice long stroll with your dog to visit the many Art Galleries in the neighborhood, and if your sitter isn’t available to watch the kids; than at least one parent can enjoy the beer while the other shops at one of the many establishments and boutiques that will be open that day catering to the event between 2-6pm. Registration starts at Jack’s Bar at 12pm.

Between the many breweries that participated last year and will be participating this year, I would have to say it will be hard to predict what will grab my attention. Many will be participating and there are vast choices at the local liquor store now; all with different names, different alcohol content, and cool looking labels. So, what I will do this time around is write down on a Jacks Bar napkin my favorite brewery and the reasons why. I will challenge you all to do the same, and if you can, send it out that day on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the hashtag #beerlist, to see if we all can maybe agree on a favorite to remember for next time we’re at Bevmo. For the sake of the companies and destinations participating in the Japantown Beer Walk be sure to hashtag their names on your pictures and posts, and don’t forget to include cool hashtags like #japantownbeerwalk #sfbeerweek #SJcheckthisout #thisbeerisawesome….A few hours later… #ilostmyphone #waitimonmyphone #takingacab

But please people, drink responsibly. There is a need for this city’s citizens to take matters into the hands of sober good friends, family members, or at the very least cab drivers willing to drive you and your party around. Also, enjoy the many festivities presented throughout the Bay Area running until February 16^th, 2014. For more information with locations, events, and activities running throughout the Bay Area go to http://www.sfbeerweek.org/schedule/. You can find a list of breweries, locations, and buy your tickets in advance for the Japan Town Beer Walk at www.thebeerwalk.com, or at Jack’s Bar located at 167 E. Taylor St., San Jose CA for $30 ($35 the day of). Check out http://sfbrewersguild.org for a more in depth look at what’s brewing around Northern California, and be sure to remember not to drink and drive.