Event schedules and times can change at a moments notice. It is suggested that you verify event status by calling the phone number provided. Send us your events by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Saturday, March 6
Hiroshi Kashiwagi will read from three of his latest books, 1:30 p.m. at the BCA Bookstore, located at 2140 Durant Avenue in Berkeley. A native of Sacramento and a Bay Area resident since 1952, Kashiwagi is a retired librarian of the San Francisco Public Library. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Screen Actors Guild. He and his wife, Sadako, are parents of three sons. Kashiwagi’s first book, “Swimming in the American: A Memoir and Selected Writings,” won the Before Columbus Foundation’s American Book Award in 2005. He is also the author of “Shoe Box Plays” (2008), a collection of plays that chronicle the experiences of Japanese Americans from the hardships of the Depression of the 1930s, through the bitterness and dislocation of the internment during World War II, through the rise of Asian American consciousness and pride in the late 1960s and 1970s to today. The BCA Bookstore is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (510) 809-1435 or visit www.bcabookstore.com.

Saturday, March 6
Remember those special dolls that you were not allowed to touch when Grandma displayed them in March? It’s that time of year…to celebrate the Japanese tradition of Hinamatsuri, Girl’s Day. Hinamatsuri occurs on March 3, the third day of the third month. It is a day to honor girls and wish them health and happiness. Displays of hina ningyo (ornamental dolls) are placed on tiered platforms that can have as many as seven tiers with the top tier reserved for the emperor and empress. Gathered from Bay Area families’ personal collections are emperor and empress pairs as well as doll sets including a unique Precious Moments edition. On special loan from the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco are dolls rarely displayed in public. This exhibit will showcase several sets, ranging in size from table-top to floor displays. In addition to the featured Hinamatsuri displays there will be crafts, storytelling and videos. The event is presented by the Silicon Valley JACL and sponsored by Union Bank-Sunnyvale Office through the support of John Abe, vice president and branch manager. Special appreciation is extended to Consul General Yasumasa Nagamine and his staff. Bring your family and friends to enjoy the exhibit, which will be displayed at the Union Bank-Sunnyvale Office, 495 S. Mathilda Ave. in Sunnyvale. Exhibit hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is only $3 (free for SVJACL chapter members). For more information, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit http://SiliconValleyJACL.dnsalias.net. The SVJACL is affiliated with the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization. 
Donate a Dress!  Donate new or gently used prom dresses that will be distributed to San Jose high school students so that they may participate in upcoming proms and balls at their respective schools. Prom dress distribution will be on March 27, 2010 at the Mayfair Community Center.  Silicon Valley JACL will provide 2 free admissions to the Hinamatsuri exhibit for every prom dress donated.
The JACL’s mission is the protection of civil and human rights for all and the preservation of Japanese culture and heritage. The chapter’s vision is to explore Japanese culture and heritage in fun and inviting ways, focus on professional leadership development, create intergenerational opportunities to build bonds and understanding, and foster a diverse membership network.

March 10, 16, and 17
Dr. Dennis Hirota, Professor in the Department of Shin Buddhist Studies at Ryukoku University, Kyoto, will be the Institute of Buddhist Studies Ryukoku Lecturer at the Jodo Shinshu Center Kodo, 2140 Durant Ave., Berkeley. Dr. Hirota is known for his translation work in “The Collected Works of Shinran” and published works such as “No Abode: The Record of Ippen,”  “Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism,” “Shinran: An Introduction to His Thought,” and “Tannisho: A Primer.” He will speak on the topic “Shinran’s Phenomenology of Religious Life: Toward a Rethinking of Shinjin.”  The topics date and times of his lecture will be:

Lecture One:  “The Shin Buddhist Path and Truth” on Wednesday, March 10 from 2:10 to 5 p.m.
Lecture Two: “The Shin Buddhist Path and Time” on Tuesday, March 16 from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
Lecture Three:  “Shin Buddhist Path and Dwelling” on Wednesday, March 17 from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

The lectures will be given in English and are open to the public. For more information, call the Institute of Buddhist Studies at (510) 809-1444 or online at www.shin-ibs.edu

Saturday, March 13
The experiences of registered nurse Toshiko Eto over the fifteen months following the attack on Pearl Harbor, including her internment in the Manzanar War Relocation Center, were recounted in a manuscript discovered by her only son, Sam Nakamura, following her death. Deriving this book from that manuscript, Nakamura obtained over one hundred relevant photographs, newspaper articles, maps, and the official government files on his mother and other members of her family to produce a book that, in both words and images, tells the story of one San Luis Obispo, California family’s journey during this difficult period. He will discuss the book, along with some exhibits and slides from it, at a presentation and book signing at 2 p.m., at the Asian Community Center-Park City, 7375 Park City Drive in Sacramento. For more information, call NikkeiWest at (916) 837-4178.

Sunday, March 14
Buddhist Church of San Francisco, 1881 Pine St. (at Octavia), will present an Ohigan film showing at 11:45 a.m. The film is “The Visitor,” the story of a professor shaken out of the numb routine of his life by a young immigrant couple he finds trespassing in his apartment. In keeping with the idea of crossing to the “other shore,” films selected for Ohigan observances will be stories of how individuals change towards kindness, right behavior, patience, effort, reflection and wisdom. For more information on BCSF, call (415) 776-3158 or visit www.bcsfweb.org

Sunday, March 14
Sacramento Buddhist Church Women’s Association and Adult Buddhist Association’s annual Spring Japanese Food Festival will be starting at 10:30 a.m. until sold out. Co-chairs are ABA Wayne Kurahara and SBWA Virginia Uchida and Sandy Nishimura-Yee. The church is located at 2401 Riverside Boulevard (Riverside Blvd. and X Street) in Sacramento. Admission is free. For more information, call (916) 446-0121.

Saturday-Sunday, March 27-28
The San Jose Betsuin Bonsai Club will be having their 40th Annual Bonsai Exhibition at the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin annex, 640 North Fifth Street in San Jose. Saturday's hours are from 12 noon through 5 P.M. and Sunday's hours are from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. Admission is free. Harry "Mr. California Juniper" Hirao will be the featured demonstrator on both days starting at 1 P.M. The demonstration tree will be raffled off immediately following the demonstration on both days (you must be present to win). There will be bonsai plants, tools, and pots for sale during the exhibition. For additional information, contact Ken Azuma at (408) 730-4506.

Saturday, March 27
The Northern California Japanese American Senior Centers will hold their 30th annual Shinnen Kai (New Year’s party) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church (SACBC), 32975 Alvarado-Niles Rd. in Union City. The NCJASC is a coalition of 14 senior citizen groups whose mission is to promote social, cultural and educational services to their constituents. Each year, over 300 seniors look forward to attending the Shinnen Kai as it provides an opportunity to reunite and visit with friends as they welcome the new year. The seniors themselves provide the entertainment, which includes traditional Japanese music and dance. Special guests usually include the consul general of Japan, the mayor of Union City and other local elected officials, and the Cherry Blossom Queen. To mark the NJASC’s 30th anniversary, two of its founders, Steve Nakajo of Kimochi Inc. and Roz Enomoto of the San Mateo Japanese American Community Center, will be honored. Participating organizations will include Shin Wa Kai (Concord), Japanese American Services of the East Bay (Berkeley), Extending Connections (Alameda), Kimochi (San Francisco), Yu-Ai Kai (San Jose), Eden Japanese Senior Center (San Lorenzo), Sakura Kai (El Cerrito), San Mateo Japanese American Community Center, and SACBC Senior Drop-in. Those planning to attend should contact their local senior center.

Saturday, April 17
The 2010 NCDC/NCBWA Biennial Conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Stockton Buddhist Temple at 2820 Shimizu Drive in Stockton. The conference has been designated as Northern California District’s observance of Shinran Shonin’s 750th memorial. The keynote speakers will be Rev. Harry Bridge from the Buddhist Church of Oakland (English) and Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara from the Institute of Buddhist Studies (Japanese). The cost is $25 per person until March 31 and $30 per person after March 31. Lunch and refreshments are included. Write your check to Buddhist Church of Lodi – NC Conference, and send with the registration form to Walnut Grove Buddhist Church by Wednesday, March 31. Registration forms are available from district representatives, or downloadable at the Buddhist Church of Lodi (www.lodibuddhist.org) and Stockton Buddhist Temple’s (www.stocktonbuddhisttemple.org) web site. The conference is open to all interested persons and sign-ups will be accepted on the day of the conference. “This special anniversary of Shinran Shonin’s memorial lends itself to an enlightening conference,” said a district spokesperson. “Make plans to attend.”