Since early August, there’s a new place to satisfy your sweet tooth in Japantown. Jimbo’s is selling Marianne’s ice cream in cups and cones, as well as Bubbie’s mochi ice cream from Hawaii. On one visit I tried Marianne’s “10-20” ice cream, with caramel ice cream, fudge swirl, and oreos, and it was fantastic.

In addition to ice cream, they have several bakery items including cookies and rice krispie treats (the matcha rice krispie treat is intriguing, but I haven’t tried it yet).

Or, if you’re not ready for sweets, they have hot dogs, or rice bowls topped with hot dogs in several flavors. And you can wash it down with a beer or a soda. Today I tried the teri rice bowl, with a teriyaki hot dog and cucumber and radish pickles, and it was a great light lunch.

Welcome to Japantown, Jimbo’s!

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team (第442連隊戦闘団) was a group of Japanese Americans who volunteered to fight along with the U.S. Army during WWII.

For it’s size, (3,500 men) the team was the most highly decorated American unit in WWII. Senator Daniel Inouye was a member of the 442nd.

The documentary, 442nd “Valor with Honor” will screen this Sunday at the Wesley Methodist Church

Note: Please use street parking to save spaces in the church/museum lots for seniors.

RSVP to info@jamsj.org or catstheater@gmail.com

Call (408) 294-3138 or (408) 867-4525

Sunday – February 19th, 2012
Wesley Methodist Church

566 North 5th Street San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 295-0367

2 pm – 4 pm

Free and open to the public.

Q&A after screening. DVDs for purchase.
442nd “Valor with Honor” Documentary Trailer

Executive Order 9066: On February 19 of 1942 President Roosevelt gave the military power which led to the internment of Japanese Americans.

The 32nd Annual San Jose Day of Remembrance “Civil Liberties Under Siege” is an event aimed at reflecting on the past and the importance of building trust between our diverse groups in San Jose.

Speakers include Karen Korematsu and Zahra Billoo, Also, enjoy a performance by San Jose Taiko. Join in with the candlelight procession through historic Japantown.

Sunday – February 19, 2012
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin
640 N. Fifth Street
San Jose CA 95112

Free and open to the public. 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
408-374-2722

A quick heads up: Director Dave Boyle has made his 2006 film Big Dreams Little Tokyo available free online “for a limited time.” The film is here.

To quote IMDB,

Big Dreams Little Tokyo is the story of Boyd, an American with an uncanny ability to speak Japanese. Boyd aspires to succeed in the world of Japanese business but finds himself mostly on the outside looking in. Meanwhile, his roommate Jerome, is a Japanese American who has always felt too American to be Japanese but too Japanese to be American…

The movie was filmed in San Jose’s Japantown (among other locations) so be on the lookout for some local landmarks.

There will be a pet friendly event in Japan Town tomorrow. Bring the family pet(s) they will enjoy all the fuss.

Live DJ Sets
Live Art Fusion
Dog Adoption
Dog Training Session ~ by Our Pack Rescue
Food – Beer – Wine
Vendors
Dog Fashion Show

Rescue a dog or cat.

“Biscuits” told me that 13t St.Cat Rescue should be in attendance.

When: Saturday, August 27, 2011· 12:00pm – 6:00pm

Where: SJ Japan Town
Jackson Street between 5th & 6th Street
San Jose, CA

Note: All dogs must be leashed and under supervision at all times.
No pets in the food area.
Poop bags will be available ~ so please use them.
Water bowls will be out.

Biscuits site

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Island Summer Jam – a benefit event for the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital. 100% of the ticket sales will benefit LPCH.

This is an “ALCOHOL FREE” event.

Saturday, August 20th, 2011
10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Akiyama Wellness Center
110 Jackson Street, between 3rd and 4th
San Jose, CA

Event Information: Hawaiian Island Entertainment

Tickets available at these fine locations:

$20. – Adults
$15. Kids & Seniors

***Island Sol Company, 225 Jackson Street
San Jose, CA 408.998.8600

***Phil’s Treasure Pot, 625 Oak Grove Ave #B
Menlo Park, CA 650.561.4296

***Aloha Kitchen Hawaiian BBQ, 1041 E. Capitol Expwy, Ste.30
San Jose, CA 408.360.8899

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 1380 W. Campbell Ave
Campbell, CA 408.866.0982

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 273 W. Calaveras Blvd
Milpitas, CA 408.262.5880

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 1 Curtner Ave
San Jose, CA 408.288.9839

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 27328 Hesperian Blvd.,
Hayward CA 510.782.0880

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 3580 Homestead Rd.,
Santa Clara, CA 408.246.0896

Island Summer Jam ~ facebook

The numbers are starting to come in on the Bakesale for Japan effort. The national organizer announced that bakesales across the country raised over $120,000 to benefit Peace Winds Japan. Locally, the San Jose bakesale netted nearly $9,000.

The other activities at Roy’s station last weekend were equally impressive. The kanikapila (ukulele jam session) and raffle brought in about $4,000 for the Red Cross, and Roy’s owners and staff contributed over $2,300 to relief efforts.

Very impressive that a few cupcakes, cookies, coffees and raffle tickets can add up to so much!

This Saturday, Japantown’s Roy’s Station Coffee and Teas will host a fundraiser to benefit victims of the Japanese earthquake and Tsunami. First, they are joining a national Bakesale for Japan effort. Volunteers will bake their favorite treats and snacks to sell, with proceeds going to Peace Winds Japan. 100% of donations are promised to go to “ground relief efforts” in Japan. The same organization putting on the bakesale previously arranged a Bakesale for Haiti that raised over $23,000 for relief efforts there. With 20 locations signed up, Bakesale for Japan promises to be an even bigger success than the Bakesale for Haiti.

Second, in the afternoon, Japantown ukuleleists will present a kanikapila or ukulele jam session from 3 to 6 pm. A ukulele from Ukulele Source will be raffled as part of the event. Kanikapila proceeds will benefit the Japanese Red Cross. The last ukulele event I went to in J-town was a great informal event and a fantastic way to get to know a musical style you don’t hear every day.

• What: Bakesale and Kanikapila for Japan relief
• When: Saturday, April 2, Bakesale 10 am – 2 pm, Kanikapila 3 pm – 6 pm
• Where: Roy’s Station, 197 Jackson Street, San Jose

Herb Ohta, Jr., played with Ukulele Source's Smiley Kai, and Rodney from Ukulele Jams.

Japantown’s Ukulele headquarters, Ukulele Source, celebrated its two-year anniversary today with a ukulele party outside the store that lasted through most of the afternoon.

Rodney from the nearby Ukulele Jams ukulele school, a man who apparently has little use for a last name, played with some of his students. The ukulele band from the Wesley United Methodist Church just down the block brought more than a dozen uke’s. Dancers joined a couple of the songs to add a kinetic element.

Finally, Herb Ohta, Jr., played for nearly an hour to wrap up the day. Ohta’s website bills him as “one of the world’s finest ukulele virtuosos”; and it’s hard to deny his skill, though I’m hardly a connoisseur of the ukulele. Where mention of the ukulele brings to mind the sound of slow strumming, Ohta’s style featured mostly picking. From browsing his website, this may be a style pioneered by his father, known as Ohta-san, in the 1950’s.

Easily a hundred people attended the party to hear a bit of island music. I only heard about it Friday in an email from Carol at Roy’s Station to my local neighborhood newsgroup, but this was definitely one of the funnest events I’ve had pop up on short notice for quite a while.

Roofline of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin (1937)

If you’re a photographer and interested in San Jose history, this is for you. The San Jose Historic Landmark Commission is holding a photography contest for Historic Preservation Month (May). Only a few details have been announced: its not clear whether the photos are going to be judged solely on artistic grounds, or what other criteria come into play; there are “cash awards”, but they don’t say the amount; and so on. The main prize for the winners is to see your photos presented on monitors around City Hall.

Despite the minimal details available, if you have some good photos of historical San Jose buildings, and you’re willing to take a chance, this could be a fun contest to join. You might even want to send in a photo of a historic building that’s no longer with us (but maybe use the Houghton-Donner house instead of Coconut Willie’s)

The entry deadline is May 1. See the contest website for more details and entry instructions.

(thanks to Eric at NNASJ for this story)

Natalie

A bone marrow testing drive will take place at Roy’s Station (corner of N. 5th and Jackson Streets) on Sunday, February 21st, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We are hoping to be able to help find a donor match for 8 year-old Natalie Nakatani, and others. The Asian American Donor Program will be on hand to take samples. Testing is painless – a simple swab on the inside of the cheek, and there are no fees involved.

Roy’s Station

Hope for Natalie

The Asian American Donor Program

AADP for translation.