2017 / Hapa Japan Festival Day 2, February 23 (Thu)
Hapa Japan Film Screenings
Thu, February 23, 2017
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST
Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum
100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Rising Sun, Rising Soul (2017)
Post-screening discussion with Producer Monique Yamaguchi and Screenwriter and Distinguished USC Professor Velina Hasu Houston.
Fall Seven Times, Get Up Eight: The Japanese War Brides (2015)
Post-screening discussion with Co-Director Kathryn Tolbert and Producer Megumi Nishikura
Reception Catered by Akira Hirose, Hapa Japan Interview with Marie Nakagawa, and Jam Session
Thu, February 23, 2017
5:00 PM – 9:00 PM PST
George & Sakaye Aratani Central Hall at the Japanese American National Museum, 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Enjoy catering from Akira Hirose and a special “Hāfu2Hāfu” photography presentation by Tetsuro Miyazaki.
Then join in a conversation with Ed Sumoto (Mixed Roots Japan) and Fashion Model Marie Nakagawa (Asics, Levis, and Japan’s former representative for Asia’s Next Top Model). Jam out with musicians Kris Roche and Meiko.
“Hafu2Hafu,” A Special Photographic Presentation by Tetsuro Miyazaki
5-6pm
George & Sakaye Aratani Central Hall
Hāfu2Hāfu is a personal project in which half Japanese photographer Tetsuro Miyazaki investigates what it means to be hāfu, or half Japanese.
In this process, every portrayed hāfu was asked: “What is the one question you would like to ask other half Japanese?”
The combination of portraits and questions gives a unique look into the hearts and souls of half Japanese people and starts a dialogue about advantages, privileges, opportunities, difficulties, belonging and wanting to belong to two different societies.
For more information, see http://hafu2hafu.org/
Hapa Japan Interviews
6-7:30pm
A conversation with Ed Sumoto (Mixed Roots Japan) and Fashion Model Marie Nakagawa (Asics, Levis, and Japan’s former representative for Asia’s Next Top Model)
Hapa Japan Jam Session II featuring Kris Roche and Meiko
7:30-9pm
Kris Roche: Kris was born in Kyoto, Japan to an American Father and Japanese Mother. His fascination with music was apparent from an early age and at 19 years old he moved to Boston MA, to study music formally.
Coupled with his education, Kris performed across Boston and New York, hitting legendary venues such as the Bitter End and the Living room in Manhattan as well as Carnegie Hall.
He also became a staple in the Boston Public Gardens as a passionate street performer. After independently releasing two EPs (Anything But Alone and Tails of Bufflebear) Kris took his knowledge and experience back to his motherland and successfully delivered his single Your Own Two Feet.
Kris now resides in Tokyo having released his first full-length album Be Love. In a time where technology can bridge the gap between countries, culture, and art, Kris is hoping to provide a borderless musical experience for open minds, open hearts, and most importantly, open ears.
Meiko: Buzzworthy singer-songwriter MEIKO, who is one-quarter Japanese on her maternal grandmother’s side, was born and raised in rural Georgia.
She got her start in 2007 at the venerable Los Angeles venue The Hotel Café (where she also worked as a bartender). Since then she’s released three critically-acclaimed albums and numerous EPs through MySpace/DGC, Concord Records and Universal Japan.
Meiko has built a massive tour following in the U.S. performing as a headliner and also as support for artists including Jewel, KT Tunstall, Eric Hutchinson, Mat Kearney and others, and she’s also toured Europe and Asia multiple times.
Live performances on late night TV shows including Conan, Jay Leno, and Carson Daly further fanned the flames, and her hit song “Stuck On You” was played on radio across the U.S. and even reached #1 on the radio charts in Japan.
