Jan-Apr 2019

We received a thank you letter from Consulate General of Japan in New York.

JAA Japan Disaster Relief Fund
Five Students from Tohoku visited JAA

JAA supported the Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese (NECT) in bringing five high school students from Tohoku to New York. They visited JAA on March 14th with Mr. Kazuo Tsuda, President of NECT. They spoke in English about their experiences and their future plans. JAA Vice President Mr. Katsuo Takeda welcomed them at the reception.

Our Annual General Meeting was held on January 24, 2019. The meeting began with the sixth term address by JAA President Susan Onuma, followed by the financial report and the introduction of the Honorary Officers and JAA officers for 2019. Our new board directors, Mari Kano-Lueckerath, M.D., Kimihoko Oishi, M.D., and Ms. Wendy Takahisa and Committee Chairpersons were also introduced.


2019 Honorary Officers, Officers, Directors and Chairpersons

Honorary Officers

Professor Itsuko Toyama, who is responsible for the survey results of the "Survey on the aging of Japanese and Nikkei in New York City," explained the updated report at the 71st regular meeting. JAA received an answer from 611 people who were over 40 years of age, distributed by mail, in-person delivery, e-mail, etc., with a response rate of 30% (41% of responses by mail and in-person delivery).
The report will be posted in the future, at places such as the Spring Health Fair and on the site www.agingjaa.org.
If you wish to obtain the results, please contact JAA.
It will serve as a guideline for future JAA aging programs.

（l to r）Ms. Onuma、Amb. Yamanouchi、Mr. Mizuhara、 Mr. Yoshimori

2019 New Year Reception
at the Nippon Club

This annual event sponsored by the Consulate General and co-sponsored by JAA, The Nippon Club, and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of NY was held on January 9th at The Nippon Club with more than 250 people in attendance. Greetings were given by Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi, Mr. Hidemoto Mizuhara of JCCI, Mr. Katsurao Yoshimori of The Nippon Club and our President, Susan Onuma.

This 28th annual "New Year Party for Seniors" was hosted by The Nippon Club and supported by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in NY on January 24th.
Traditional New Year delicacies were beautifully arranged for the 80 senior guests. Mr. Motohiro Satoh, Executive Secretary of The Nippon Club, gave New Year. Guests enjoyed the performance by The Nippon Club Women’s Chorus.
JAA President Ms. Susan Onuma gave a thank you speech and presented flowers to Mr. Satoh. 30 packaged lunches were delivered to JAA and JASSI seniors who were unable to attend.

The lecture "Distant Islands: the Japanese American Community 1876-1930s" was held at JAA by the author Dr. Daniel Inouye, associate professor and historian, Colombia University. More than 100 people participated, and it was very interesting to learn the origins of the early Japanese community in New York. Dr. Inouye’s book draws on interviews with a variety of Nikkei figures and more than 50 descendants. All 40 books were sold immediately after the lecture. The event was co-sponsored by JAJA and JACL.

Our Flea Market was held on Saturday April 4th. We raised $9,000. JAA deeply appreciates the hard work of all the volunteers and kitchen crew.

The Spring Workshop was held on March 31 and 33 people participated. The theme was "Cultural Education Efforts: To Increase Understanding and Interest in Japan and Japanese Language." Professor Shuichiro Takeda of Hunter University gave the morning presentation, "Cultural Education to Cultivate Multilateral Thinking through Manga Animation." In the afternoon, the Rakugo Tachikawa Koshira talked about his own thoughts on Rakugo and his experiences as a Rakugo performer with the contents of "Japan, Language and People Looking Through Rakugo." It was a good opportunity to learn about Rakugo, and all the participants enjoyed the presentation and asked a few questions. It was a fun Workshop! (Nobuko Kodama)

JAA Women in Business Committee’s Lecture and Exchange Meeting was held on March 11th. Ms. Kazuko Ito, Executive Director of International Human Rights NGO "Human Rights Now," spoke on the topic of "The human rights issue: The actual state of harassment and the way to solution" as the 3rd part of "The Women Working in NY" Series. Ms. Keiko Tsuyama moderated.

The 11th Sakura Health Fair, sponsored by JAA and JAMSNET and supported by the Consulate General of Japan in New York, will be held from April 11th to 28th at JAA.

Starting on April 28, 16 teams will battle it out in Central Park and Randall’s Island. Please visit: www.jaabaseball.blogspot.com

Hayato Ishizuka, Consul farewell party

A farewell party was held at JAA Hall on February 25 for Mr. Hayato Ishizuka of the Consulate General of Japan in New York, who returned home to Japan in March. JAA and the Japanese Community are grateful for his effort to help our community during the three years and three months he spent in New York.

Since 1971, the Japanese American Association of New York, Inc. has awarded scholarships to graduating high school students of Japanese descent who are living in the tri-state area and applying to United States institutions of higher learning. JAA Scholarships awarded in the range from $1,000 to $10,000, with airline tickets to Japan for certain scholarship awards. The JAA Scholarship Committee will review the applications, and our 49th JAA Scholarship Award Presentation Dinner will be held on May 30th at the Harvard Club, 35 West 44th St. New York City. Our Keynote Speaker will be The Honorable Denny Chin, Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
The scholarship application form is available on
www.jaany.org/general_scholarship.html
and at the JAA office. The deadline is at noon on May 6, 2019.

JAA membership renewal forms were mailed out in January. To upgrade our services, we request contact information from our members. Kindly complete the renewal form, making any changes; otherwise, please return the form with your membership fee. Members’ information will be kept confidential. If you haven’t received your renewal form yet, please contact the JAA office at (212)840-6942.

JAA member, Ms. Yoshie Fujita turned 99 years old on February 2 of this year. The celebration of HAKUJU was held at Isabella House. She made pretty beanbags, which she donated to JAA flea market. Congratulations and thank you very much.

February Kerokai on Feb. 14 and 28.
Hinamatsuri Keirokai was held on Feb. 28th. Mrs. Shizuko Kato displayed JAA’s traditional Ohinasama Dolls in JAA Hall. Seniors enjoyed unagi chirashi and Japanese songs with the Iwaki Band and the reading of AMATERASUZA.

Happy birthday for Jan. and Feb.

March Keirokai on March 14 and 28
More than 90 seniors attended the both luncheons. As always, participants enjoyed Japanese songs with the Iwaki Band. Ms. Kyoko Ohnishi led the Buyo Exercises on 3/14.

Happy birthday for March

■Ms. Chieko Yamamoto, who served on the JAA board of directors, died on January 19 in the hospital where she was being treated. She was 88 years old. She was a manager of the accounting firm K & N CPA. She was also a director of the Women’s Committee of JAA and was in charge of the flea market’s luxury goods corner. On January 25th, the last farewell for close relatives was held at Krtil Funeral Home.

■Ms. Yuiko Takeda Yampolsky died at home on January 26th. She was 84 years old and was a regular member in the Tai Chi class.

■Dr. Tamiko Sato died of cancer-related pleural effusion at the Kensington Elderly Care Facility in White Plains on February 22nd. She was 91 years old. Dr. Sato, who was from Gifu prefecture, graduated from Nagoya Women’s Medical University, became a medical doctor, and worked in the U.S. medical field as an associate professor of cell biology and anatomy at New York Medical University for many years. On April 3rd, Take Sushi in Queens held a memorial gathering in her honor.

■Ms. Tamie Lille died at her home in Staten Island on March 27, 2019. She was 87 years old. She lost her husband six months earlier.

■Ms. Haruko Singh died on July 11, 2018 in a hospital where she was being treated, according to her husband, Mr. Tareshwar Singh. She was 88 years old.

■Ms. Edna Suzuki died on November 2, 2018. She was 98 years old.

Schedule in 2019

Regularly scheduled events & programs
○Senior Luncheon: Twice a month 2nd & 4th Thursday
○Apple Kids: Rhythmic Class with parents and children on Third Friday 10am-12pm
○JAA Women in Business Committee (www.jwb-ny.org) will have monthly events.

Free Consultation
JAA provides free consultations by professionals for all the people in the community.
○Free Consultation on Health and Social welfare
on the days of senior luncheon
○Free Legal Consultation on Wills and other topics
by Helen Irie, Esq. and Reiko Takikawa, Esq.
on 4th Thursday of odd Months
○Free Legal Consultation (excluding Immigration law)
by Reiko Kasano, Esq. on 2nd Thursday of even months
○Free Legal Consultation on Immigration Law
by Keiko Kato, Esq. Katsumi Miki, Esq. and Mami Terai, Esq.
on 3rd Thursday of every month
○Free Consultation on Affordable Care Act /Obama Care
by Takako Hara, Japanese Navigators on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
○Free Consultation on Tax
by Joe Oshima, CPA in February

Free Hair Cut Service
○by hairstylist Michi Tahara, Shige Kosuda, Nori Sasaki, Yasuko Tsuda, Toshi Kubota and Mio Okano
on 2nd Monday.

Schedule in 2019
■March 31 (Sat.): Spring Japanese Language Education Workshop
■April 6 (Sat.):Spring Flea Market
■April 8(Thurs.)- April 28(Sun.) : the 11th Sakura Health Fair
■April 20 (Sat.): the 15th Sakura Matsuri @ Flushing Meadows Corona Park
■April to August on Sunday mornings: the 34th JAA Foreign Minister’s Cup Baseball Tournament
■May 2 (Thurs.) – 18 (Sat.): the 24th Art Exhibition
■May 12 (Sun.): Japan Day @ Central Park – JAA will host a Calligraphy booth
■May 27 (Mon.): Memorial Day Services at Japanese Cemeteries at Mt Olivet Cemetery
■May 30 (Thurs.) : 49th JAA Scholarship Dinner at the Harvard Club
■Aug. 3 (Sat.): Summer Flea Market
■September 7 (Sat.) – 29 (Sun.): the 13th Autumn Health Week
■September 30 (Mon.): the 26th Charity Golf Tournament at the Harbor Links Golf Course
■Oct. 19 (Sat.): Japanese Language Fall Workshop
■Nov.2 (Sat.): Annual Bazaar
■Dec. 6 (Fri.): JAA 112th Anniversary Dinner at the Harvard Club
■Dec. 12 (Thurs.): End of the Year Keirokai
■Dec. 19 (Thurs.): Holiday Party with Volunteers Thank You Party

Yoshiyuki Miura (72 years old)
Japan-U. S. Exchange through the Music

Born in Fukushima city, Mr. Miura graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1964, and the following year he became the first Japanese solo performer with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. He abandoned his career in Japan and traveled to New York alone as a Fulbright Scholar in 1966. At that time, Mr. Miura recalls, "I went to New York with a desire to learn from a teacher at the Manhattan School of Music, where I took a master’s degree and put myself in a doctoral program at Juilliard Conservatory."

He spent one year on the Fulbright scholarship and became a regular member of the American Symphony Orchestra in 1967, performing under the famous conductor Leopold Stokowski. He then became a regular member of the New York City Opera Orchestra at Lincoln Center, where he played for 17 years.

In 1975 Mr. Miura created Music from Japan (MFJ) with the purpose of introducing Japanese classics and contemporary music to the United States. For more than 40 years, MFJ has held concerts and symposiums at Japan Society, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. It has been a unique cultural exchange with the works of great composers and musicians from both countries.

Mr. Miura was appointed a professor at Fukushima Gakuin University in 1986, and he served as the Dean of the department, vice president, and president, while also traveling between Japan and New York. In response to such achievements, he was awarded the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award, the International Exchange Encouragement Award, and the Cultural Affairs Commissioner’s Commendation.

The Fukushima native is planning a music festival that originates from the area affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident. Last summer, he helped to organize a visit by Fukushima high school students to the U.S. in a commemorative project under the scholarship of Professor Kanichi Asakawa, who was born in Fukushima and became the first Japanese professor at Yale University.