The Weekday events from Sept. 30 (Mon) – Oct. 4 (Friday) are for Bellevue College students only.
Go to the Saturday Schedule here!
| TIME | TOPIC / SPEAKER | ROOM |
| Sept. 30 (Mon) 2:30–3:20pm | Sushi Making Workshop Nobuto Uruma (in-person only) | D Building, Room 106 |
| Oct. 1 (Tues) 2:30–3:20pm | Gundam and Gunpla Ansh Chavda (in-person only) | D Building, Room 106 |
| Oct. 2 (Wed) 2:30–3:20pm | The WWII Forced Incarceration of Japanese/Japanese Americans and Its Legacy Lawrence Matsuda (in-person and online: Zoom Link) | D Building, Room 106 |
| Oct. 3 (Thurs) 2:30–3:20pm | Manga Drawing Workshop Arisa Nakamura (in-person only) | D Building, Room 106 |
| Oct. 4 (Fri) | Preparation for the Festival Volunteer Signup Sheet | – |
Ansh Chavda, Dr. Matsuda, and Arisa Nakamura will repeat their sessions on Saturday.
Go to the Saturday Schedule here!
Sushi Making Workshop
September 30 (Monday)
2:30 – 3:20 PM
D-Building Room 106
Nobuto Uruma
Born in Niigata, Japan, in 1978, Chef Uruma grew up surrounded by the culinary business since childhood. He has worked at a hotel and Japanese kaiseki cuisine restaurant since he was 19 years old. At the age of 34, he moved to San Francisco and worked at a sushi restaurant for two years, but had to return to Japan due to family circumstances. In Japan, he learned some more professional skills at an eel specialty restaurant and a tempura specialty restaurant. In 2020, he was invited to be a chef in Denver, Colorado and has been working in a sushi restaurant in the state of Washington since 2022. He has been a Japanese cuisine chef in Japan for 20 years and in the US for 6 years.
Workshop:
During today’s hands-on sushi workshop, Chef Uruma will show us how to make hand-rolled sushi (temaki-zushi) and cone sushi (inari-zushi). He will show us how much sushi rice to use and how to position the rice. How much of each ingredient we put on the rice is also important, so the rolled sushi looks perfect and doesn’t fall apart. We can only take up to 20 participants in our workshop room.
Gundam and Gunpla
October 1 (Tuesday)
2:30 – 3:20 PM
D-Building Room 106
Ansh Chavda
This session will repeat on Saturday, 3:00–4:00pm, R-Building Room 102, in-person only.
Presentation:
As part of Japan Week’s weekday sessions, join us for an engaging presentation on Gundam and Gunpla, the iconic plastic model kits that have captured the imaginations of fans worldwide. This session will delve into the history and evolution of the Gundam franchise, exploring its impact on pop culture and its significance in model-building. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and craftsmanship involved in creating these detailed models, and learn about the various types of Gunpla kits available. Whether you’re a seasoned model builder or a newcomer to the world of Gundam, this presentation offers valuable insights and inspiration.
The WWII Forced Incarceration of Japanese/Japanese Americans and Its Legacy
October 2 (Wednesday)
2:30 – 3:20pm
D-Building Room 106
Click Here for the Zoom link!
Dr. Lawrence Matsuda
This session will repeat on Saturday, 11am–12pm, C-Building Room 140, in-person only.
Lawrence Matsuda was born in the Minidoka, Idaho concentration camp during World War II. He and his family were among the approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese held without due process for three years or more. Matsuda has a Ph.D. in education from the University of Washington. He is a retired teacher, counselor, principal, assistant superintendent, visiting professor, and school design consultant. Currently he is a writer and educational consultant.
In July of 2010, his book of poetry entitled “A Cold Wind from Idaho” was published by Black Lawrence Press in New York. In 2014, “Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner” was released. In 2015, Matsuda collaborated with artist Matt Sasaki, and produced the graphic novel “Fighting for America: Nisei Soldiers.” Chapter One of the graphic novel, “An American Hero-Shiro Kashino,” was animated by the Seattle Channel and won a 2016 regional Emmy award. In 2016, he and Tess Gallagher collaborated on “Boogie Woogie CrissCross,” a book of poetry published by MadHat Press. In 2019, his novel based on his mother’s Life, “My Name is Not Viola,” was published by Endicott and Hugh Books. In 2023, his book “Shapeshifter-Minidoka Concentration Camp Legacy” won an Honorable Mention in the Idaho Book of the Year competition.
Presentation:
Dr. Larry Matsuda, who was born in Minidoka, Idaho, where his family was incarcerated during World War II, will share his poems. (His work is also featured in the large art installation by the new Wilburton Light Rail station). Through his photos, poems, and books, he will tell us about the injustices suffered by Japanese and Japanese Americans and how it affected many innocent people’s lives and future. In addition, he will discuss the relevance of the incarceration today.
Manga Drawing Workshop
October 3 (Thursday)
2:30 – 3:20pm
D-Building Room 106
Arisa Nakamura
This session will repeat on Saturday, 11am–12pm, R-Building Room 102, in-person only.
Arisa Nakamura is a Seattle-based graphic & manga artist and a staff member at the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington (JCCCW). She was born in Shizuoka, Japan, and moved to the U.S. in 2013 to study Community Design. Her comic series, “Shin Issei Journey” has started in 2019 on North American Post, the oldest Japanese language newspaper published in the Pacific Northwest. She also designs educational materials such as maps, booklets, and exhibition panels. In 2021, she worked with the National Park Service to publish the “Bainbridge Island Junior Ranger Booklet.” The activity booklet is used to learn the history of the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Workshop:
Arisa Nakamura will explain the basic technique of manga drawing, such as manpu, fukidashi, facial expressions and how to design manga characters. You’ll also have a chance to learn how to use tools to draw and color manga characters.