ABOUT SUITE J-TOWN

Suite J-Town is a multidisciplinary, intercultural, multigenerational, site-specific series of performance events celebrating the history of San Francisco Japantown, created and conceived by Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu of First Voice. READ MORE

EVENTS FESTIVAL ARCHIVE

A Walk Through Time
Cultures of Resilience
Japantown Mandala
[visit archive]

With thankful hearts... WE DID IT!!!

Thanks to our beautiful extended family, friends, and faithful supporters.
pictured: SUITE J-TOWN Artists, J-Tells & Staff, Nagata Dancers, Sakura Ren Performers, and an enthusiastic onlooker!!

[read full overview of our project]

 

IN THE NEWS! THE RAFU SHIMPO LOS ANGELES

The Sweetness of Community: Suite J-Town and the Rago Auction

Shedding silence through artistic exploration also can unify and uplift a community, Bay Area writer and storyteller Brenda Wong Aoki says. By reminding people of what is lost when one’s historical traces are erased, she said — whether that be a camp artifact or an entire neighborhood — awareness and appreciation of a people’s history can be renewed. “I wanted to awaken people’s understanding of Japantown as a homeland,” she said. “When you no longer have a place that is yours, what does that mean?

[read full article]

CREATORS BRENDA WONG AOKI & MARK IZU

“Creative synergy focused with the proper intent, can turn turmoil into transformation. This is the art of resilience. ”

– Brenda Wong Aoki
Co-Founder, First Voice

“Emotional memories create stories that cannot be forgotten and are passed forward generation after generation. This is the soul of a people.”

– Mark Izu
Co-Founder, First Voice

 

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