Update on San Francisco Planning Commission acknowledges the DRAFT Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan

The Draft Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan was acknoweldged by the Planning Commission on June 25, 2009, as a "a significant milestone marking years of broad community planning efforts, and represents many of the community’s goals for the area at this point in time."

The Commission approved a resolution that requires more work to be done with the community to refine the draft plan, including the following:

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission acknowledges public comment that has been received regarding concerns over different aspects of the Draft Plan—including but not limited to cultural preservation, the provision of mixed‐income housing, the retention of existing merchants, structural analysis on Japan Center garage, mitigation of neighborhood impacts during potential construction, proposed tower heights, and the need to provide more direction for the implementing organization, and directs the Department to continue to work with the community on these issues prior to initiating environmental review; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission requests the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to consider funding for further modification and study of the Draft Plan in a community process, including environmental review, when considering the city’s budget; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission directs Planning Department Staff to undertake environmental review of the Draft Plan and further modify it as soon as funding becomes available; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution is not a plan approval but represents the Commission’s acknowledgement of work performed to create the Draft Plan.

FURTHER RESOLVED that this acknowledgement of the draft plan does not endorse any parcel‐specific rezoning or parcel‐specific height limit.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Planning Department work with Office of Economic and Workforce Development to develop a strategy to retain existing businesses.

FINALLY RESOLVED, that prior to any Commission hearings or action on what will be the Draft Plan for CEQA evaluation, the Commission recognizes that changes to the present Draft Plan will take place and that any revisions will be incorporated to the Draft Plan and will be subject to CEQA review. This Resolution does not commit the Commission to the Draft Plan or any specific project. Consistent with CEQA, the Commission may decide to approve or disapprove the Draft Plan after completion of environmental review of the Draft Plan, and based upon independent review, consideration of any environmental effects caused, and community involvement throughout the environmental review process.

Further, during the anticipated CEQA review of the Draft Plan, the Commission expects that appropriate alternatives to the Draft Plan will be developed and explored and that the Draft Plan may evolve accordingly, and that no final Plan will be adopted until the environmental review process is completed and hearings conducted on the proposed Ordinances to implement the final Japantown Plan."

Please stay tuned for next steps by checking the Plan's website: http://japantown.sfplanning.org/

Read more about the Planning Commission's decision and necessary next steps by opening the attached resolution.

On behalf of Nakayoshi - thank you for your interest in this issue and if you took the time to write a letter or tell a friend, you've helped create an opportunity for the community and for our generation to have a voice in the issue of how San Francisco's Japantown will grow and evolve over the coming years.

"Boogie Nights" Fundraiser for Nihonmachi Street Fair

Dance the night away with the sounds of the Kanzaki All Star Band and help support the Nihonmachi Street Fair in Japantown!

Saturday, July 11
8:00pm-12:am

Hotel Kabuki, SF Japantown

$30 Presale Tickets (by July 1)

$40 at the door

To reserve your tickets early, please send a check for ticket amount to:

Nihonmachi Street Fair

1840 Sutter Street

San Francisco, CA 94115

For more information, visit the Nihonmachi Street Fair site: http://www.nihonmachistreetfair.org/

Monthly Update - June 2009

We apologize for the delay in bringing you this month's update. We know you've all been waiting patiently for info on our upcoming events! We're already underway with our June events, having just celebrated our 1st full year of holding social and volunteer events at our annual picnic at the beginning of the month! Don't worry if you missed out or haven't made it out yet to a Nakayoshi event; we still managed to cram our calendar for the rest of the month with more opportunities to hang out, network, and get involved with the community!

At this point we'd like to say THANK YOU!!! to all of you who have come out to our events and supported us so far. Nakayoshi also appreciates the continued support of other Bay Area JA and API community organizations that have helped us along the way. We've come a long way in our first year, and look forward to another year of continued growth and successful events.

Finally, before we get into event announcements, Nakayoshi would like to direct some of your attention to recent developments in the future of San Francisco's Japantown. A draft of the Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan was recently completed and is up for endorsement by the San Francisco Planning Commission on June 25th, 2009. This plan proposes many changes that will have a significant effect on the future of Japantown, including tearing down the Japan Center Mall and building market-rate condominiums in the neighborhood. Many members of the community are concerned that implementation of the current draft of the Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan would permanently displace many of the small businesses and replace many of the buildings that make Japantown what it is today. Nakayoshi strongly encourages everyone to educate themselves on the Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan and the approval process, but more importantly, we encourage you to raise your voice and be heard if you are concerned about the future of our community. More information on the JBNP is available at the SF city government website at: http://www.sfgov.org/site/planning_index.asp?id=57149

Feel free to leave any comments on our blog, Facebook group page, or e-mail us at nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com regarding this issue or any other concerns or suggestions you may have for us. Ok, on to the rest of the update!

In this update:
6/18/09 - MATCHA: Sake and Tea Tasting at SF Asian Art Museum
6/19/09 - Wine Tasting with Asian American Community Groups
6/20/09 - SF Mission District Crawl/Matt's Birthday!
6/27/09 - Volunteering at SF JACL Youth Fishing Derby
6/28/09 - Volunteering at Classical Japanese Music Program

Save These Dates – More information to come in Nakayoshi’s July Monthly Update!
7/19/09 - Volunteering at Mountain View Obon
8/9/09 - Nakayoshi Sushi-making Class
8/22/09 – Tahoe Camping Trip
8/30/09 - Quarterly Planning Meeting

Thursday, June 18: SF Asian Art Museum MATCHA Sake and Tea Tasting

Join Nakayoshi for a trip to the SF Asian Art Museum for their "Matcha" event series. This Thursday's event features tea and sake, in tandem with its current exhibit Lords of the Samurai:

"Quench your summer thirst with all things sake and tea. Savor a sake tasting and multi-media presentation by Kirsten Shilakes, art history lecturer with an expertise in the visual history of the culinary arts. Sip, learn, and chat with Miwa Wang, sake sommelier and manager of True Sake, about the nuanced tastes and bouquets of sake. Stroll the galleries, see Lords of the Samurai, discover a Japanese tea ceremony showcasing matcha, a powdered green tea and namesake of our program.

Observe its meticulous preparation and whisk your own. Dip into a talk on tea ceremony and warrior culture, join a docent conversation, or relax with a sake-tini, friends, and DJ-spun music.

For more information: http://www.asianart.org/matcha.htm

Nakayoshi will meet in front of the museum at 6:30pm; cost is $10 per person, paid at the door.

What: SF Asian Art Museum MATCHA Event Series Sake and Tea tasting
Date: Thursday, June 18, 2009
Location: SF Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Time: 6:30 pm
Price: $10/person

Friday, June 19: Wine Tasting with the Asian American Community

For you discerning oenophiles in Nakayoshi and everyone else looking for a networking event to mingle with other great folks involved with the API community, Nakayoshi will be at the Wine Tasting with the Asian American Community event this Friday in San Francisco.

This event will have over 50+ wines to sample from over 14 different wineries. Meet and mingle with 15+ Asian Communtiy Organizations to explore both networking and volunteering opportunitites.

The cost of the event is $25 (drop-in if available)
Payment accepted through PayPal or directly to organizer, with no service charge. To purchase tickets and more information on participating wineries and API community organizations, go to www.june19winetasting.eventbrite.com

Over 400 people attended this event last year! So come join Nakayoshi as we wine and dine!

What: Wine Tasting with the Asian American Community
Date: Friday, June 19, 2009
Location: Green Room (2nd floor) of the War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
Time: 6:00-9:00 pm
Price: $25/person

Saturday, June 20: SF Mission District Crawl

Join your Nakayoshi friends in the Mission this Saturday for another social mixer, and also to celebrate Nakayoshi member Matt Mori's birthday! Don't know Matt? Don't like Matt? Don't fret! All are welcome to come and just cruise with the Nakayoshi crew.

We will meet at 10:00 pm at the Monk's Kettle on 16th and Albion- just blocks from the 16th Street Bart station.

Nakayoshi would like to request you use public transportation or a designated driver to attend this event.

What: SF Mission District Crawl
Date: Saturday, June 20, 2009
Starting Location: Monk's Kettle, 3141 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
Time: 10:00pm - 2:00am

Saturday, June 27: Volunteer at SF JACL chapter Youth Fishing Derby

Into fishing? Do you like helping kids out? Join Nakayoshi as we assist the SF JACL and Nisei Fishing Club put on their annual Youth Fishing Derby at the San Pablo Dam Reservoir in the East Bay! Volunteers will be needed to help set up the potluck picnic site and help parent chaperones oversee fishing activities for youth ages 8-12.

Volunteering begins at 8am, cleanup is at 2:30pm. Let us know if you can volunteer for all or part of the event! Driving directions to San Pablo Dam Reservoir can be found online at: http://www.ebmud.com/services/recreation/east_bay/san_pablo/

RSVP to volunteer by June 20, 2009 by e-mailing nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com.

What: SF JACL/Nisei Fishing Club annual Youth Fishing Derby
Date: Saturday, June 27, 2009
Starting Location: San Pablo Dam Reservoir, East of Berkeley/El Cerrito
Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Sunday, June 28: Volunteer at Classical Japanese Music Program

We are looking for up to 4 volunteers to assist at the 11th annual Japanese Classical Music Peformance fundraiser for the Si Ko Kai Christ Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Volunteers are needed to assist in setup and breakdown and are invited to enjoy the classical Japanese music performance. Let us know if you can help out!

What: SF JACL/Nisei Fishing Club annual Youth Fishing Derby
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009
Starting Location: Pine United Methodist Church, 426 33rd Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Early Call for Volunteers - July 19, Mountain View Obon

For those of you in the Peninsula or South Bay, or for those willing to make the trip out there, Nakayoshi's July volunteer event will be on Sunday, July 19 at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple's Obon. Mountain View has one of the Bay Area's biggest and best obons, so you know you're going to be there anyway! Volunteers will be needed from 4-6pm. E-mail us at
nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com by Tuesday, June 23 to sign to sign up to volunteer!

More information on the Mountain View Buddhist Temple is available at: http://mvbuddhisttemple.org

That's it for now! Hope you can make it out!

All Nakayoshi events are free and open to anyone unless otherwise noted. Feel free to forward this message along to your friends or anyone interested. Not on the Nakayoshi e-mail list? Click here to subscribe. Have questions? Want to sign up or RSVP for an event? E-mail Nakayoshi at nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com. For additional information and updates, be sure to check the Nakayoshi blog and website and http://www.nakayoshi.org, or find our group page on Facebook! Nakayoshi is a program sponsored by the Northern California Western Nevada Pacific District of the Japanese American Citizens League.

FOR THE LOVE OF RAMEN

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
6:30 - 8:30 pm
San Francisco Ferry Building

The humble wheat noodles, originally from China, were radically re-invented by Momofuku Ando. Affectionately known in Japan as Noodle Papa, Ando developed new technology to make instant ramen noodles, all the while believing that: "Peace will come to the world when people have enough to eat."

All of us have benefitted from the quick and easy goodness of ramen. From the desks of salary workers to the dorm rooms of college students, from famous noodle shops to supermarket shelves, ramen’s many incarnations have tangled their way into our hearts and minds as much as they’ve filled our stomachs.

Our panel of noodle experts will explore how a dish born of extreme need after World War II was transformed into a meal of luxury, endless regional specialties, and then, finally, an iconic convenience food.

Come join the conversation with:
Eric Nakamura, publisher and co-editor, Giant Robot magazine
Andy Raskin, author, The Ramen King and I
George Solt, assistant professor of history, New York University
Thy Tran (moderator), director, Asian Culinary Forum

Delica rf-1 will provide Japanese nibbles and drinks, and Book Passage will be onsite to sell copies of The Ramen King and I.

Text taken from : http://www.asianculinaryforum.org

JOB HUNT Workshop at the JCCCNC

SAN FRANCISCO (June 1, 2009) - The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) is pleased to announce a workshop on How to Find a Job in a Recession featuring Career Coaches Janelle Sasaki and Niki Baccam which will be held on Friday, July 10, 2009 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m., at the JCCCNC, 1840 Sutter Street, San Francisco. This workshop is the first part of a series. Follow-up workshops (dates to be announced) will be on resume critique, interviewing skills and elevator pitch.

Janelle Sasaki has over 14 years of Human Resources leadership experience. She holds a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certification and obtained her bachelors degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Currently, Janelle serves as the University Relations Manager at Cisco.

Niki Baccam has over 10 years of experience in Human Resources and recruitment in the semiconductor and networking industries. She holds a bachelor degree from Upper Iowa University. Currently, Niki serves as the University Relations Manager at Cisco.

This workshop is free for JCCCNC members and $10 for non-members. For more information or reserve your space, please contact (415) 567-5505. Space is limited so call today.

Nakayoshi Monthly Planning Meeting - this Sunday!

It's that time of the month again! Nakayoshi is having their general monthly meeting this coming Sunday @ the SF JACL Headquarter building.

If you haven't attended a meeting yet, now is the time! More importantly, if you're curious about the Japantown Issue and vast changes that the Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan will be doing to our beloved nihonmachi, come and put your two cents in. Nakayoshi is being asked to react and our community is in need of major education on this issue. Help us out if you can, come to our meeting and find out how!

General meetings are used to plan and brainstorm upcoming events, socials and volunteer activities. For the next few months, Nakayoshi has a few projects up their sleeve, so come out and give us your input and be part of our planning process.

If you have any questions or want to RSVP for the meeting, please feel free to contact us at nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com.

PRESERVE SF JAPANTOWN!

The SF planning commission will hear the japantown better neighborhood plan this thursday at City Hall room 400 at 2:30pm, and YOU should be there to speak out against it. some of the reasons the current better neighborhood plan is no good:

• buildings will rise and jtown will be overshadowed
• rent will increase by over 100% and drive out the small businesses that make jtown unique
• japan center and garage will be closed for at least 2 years and there will be nothing to draw people to jtown
• plan has not been thoroughly discussed in our community (there have been a number of meetings but not enough community representation! this is our bad- and it's time to take action!)

read the full plan: http://www.sfgov.org/site/planning_index.asp?id=57149

we are simply calling for more time to create a plan that will ensure the preservation of our cultural and historical buildings/businesses and the future of our japantown!

The planning commission hearing is:
Thursday, May 28
CITY HALL room 400
2:30pm
We are 2nd on the agenda

If you can not attend the hearing, please contact the planning commission and ask them to not endorse the plan as is.
Ron Miguel, Commission President
rm@well.com
(415) 601-0708

For more information email nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com