PAST EVENTS
Ann Jordan sensei launched JNHS in 2005. The group soon grew in size and impact, and with her guidance, we continued to create many special events in the community. These are just a few of the past events hosted by JNHS. Check out the Past Events listed below to learn more. Let's keep the tradition going!
THE 1ST ANNUAL HAIKU HOLIDAY FILM FAIRE
December 9, 2017
The first annual LGHS Haiku Holiday Film Fair in December 2017, featured the US premier of "The Blacksmith", a film about the life of Japanese national treasure master blacksmith, Funahiro, and included footage shot at LGHS when Funahiro was a special guest at the Kezuroukai event the previous year. The second film was an award winning documentary, "Paper Lanterns", and both films were followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers. During intermission, guests enjoyed holiday gift shopping as they browsed the tables filled with arts and crafts made by student artists. Proceeds from ticket and food sales went to support victims of the devastating fires in Northern California that past fall.
Click below to learn more.
KEZUROUKAI HOSTED BY JNHS
October 8, 2016
A Kezuroukai is a Japanese wood planing competition, and Kezuoukai USA is an annual event that brings together craftsmen and women who practice Japanese style carpentry using traditional tools to compete, demonstrate, and celebrate and share the culture of Japanese woodworking. In 2016, the organizers of the event were looking for a suitable venue near Hakone Gardens, where members of the group were slated to rebuild the wisteria arbor. Jordan sensei's husband, Peter Jordan, had a connection with the group, and a variety of serendipitous circumstances led to the Kezuroukai USA 2016 being held at Los Gatos High. A very special part of the event was the large delegation of craftsmen and women from all over Japan, including Japanese National Treasure, blacksmith Funahiro. Mr. Funaharo was accompanied by the filmmaker Mari Mukai, who was making a documentary about him, which was screened at LGHS the following year at the first ever Haiku Holiday Film Faire. JNHS sponsored and organized the on-site logistics and collaborated with the Patricia Sutton's International Foods students to prepare and sell bento lunches. Industrial Arts teacher Aaron Payne and his students were involved in setting up and managing the shop classrooms for the demonstrations and competition. It was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience for the student, staff, and community members who attended.
JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNMENT COMMUNITY PRESENTATION
May 18, 2007
Kikuye Inouye Yamate was an excellent student and popular young freshman, anticipating all of the new and exciting things she would do in high school. In just over a semester, however, Kikuye, along with every other Japanese American student at LGHS, was sent off abruptly by Executive Order 9066 to spend the next several years behind barbed wire. Kikuye graduated as valedictorian of the Class of 1945 at Heart Mountain internment camp in Wyoming. You can read Kikuye's valedictory address and learn more by going to the Remembrance Project of the National Japanese American Museum. By the time JNHS began their research for the Nisei Diploma Project, Kikuye had already passed away, but we were so honored to have her husband, Henry Yamate accept on her behalf. In 2007, JNHS gave a presentation about the Nisei Diploma Project and Japanese Internment, including Kikuye's story, to a packed afterschool crowd of students and community members. Click below to see the slides.
2006 CALIFORNIA NISEI DIPLOMA PROJECT
2005-2006 School Year
In 2005, JNHS embarked on a challenging mission-to locate former LGHS students, Americans of Japanese descent, who had been sent from their beloved school and community into internment camps far away. Their search began in the LGHS library, combing through old yearbooks, followed by numerous internet searches, letters to newspapers and organizations, and culminated in a very special graduation. , May Yamamoto, class of 1942, and Henry Yamate, who accepted a diploma on behalf of his late wife, Kiku Inouye Yamate, class of 1945, joined the LGHS Class of 2006, in finally receiving the long overdue honors they deserved. Click below to read about this rewarding project.
