"Nikkei Reflections in Cuba," an exhibition of photos by Tsukimi Kai members, will be on display at the National Japanese American Historical Society Gallery in San Francisco, California, from February 11 to 28, 2006.

An opening reception will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 11, 2006, and the gallery will host a speakers' panel, "Health Care, Alternative Medicine and Santeria in Cuba," from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 18, 2006. Speakers will include Fumi Suzuki, Jean Ishibashi, and Barbara Morita.

Tsukimi Kai is an intergenerational group of predominantly Nikkei musicians, artists, dancers, students, educators, researchers and community activists who share a commmon goal -- to explore and celebrate the parallel histories and lives of people of Japanese and Okinawan ancestry in Cuba and the United States.

In August 2005, nineteen Tsukimi Kai members aged 12 to 86 traveled to Cuba to participate in the obon festivities on the Isle of Youth, to perform taiko drumming and obon dancing in three cities and to conduct interviews of Nikkei Cubans. Through cultural exchange and dialogue, Tsukimi Kai reaches across the boundaries of physical space, language, culture, history and politics to build peace, friendship and solidarity with the Cuban people.

The NJAHS Gallery is located at 1684 Post Street, San Francisco (Japantown). The gallery is open Monday to Friday from noon to 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 415-921-5007.

See also: http://www.njahs.org/event/nikkei.htm