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Japan America Society of Minnesota
The Tsūshin is a membership publication of the Japan America Society of Minnesota
October 2014 VOL. 23, No. 10
Su-cial Delights Participants
Mondale Award Recipient Announced
On a perfect and
peaceful early
autumn evening,
JASM members
and friends in the
community
gathered at
Origami Uptown
for the Sushi
Social, or “Sucial”. This highly anticipated annual event, organized
by the JASM Professional Group, took place on
Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 and began at
6:00p.m.
With nearly 30 people in attendance, the event
quickly became lively with good company and
conversation over the delectable sushi meal. Origami
Uptown provided a welcoming contemporary
atmosphere that set the tone for a great evening.
Participants were
impressed with
the gorgeous
presentation,
beginning with
the sesame
dressing salad
and miso soup
and ending with
a plate full of
plump nigiri, among various other pieces. Over dinner,
connections were made as personal stories about Japan
were swapped. Caught up in conversation, many
attendees even lingered beyond the official ending
time of 8:00p.m. to continue networking or catching up
with old friends.
JASM would like to thank all of those who
participated in this year’s Su-cial. Without the support
of our members and the community, this event, along
with other JASM events, would not be possible. We
would also like to thank the leaders of the JASM
Professional Group, Ryan Polzin and Elizabeth
Ferhman, for planning this fun event. Finally, we
would like to thank Origami Uptown for providing a
fantastic space and wonderful service.
Warren
MacKenzie, a
famous North
American craft
potter, will be
honored at the
Mondale Award
and Scholarship
Gala that will take
place at the Oak
Ridge Country
Club in Hopkins,
Minnesota on
Saturday,
November 1st,
2014. MacKenzie has touched the lives of many people
in Japan and in the United States through his pottery.
His simple, wheel-thrown functional pottery is heavily
influenced by the oriental aesthetic of Shoji Hamada
and Korean ceramics. He is credited with bringing the
Japanese Mingei style of pottery to Minnesota, fondly
referred to as the "Mingei-sota style."
Warren MacKenzie visited Japan when he
served in the military in 1945. There he met Dr. Shigeo
Miyata, a physician and well-known artist who
arranged for an exhibition of MacKenzie’s paintings at
the prestigious gallery “Nichiro-garo” in Ginza, Tokyo.
Warren MacKenzie was a painter first, but he was also
fascinated by the pottery tradition of Japan and later
began studying pottery. After his military service,
MacKenzie apprenticed with the famous potter,
Bernard Leach in the U.K., from 1949 to 1952. They
became greatly influenced by the Mingei (folkcraft)
aesthetic tradition developed by famous Japanese
potters Shoji Hamada and Muneyoshi Yanagi, who
were both major figures in the Mingei movement in
Japan. MacKenzie invited Hamada to do workshops on
pottery and to hold an exhibition in Saint Paul, the only
one provided during a tour of the U.S. in 1952.
MacKenzie has described his goal in pottery as
making "everyday" pots. Although his pots are found
in major museums and command high prices among
collectors, MacKenzie has always kept his prices low
in order for ordinary people to use and enjoy his
pottery.
- Continued on Page 4 -
JASM Representatives Attend Hokkaido
International Symposium
David Smith, JASM
President, and Ben van
Lierop, Executive
Director, attended the
9th International
Symposium of the
America – Japan
Societies in Sapporo,
Hokkaido. The international symposium in Japan is
held alternately in Japan and the U.S. every year.
This year it was hosted by the America – Japan
Society of Hokkaido and was attended by 12
America – Japan Societies and by 10 Japan America
Societies, including JASM. The meetings gave the
visiting Japan-America Societies the opportunity to
learn about the programs that are provided by the
America – Japan Societies in Japan and the
challenges being faced by the individual Societies in
their areas.
Many of the Societies in Japan expressed the
need to attract younger members and to build their
organizations for the future. In a workshop that was
organized by the host Society, high school students
from Sapporo joined in the discussions and shared
their views on cross-cultural exchange, the challenges
they face in improving their communication skills in
English, and their desire to visit and study in the U.S.
It was very impressive how well these high schools
students were able to communicate in English and
how well they expressed their ideas. In fact, the
students served as the discussion leaders in these
small group discussions.
The U. S. representatives shared ideas on how
to expand membership, using festivals as a way to do
outreach and raising funds through Corporate
Memberships and Fundraising Events. There were
receptions for mingling and exchanging ideas and
information. A beautiful musical performance was
given by Ms. Mayumi Ohira, Concertmaster of the
Sapporo Symphony Orchestra. Former Ambassador
to the U.S., Ichiro Fujisaki, now serving as President
of the National Association of America Japan
Societies, encouraged everyone with his “Three
No’s” in building enduring friendship between the
U.S. and Japan: (1)”No suprises, (2) Don’t Over
Politicize, and (3) Don’t take each other for granted.”
This aligned with the theme of building a stronger
and enduring partnership between Japan and America
in these challenging times.
JASM would like to express appreciation to
Taiyo International and Dave Steffens Automotive
for their generous financial contributions to help
make this trip to Hokkaido and Japan possible.
Next JASM Professional Group Meeting
If you are looking for a fun and
exciting networking event, the
next JASM Professional Group
meeting is just around the corner!
Anyone who is looking to
network professionally, culturally,
or just looking to connect with
others interested in Japan is
welcome to join us. The last
meeting of this group was popular
and provided an opportunity for members of the
community to gather and have fun. We anticipate the
upcoming meeting to be just as successful and
energetic as the last. This time our host will be Zen
Box Izakaya, so more delicious food is in store.
Participants are encouraged to purchase food and
beverages. We hope you will attend and help make
this another great event!
Date: Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014
Time: 5:00 - 7:30p.m.
Location: Zen Box Izakaya
602 Washington Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Cost: Free for J ASM member s and $5 for nonmembers
Membership News
Thanks to the following
new JASM Members:
Yasuo Fukuda, Ellen Jaquette, Amanda
Stromquist, Jutta Thompson
Thanks to the following
renewing JASM Members:
Mario Acito, Chris Bercaw, Marc Blehert, Hanna
Brandt, Walter Enloe, Peter Erlinder, Lawrence
and Keiko Farrar, Richard and Katharine Fournier,
Andrew Sandfort-Marchese, Maureen Miller, Fusako Muro, Michael and Sakiko Nilan, Hiroko and
Yoko O’Neill, Matthew and Michelle Welch, Ann
Van de Winckel
Thanks to the following
Renewing Corporate Members:
J& K Trading, LLC, Japan Lifeline Co., LTD,
DRC, Inc., Mall of America, Origami Restaurant
Thanks to the following
New Partner in Service:
Zen Chiropractic, Inc.
Career Day - Save the Date!
JASM’s annual Career Day is coming up in late November, so mark your
calendar early and stay tuned for more details in the coming month.
Date: Satur day, November 22nd, 2014
Time: 2:00 - 5:00p.m.
Location: Macalester College, Kagin Commons, Alexander Hill Ballr oom
1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN
Cost: $8 for J ASM member s, $10 for non-members
Directly following the Career Day activities, a networking event
will be held to allow for more networking opportunities.
Time: Fr om 5:30p.m.
Location: To be announced
Cost: To be announced
An RSVP will be available soon on the JASM website or by
calling our office at (612)627-9357.
Corporate Membership Spotlight
Please thank our members
with your support!
Corporate Benefactor Members
Daikin Applied
Delta Airlines, Inc.
Corporate Sustaining Members
3M Company
Boston Scientific Corporation
Bowman and Brooke, LLP
Design Ready Controls, Inc.
Dorsey & Whitney, LLP
Fredrikson & Byron, PA
Gray Plant Mooty
Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson, PC
Hubbard Broadcasting
Japan Lifeline Co. Ltd.
Lion Precision
Mall of America
Medtronic, Inc
Naigai Industries U.S.A. Inc.
Proto Labs, Inc.
St. Jude Medical
Taiyo International, Inc.
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
Corporate Contributing Members
Aveda Corporation
Briggs and Morgan, P.A.
Compart Family Farms
Deloitte Tax, LLP
J&K Trading, LLC
Leonard, Street and Deinard
Minnesota Orchestra Musicians
Satellite Industries
Sysco Asian Foods
Wilson Learning Worldwide
Logo courtesy of the Zen Healing Center website, www.zenhealingcentermn.com
This month we would like to welcome a new Partner in Service to our
community, Zen Healing Center. Dr. Zen Matsuda founded Zen Healing
Center with his wife Fernanda Matsuda. He was born in Minnesota and
attended Northwestern University in St. Paul for his undergraduate degree and
Northwestern Health Science University in Bloomington for his doctorate. Dr.
Zen joined JASM in hopes of expanding his network within the local Japanese
community.
Zen Healing Center’s philosophy is “to integrate natural healing arts
into a harmonious whole new form of life”. With Eastern and Western
techniques used in combination, a diverse array of services are available as a
part of this philosophy, ranging from massage therapy, to chiropractic, to
acupuncture. Wellness and Longevity are the two main emphasis used at Zen
Healing Center. The focus of the Wellness Approach is that of maintaining a
healthy optimal lifestyle with services like nutritional counseling, education,
and chiropractic care to integrate the mind, body, and spirit. The Longevity
Approach focuses on ancient Eastern medicinal practices that combine “ideas
from diet, exercise, therapies, and meditation for a long lasting body”.
Zen Healing Center is located in Edina, Minnesota at 4570 West 77th
Street in Suite 140. To contact Dr. Matsuda or the other members of his staff,
call (952)500-8733 or e-mail at [email protected].
We welcome this newest Partner in Service to the JASM family and we
look forward to the participation of Dr. Zen and the rest of Zen Healing Center
in the Japan related community in Minnesota.
Partners in Service
Kiku Enterprises
Origami Restaurant
Sakura Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Saint Paul Saints Baseball Club
Suishin Restaurant
The Voyager Group
Tiger Sushi
Tomodachi
Zen Healing Center
Nonprofit Members
Aikido of Minnesota
Anime Twin Cities, Inc.
BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota
Concordia Language Villages
JETAA Minnesota
JETRO Chicago
KCC–Japan Education Exchange
Macalester College Asian Language &
Culture Department
Minneapolis Japanese School
Minnesota International Center
Minnesota Trade Office
Mu Performing Arts
U of MN Dept. of Asian Languages and
Literatures, Japanese Language Program
US-China Business Connections
Winona State Univ. Global Studies Dept.
Perfidia; James Ellroy; Alfred A. Knopf
Book Review by Tom Haeg
The venue is Los Angeles, December 6, 1941. The Watanabe
family is found dead in their home by an apparent ritual suicide.
Or was it a murder? It is the eve of the ‘day that will live in
infamy’ bombing of Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japan. Or was it
really just an act of suicide by ‘wakening a sleeping giant’?
Both questions propel the novel’s plot.
Perfidia is both historical fiction and crime noir. On one level it
rudely exposes social tensions in Los Angeles that may
otherwise upset the reader by its frank depiction of racism
directed to the Japanese community in particular and non-white
races in general. Yet Ellroy does a masterful job in creating
characters, -a lot of them (in fact there’s an index in the back of
the book just to keep track of them all), and their flaws, -even
more, revealing the despicable emptiness of mid-century,
southern California culture. You will have to look very hard to
find the innocents. Ellroy, a southern Californian by birth, is
quite parsimonious here when it comes to assigning redeeming
values to his neighbors.
The JASM reader will be especially drawn to his depiction of
the Japanese community in Los Angeles, once regarded as a
relatively safe haven from xenophobia. Perfidia dispels this
notion. Ellroy presents a perspicuous insight in the internment
issue, -from the point of view of the good, the bad and the ugly.
Yet it is difficult to measure Ellroy’s moral judgment because
he attacks an issue, -such as internment, from many different
perspectives and sometimes without a hint of deference. In
doing so, the moral of the story, -if you will, becomes shallow
by the constant exposure of evil. We become desensitized by
these disgusting encores. Perhaps this is southern California
exposed to its marrow and not our Hollywood illusion.
Ellroy, an award-winning author, has published 13 novels since
1981 earning awards and a great reputation for this writing
genre. He has a magnetic draw to police, crime, the underworld
and femme fatale. Quite a brew. Again, if you don’t mind the
racial vulgarities paired with the complexities of a Dostoevsky
novel, you will enjoy Perfidia.
Duluth Sushi Social
On Tuesday, October 14th, the Duluth Sister Cities
International (DSCI) and the Duluth - Ohara Isumi-City
Committee will be sponsoring a Sushi Social in
cooperation with JASM. This event will be a relaxed
networking event for DSCI members and others interested
in, or connected with, Japan. This event is open to anyone
interested in attending. JASM’s own Executive Director,
Ben van Lierop, will be attending this event to discuss
building bridges between Japan and America. JASM’s
participation is funded in part by a grant from the Japan
Foundation-Center for Global Partnership
Date: Tuesday, October 14th, 2014
Time: 6:00 - 8:00p.m.
Location: Hanabi Restaur ant
110 North First Avenue West, Duluth, MN
Cost: Dinner cost is $25 for DSCI member s, $30 for
non-members; cash bar specials also available
Dinner includes miso soup, salad, sushi, maki, and sashimi.
Reservations can be made by e-mailing
[email protected].
Mondale Award - Continued from Page 1 - Continued from Page 1 There have been many students over the years who
have been taught and influenced by the pottery of
Warren MacKenzie. One such student was the late
Joan Mondale, who shared her work and her great
appreciation of Japanese pottery while serving with
her husband, former Ambassador Walter Mondale in
Japan. JASM is pleased to honor Warren MacKenzie
with the Mondale Award for Japan – Minnesota
Partnership.
Everyone is welcome to join us for the gala to
honor Mr. MacKenzie and to raise funds for the
Mondale Scholarship. To make a reservation, go to
the JASM website, www.mn-japan.org or contact us
at 612-627-9357 or [email protected].
Photo by Scott
Stulen, retrieved
from
www.mnartists.
org
Tohoku Tomo Screening Event
Tohoku Tomo, a
documentary film
about Japan’s
recovery
following the 3/11
Great East Japan
Earthquake, will
debut here in the
Twin Cities in mid
-October in
collaboration with
Image: www.facebook.com/tohokutomo
the University of
Minnesota Asian Languages and Literature
Department. In this touching film about friendship and
community, individuals dedicated to Japan’s recovery
in both the U.S. and Japan are interviewed about their
contributions to the cause. The film’s director,
Chicago JET Programme Alumni Wesley Julian, will
be attending to present the documentary.
Date: Thur sday, October 16th, 2014
Time: 6:30p.m. Film dur ation is appr ox. one hour
Location: 100 Rapson Hall
89 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Cost: FREE
A Busy Year for the Bloomington Sister City Organization
Following a successful Taste of Japan event last winter,
the Bloomington Sister City Organization played host to a
cultural exchange for a delegation of seven high school students
and three college students from Bloomington’s sister city of
Izumi in Japan. These students had a chance to experience the
sights, sounds, and tastes of the Minnesota summer season. The
students stayed with host families for the entirety of the trip and
toured the entire Minneapolis and St. Paul area, from Fort
Snelling to the Mall of America and everything in-between. The
exchange was capped off with a party, BBQ, and presentation by
the students detailing Izumi City’s culture, schools, traditional
foods, and famous landmarks. Chaperones Mai Ueno of the
Izumi International Exchange Association and Takashi Harada of
the Izumi City Board of Education accompanied the students on this exchange.
In early October, the BSCO is hosting two marathon runners from Izumi to compete in this year’s
Medtronic Twin Cities marathon: Yumiko Shinohara, an English conversation instructor and member of the
Izumi Welfare Commission, and Kensuke Nagoshi, a primary school instructor. Both runners are very excited
to participate in this year’s event, and the BSCO is looking forward to welcoming them to Minnesota.
Next year, we will be sending two delegations to Izumi. First, two marathon runners from Minnesota
will be selected this winter for a delegation to participate in the Senshu International City Marathon. Later, a
delegation made up of high school and college students from the Twin Cities area will depart in June. We will
be accepting applications for both delegations very soon - no Japanese language experience required! If you
are interested in participating in either delegation, please contact us at [email protected] for
more details. Submitted by: Michael Migliacio, BSCO
JASM Exclusive Tour of the Tokyo Type Director’s Club Exhibit-- Don’t Miss This!
For only a short two and a half week period, Twin Cities residents will have the unique
opportunity to view outstanding original pieces from the 2014 Tokyo Type Director’s
Club’s (Tokyo TDC), which recognizes today’s best Japanese and international graphic
and typographic design work. The exhibition will be available to the public at the
Concordia University Art Center, St. Paul, from October 13th to October 31st.
To welcome this exhibition to the United States, a special lecture, beginning at
6:00p.m. and featuring discussions between Ryan Hageman and Jon Forss, and a gallery
reception will take place the evening of October 15th. Tickets to the lecture range from $5
to $20 and the following reception is free. Ryan Hageman is a graphic designer and
founder of Gurafiku, a website dedicated to the history of Japanese graphic design. Jon
Forss, a juror of the Tokyo TDC Exhibition 2014, is one half of the internationally
acclaimed design studio Non-Format.
On October 16th, Ryan Hageman will be giving JASM members a private tour of
the exhibition. This behind the scenes tour is only available to JASM members, so take
advantage of this exclusive look at the Tokyo TDC Exhibition. There are only 20 spots
available for the tour, so please make sure to RSVP as soon as possible.
Date for exclusive JASM tour: Thursday, October 16th, 2014
Time: 6:00 - 7:00p.m.
Location: Concordia Art Center Galleries
1301 Marshall Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104
Cost: Free for JASM members, $5 for non-members. RSVP available on the JASM website.
For more information on the exhibition, special lecture, and gallery reception, visit:
http://tokyotdc-stp.squarespace.com/
Additional details are also available on the JASM website or you can contact the JASM Program Manager,
Rio Saito, at [email protected] or 612-627-9357.
はじめまして
褒められた
Hello! My name is Christina Alongi, and I'm so happy
to have this opportunity as the new Media Relations
Coordinator at JASM. I'm a second-year student at
Hamline University with a double
major in history and Japanese
language. I'll be using my language
skills to become a translator in the
medical, engineering, and/or
scientific fields, and eventually to
become a manga-ka (creator of
Japanese comics), after becoming a
novelist. But if you were to ask me
why I have an interest in Japanese
culture in the first place, I could
give no clear answer. It's such an integral part of my life,
even though I don't have a drop of Japanese blood in
me. It's a fascinating culture, and I know I'm going to
learn so much more through my time with JASM. I can't
wait to meet everyone!
不動産セールスも36年で褒賞の額が我家の地下室に過
去のFilesと共に詰められている。吹雪で折角とった休
暇旅行も家から出られなくなったある日38枚の褒賞額
を壁に打付けたのは30年も昔になったが最近会社から
回送されてきた A Evaluation Commentは嬉しかった。
“ I would like to say that I have known Yoko for several
years and this is the fourth time she has either helped us sell
or buy property. She always exceeds my expectations. We
were able to close one month after we submitted our offer.
We were able to obtain financing quickly because of Yoko.
Everything she did for us was exceptional and thorough. We
bought the property for our two sons who are attending the
University of Minnesota Law School. We were able to get
them moved in a week before the start their orientation. It is
hard to believe that all of this was accomplished in 30 days. I
am confident that it was because of Yoko’s effort that we
were able to pull this one off. ”
————————————————————————
“We selected Yoko because of past experiences with her
support. We feel that she represented our interest and is an
honest, completely trustworthy individual. We could not
have been more pleased with her ability to help us in the sale
of our property.”
———————————————————–————-
最近家を買って頂いたお客様と売らさせて頂いたお客
様のコメントだった。身に余る褒め言葉を聞かされて
感激した。正直、私はセールスウーマンというよりも
研究家で納得しない事は言えない人間だが、生まれつ
きの訥弁で“A lady doesn’t speak English”と正直な子
供の評価付きの初めて会社から回送されてきた
Comment Reportは、勲章だった100枚の賞状より、見え
ない処で褒められていたは嬉しい。
褒め言葉の力は人間に勇気をつけてくれPerformance を
上げてくれることはたしかです.どうも有り難う．
又頑張りますよ．Thank you very much!
Make Dream Come Home
Yoko Breckenridge
952-431-9811
612-839-0008
[email protected]
For the latest JASM updates, visit our website at
www.mn-japan.org, find us on our Facebook
(Japan America Society of Minnesota),
or follow us on Twitter (@MNJAPAN).
Advertise in the Tsushin!
月例日本人会のお知らせ
Advertisement Rates
毎月日本語図書館で日本人会の昼食会（Monthly Nihonjinkai ）を行っています。電話などでお誘い合わせの上、お
友達やお知り合いとご一緒においで下さい。可能の方は
どうぞ料理を1品ご持参願います。ミネソタ州在住の日本
人達で良い事を考え、ご馳走と日本語で楽しい時間を持
ちましょう。
日程：毎月第2月曜日正午より
場所：日本語図書館
(4231 Bloomington Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55407)
Style
1/4 page
1/2 page
Full page
Classified
Size Cost/issue
5 x 3.5 in $50.00
5 x 7.5 in $90.00
10 x 7.5 in $150.00
80 character line $10/ line
(min. 2 lines)
Ad production and design available in both
Japanese and English for an additional charge.
Deadline for completed ads and classifieds is the
20th of every month.
Questions? Contact
the JASM Office
Tel: 612-627-9357
[email protected]
Japan America Society Calendar
October
TDC Exhibition JASM Private Tour - October 16th
JASM Professional Group - October 22nd
November
Mondale Gala - November 1st
Career Day - November 22nd
*If you would like to let JASM know about an
upcoming event, e-mail us at
[email protected]*
Japanese Speaking Club
The Japanese
Speaking Club is
an informal meeting place for
those wishing to
practice Japanese.
We encourage
those just beginning the language
as well as
native speakers to gather at the Espresso Royale Café
in Downtown
Minneapolis to meet new people, discuss experiences
in Japan, or simply to speak Japanese. Come when you
can, leave when you must.
Date/Time: Ever y Satur day,
any time after 3:00 p.m.
Place: Espr esso Royale Cafe
1229 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55403
また、毎週土曜日午後2時からは、日本語図書館のお手伝
いしてくださる方の集まりがあります。是非ご参加くだ
さい。この図書館には、漫画や宗教誌約25000冊や約2500
本のビデオDVDがあり、希望者にはセルフサービスで日
本人会と同じく無料で貸出しています。お問い合わせは
下記までどうぞ。
Yoko Breckenridge
Cell phone: (612) 839-0008 E-mail: [email protected]
Nihonjin-kai monthly meeting on 2nd Monday, at noon,
at 4231 Bloomington Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55407
Become a JASM Member online!
1.
2.
3.
Support our mission and become a
member!
Go to mn-japan.org
Click on ‘Membership’ at the top
Select your membership type and read the
benefits and instructions.
Japan America Society of Minnesota
O Membership Application O Change of Address
O Tax-deductible Donation
_____________________________________________________
Name
_____________________________________________________
Name (2nd adult of a household membership)
_____________________________________________________
Address
_____________________________________________________
City
State
ZIP
___________________________
E-mail
___________________________
Phone
I would like to make an additional taxdeductable donation of
Individual Membership
Patron……………………$1,000+
Sustaining……………… $500+
Contributing……………. $100+
Individual ………………. $30
Student/Senior ………… $20
Household ……………... $50
(2 adults plus children under 18)
Amount Enclosed:____________
(Please make checks payable to JASM)
Japan America Society of Minnesota
43 Main Street SE Suite EH—131
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Japan America
Society of Minnesota
Riverplace EH-131
43 Main Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414-1031
Tel: 612-627-9357
Fax: 612-379-2393
[email protected]
www.mn-japan.org
Tsūshin
October 2014
The Japan America Society of Minnesota is a
non-profit, non-political association engaged
in bringing the peoples of Japan and the
United States closer together in mutual
understanding, respect, and cooperation.
Through programs and interchange, it
endeavors to promote an appreciation of
cultural, educational, economic, public, and
other affairs of interest to both peoples.
Membership in the society is open to
individuals,
corporations,
and
other
organizations interested in furthering its
programs.
The Japan America Society of Minnesota is a
member of the National Association of
Japan-America Societies.
(Please report any inaccuracies you find in
this publication to [email protected])
Photos from the 2014 Sushi Social, or “Su-cial”