Film screening (hybrid): Grab Your Senbei

Join the Japanese Canadian Arts and Activism project (JCAAP) — a research project led by Associate Professor Izumi Sakamoto — for the Launch of “Grab Your Senbei,” an educational video series about Japanese Canadian arts, culture and identity, while snacking on some senbei (Japanese rice cracker). This five-part video series uses stop-motion animation, live footage, and archival material to honour, investigate, and celebrate Nikkei culture in Canada.

This is a hybrid event.

In person: Meet in FIFSW’s Student Lounge (Room #320) at 2pm on March 7 to fill a popcorn box up with senbei and view the screening.

Online: Information on joining remotely is available via the registration link, below.

Register here

“Grab Your Senbei” includes five video chapters, each about 10 minutes long.

Videos include:

• Hafu, Hapa, Half… Mixedness in Japanese Canadian Culture
• The Revolutionary History of Taiko Drumming in Canada
• The Uniquely Nikkei Artist: Japanese Canadians who Reclaim History with Creativity
• A Brief History of the Generational Issei and Nisei in Canada
• The Iconic Yearly Powell Street Festival
• Bonus Video! Interview with Professor Izumi Sakamoto: a Lived History of Taiko Drumming in Canada

These videos weave together rich dialogues, diverse perspectives, and powerful stories showing how generations of Japanese Canadians develop their voices and create community.

There will also be a Q+A with the filmmaker, Mitsuko Noguchi, and interactive activities after! So, what are you waiting for? Grab your spot! 

• Who is this event for? Japanese Canadians of all ages and open to anyone interested in connecting with Japanese Canadian arts, culture, and identity!
• What’s included? A senbei snack table, a one-hour premiere of the “Grab Your Senbei” videos, a Q+A with the filmmaker, and interactive activities to engage with the series.
• Where is it? FIFSW Building (246 Bloor St. West) in the Student Lounge, Room 320.
• When is it? Friday March 7, 2025 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm.
• How much is it? This event is FREE, but you must reserve your spot in advance!

Can’t make it in person? You can also attend this event virtually! Click the online ticket option to be sent a zoom meeting link before the event starts.

About the Filmmaker

Hi! I’m Mitsuko Noguchi, a mixed heritage, yonsei (fourth-generation) Japanese Canadian. I’m currently an undergraduate Visual Studies student at the University of Toronto, and my work spans performance, paper art, animation, and film. I’ve also worked in the film, tv, and advertising industry for six years, both behind-the-screen and on-screen. I’ve worked in production teams for Netflix, DC Universe, and Disney; and have appeared in ads with Bell, Interac, Turbotax, and more.

I personally experienced a disconnect to my Japanese Canadian heritage growing up, and since joining the Japanese Canadian Arts and Activism Project (JCAAP) in 2022, I have gained a connection that I wish I had throughout my youth. My personal struggle to connect with my heritage and cultural identity is also echoed in the stories of Nikkei storytellers, artists, and activists across the country… speaking to culture-wide, multi-layered dissociations. “Grab Your Senbei” is a response to this alienation. My video series aims to inspire and connect; each video unpacks nuanced expressions of Japanese Canadian identity and revels in the strength and beauty of our communities.

Learn more about Mitsuko Noguchi.

About JCAAP

The Japanese Canadian Arts and Activism project (JCAAP) is a research project led by Professor Izumi Sakamoto from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty Of Social Work, University of Toronto. The intent of JCAAP is to examine the intersections of artistic practice and activism within the contemporary Japanese Canadian (JC) community. Our research team has interviewed a diverse group of artists, curators, and community organizers of Japanese descent, mainly those who are living in northern Turtle Island (Canada) today. We aim to understand how the larger web of JC desires for social change and community-building are threaded through artistic and activist-based work, keeping in mind the historical legacies and affective terrain generated by the mass incarceration of JCs during WWII. The JCAAP research team includes researchers from the University of Toronto, as well as research assistants, collaborators and consultants from the Japanese Canadian community.

“Grab Your Senbei” is funded by the Japanese Canadian Arts and Activism Project (JCAAP), the University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA), and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).