J-Town Jam This Saturday

SAN FRANCISCO — J-Town Jam, a dance fundraiser for the Shinzen program, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 26, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter St. in San Francisco Japantown.

Music will be provided by Msbhavn, made up of members from Rendezvous, Jest Jammin’, Kickback and Expo: Don Ono, Gerald Villa, Jonathan Roja, Donna Ong-Kimura, Doug Lee, Phil Wong, Mike Leong, Haley Wong, Johannes Mager, Nestor Regino, Bobby Acevedo and Bill Lohman.

Must be 21+. Advance tickets are $30. Purchase from any Shinzen player or contact the JCCCNC at (415) 567-5505.

Shinzen in Japanese means goodwill or amity. This cross-cultural exchange program promotes the values of fair play and competition, while fostering ties between the U.S. and Japan, and the Japanese and Japanese American communities. Through sports, youth exchanges, touring and homestays, young ambassadors build stronger relationships with the people of Japan, while learning about their cultural heritage, traditions and identity.

Since the inaugural visit to Japan in 1997, the Shinzen USA Nikkei Youth Goodwill Program has been able to provide unique opportunities for not only the exchange of friendly competition, but also for building a foundation for the exchange of ideas and important values of young people today, ensuring a strong future for U.S.-Japan relations. For more information, visit www.jcccnc.org.