The SAJCC Council met on July 25, 2023 at the Yanagihashi residence and via zoom to discuss our Tucson Japanese Festival, which has been on hiatus in 2021, 2022, 2023 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Council decided to host this popular festival, on Saturday March 23, 2024 again at Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, 1288 W. River Rd. Nine (of 13) Council members present at that meeting were Sharon, Crystal, Carolyn, Clint, Karen, Miyako, K, Miki, Min & Evelyn, plus guest Ishani Deo. Absent were M Fumie, Yuki, and Ginger.

The first SAJCC Japanese festival in Tucson was held in January 2014 at Yume Japanese Gardens, as a New Year‘s celebration with mochi pounding. After that it was held at Rhythm Industry Performance Factory (once), PCC Downtown (thrice), and Tucson Chinese Cultural Center (twice). This festival has traditionally been held in January, but will now be in March for 2024.

Japanese crafts, performances, food will be highlights of this upcoming festival in 2024, which will have a Springtime, flower theme like Hanamatsuri. 2024 is also the Year of the Dragon.

Stay tuned to this website and our FB Page for further information. To volunteer, contact communications@southernazjapan.org.

FRIDAY, JULY 28 – THURSDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 10:00PM

GENERAL ADMISSION: $8 | LOFT MEMBERS: $6

PASSES ACCEPTED

“Based on a novel by Japanese science fiction writer Yasutaka Tsutsui, the brilliant and unsettling animated thriller Paprika explores the space where dreams and reality collide in a kaleidoscopic mindscape. Techno-geek Kosaku Tokita has just invented the DC Mini – a revolutionary machine that allows scientists to enter and record a subject’s dreams. But an evil cabal steals the DC Mini and uses the device to create a mass nightmare, which causes all hell to break loose. Psychotherapist Atsuko Chiba uses her alter-identity, “dream detective” Paprika, to intervene. Entering the collective nightmare, she faces extraordinary danger thanks to a bizarre parade of appliances, toys, and kitsch objects. All of her intelligence and imagination are needed to escape this nightmare and defeat the evil “dream terrorist” behind the sinister plot.  Acclaimed filmmaker Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers) expertly moves through the permeable boundaries separating fantasy and reality, confirming his reputation as one of the most innovative directors working in animation today. (Dir. by Satoshi Kon, 2006, Japan, in Japanese with English subtitles, 90 mins., Rated R)”

1 HR 30 MIN | R

Released 2006

After a 3 year hiatus due to the covid pandemic, it’s finally back.

PCC Downtown is at 1255 N. Stone Ave., NW corner of Stone Ave. and E. Speedway Blvd.

“MegaMania—the annual all-ages, free summer festival of cosplay, gaming, crafts, local authors and artists, and all-around geekery—returns to the Pima Community College Downtown Campus on Saturday, July 15 from 1 to 5 pm. If you only go to one event this summer, THIS should be the one!

Tour the Comic Bookmobile, break out of an escape room, assemble a kids craft, create your own cosplay costume, take photos with cosplay groups, play Dungeons and Dragons, sample various tabletop board games, enter our Cosplay Showcase, challenge others in video-game tournaments, watch live sketch comedy and original comic-con shorts, attend various workshops by award-winning authors and artists, and so much more.

Please note, tickets for many programs, including the Escape Rooms and the Dice Goblin Make-n-Take, will go fast. Please go immediately to those stations at 1 pm to secure your spot. 

PoetryMania, with the Library’s current Writer in Residence Gene Twaronite, will run from 2 to 3 pm. At this open mic, participants can perform their poems (or even someone else’s poetry) in the spirit of MegaMania—costumes and props encouraged.

Join us for the afternoon. MegaMania is made possible by the Friends of the Pima County Public Library and Pima Community College. “

Tucson Origami Club meets every 1st Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Dao’s Tai Pan restaurant (446 N. Wilmot Rd.) all year, but this is a fun, cool activity over the hot, summer months,

Next folding sessions are on June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, 2023.

Club founded by M Fumie Craig, Nisei artist in Tucson. Info on their FB page:

TUCSON ORIGAMI CLUB (facebook.com)