Art, Nature, Food & Drink in Hokkaido, Japan

Asia Society Northern California's Second Country Spotlight

Two President's Circle member laugh with volunteer Eli Wallach before the event. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

The prefecture of Hokkaido provided many materials in English about the island. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Executive Director N. Bruce Pickering welcomes everyone to the evening's festivities. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Deputy Consul General Shiomi Nagayoshi talks briefly about Hokkaido, Japan. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Aoi Yamaguchi, a trained Japanese calligrapher, talked about her experience of growing up in Hokkaido and how it influences her today. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

It was a packed house at ASNC's second "Country Spotlight" event! (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Masaki Kihara Shultz of Sapporo U.S.A. gave an excellent overview of Sapporo Brewing's history in Hokkaido. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Cerell Rivera spoke about a multitude of winter festivals in Hokkaido that revolve around snow and snow art. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Kaori Becker talked about starting her catering business, Kaori's Kitchen and about mochi. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Becker explains and demonstrates how to make mochi. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Becker rolls the mochi and prepares the red bean filling. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

After the mochi demonstration, the panelists reconvened to take questions from the audience, moderated by Pickering. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

The panelists laugh at a joke from the audience. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Rivera speaks with a member from the audience after the event. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Kihara Shultz and Yamaguchi share a light-hearted moment after the event. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

The food at the reception included snacks from Hokkaido as well as mochi from Kaori's Kitchen. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Consul Ichioka inquires about the coconut mochi which was very delicious! (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

An attendee is passed some Sapporo from ASNC staff. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Yoichiro Ishida of Ishida-En Tea Company prepares some green tea. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Ishida prepares more green tea. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Patrons look over the Hokkaido materials. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Assistant Executive Director Margaret Conley, Ichioka, and Consul Lee from the Korean Consulate chat enjoy some food and drink at the reception. (Emma Giang/Asia Society)

Enlarge Hide captions

On February 28, 2018, Asia Society Northern California hosted its second "Country Spotlight" event. In partnership with the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, the event focused on Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido. The event commenced with ASNC's Executive Director N. Bruce Pickering's opening remarks, followed by Deputy Consulate General Shoichi Nagayoshi's welcoming remarks.

The panelists included a dynamic group of women on a variety of topics related to art, nature, food, and drink in Hokkaido. Cerell Rivera started off the presentations with a fun and engaging slide show about snow festivals in Hokkaido, including the famous Yuki Matsuri in Hokkaido's capital, Sapporo. Rivera was on the JET Program for three years and lived in Asahikawa for five years. Aoi Yamaguchi is a famous Japanese calligrapher who lives in Berkeley yet grew up in Hokkaido. She gave a beautiful presentation about art and nature in Hokkaido which included stunning pictures from places where she grew up, outdoor sculpture parks in various parts of Hokkaido, and her performance at an ice hotel in Tobestu, Hokkaido. Yamaguchi talked about how this time was truly inspirational for her.

Next was Masaki Kihara Shultz of Sapporo U.S.A. who gave an an excellent and informative presentation about Sapporo Brewing's history and market expansion into the U.S. It was the first beer company founded in Japan (1876) and its founder Seibei Nakagawa was trained in Germany. Last, Kaori Becker of Kaori's Kitchen spoke briefly about being a female entrepreneur as she started her own ramen and mochi cooking classes plus catering business. She even demonstrated how to make mochi and fold it properly. After some questions from the audience, the panelists and audience members mingled over drinks and food at the reception.

Asia Society Northern California would like to the Consulate General of Japan - San Francisco and Sapporo U.S.A. for their support of this event. Thank you to the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program Alumni Association of Northern California