Sep 23, 2026 —
Fresno City College will host a special screening and conversation event featuring Shin Miyata, the Tokyo-based music producer, cultural historian, and founder of Barrio Gold Records / Music Camp, Inc., on Wednesday, September 30, at 11 a.m. in the Old Administration Building Auditorium.
The event will feature a screening of “Our Man in Tokyo: The Ballad of Shin Miyata,” directed by Akira Boc, followed by a live conversation with Miyata, widely celebrated as Japan’s foremost ambassador of Chicano culture.
Miyata’s journey began in the 1980s, when he left Japan at age 21 to immerse himself in the communities of Boyle Heights and City Terrace in East Los Angeles, drawn to the region’s music, art, and lowrider culture. That experience sparked a lifelong mission to preserve and share Chicano artistic history with audiences abroad. Through Barrio Gold Records, he has released or reissued more than 200 albums of West Coast soul, funk, salsa, and Chicano rap — each accompanied by translated Japanese liner notes providing cultural and historical context. He has also written the “Que Pasa Aztlán” column for Lowrider Japan and organized international tours for artists including Chicano Batman, Joe Bataan and Quetzal.
The event is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the FCC Speakers Forum, Student Activities, and State Center Community College District International Education. Off-campus attendees should purchase a $1 daily parking permit at Parking Management Bureau. ASL interpreting services will be available for this event. A meet and greet with Shin Miyata will follow the event in the West Courtyard of the Old Administration Building.