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Day Of Remembrance with Record Activities

By
N.A.P Contributor
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Day Of Remembrance with Record Activities

By Barbara Mizoguchi
NAP Editor

For those unaware of the annual Day of Remembrance (DOR), it acknowledges February 19, 1942, as significant in American history when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed U.S. Executive Order 9066. It allowed the U.S. Army authority during World War II to remove all Japanese and Japanese Americans living in Washington, Oregon, and California to the interior of the U.S.

In past NAP issues, the Events Calendar section listed several Day of Remembrance (DOR) events occurring in Western Washington and even in Ontario, Oregon. This year has seen a record number of activities for this important day. Washington is the only state in the U.S. that has a resolution acknowledging the day. Several Washington cities have resolutions as well.

The following are some summaries of those events. Due to limited space in this issue, more summaries can be found in the next issue.

 

WA State Legislature Commemorates Day of Remembrance

By Hannah Waterman
NAP Contributor

On February 19, the Washington State Legislature observed the Day of Remembrance hosted by Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Tukwila) and Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle). The ceremonies included the House of Representatives and Senate resolutions, speeches in both chambers, and guests. They included survivors of incarceration camps, Consul General of Japan Makoto Iyori, members of the Japanese American Citizens’ League, leaders of the Japanese American community, and retired U.S. military from the Nisei Veterans Committee honoring the U.S. Army 442nd Infantry Regiment.

WA St. Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos speaking about House Bill 4619. Photo credit: Aaron Andersen.

The observances began in the House of Representatives with the flags presented by Seattle Boy Scout Troop 252 followed by the resolution’s reading. House Resolution 4619 honors Japanese Americans who suffered relocation and incarceration during World War II in 1942. Speeches were given by Reps. Santos (D-Seattle), Michael Keaton (R-Puyallup), Jeremie Dufault (R-Selah), and Monica Jurado Stonier (D-Vancouver). The House adopted the resolution with unanimous consent.

WA St. Legislature applauding the Japanese American community for the Day of Remembrance. Photo credit: Aaron Andersen.

Afterwards, lunch was provided for the guests by Rep. Santos and Sen. Hasegawa. Guests listened to both legislators speak and met others in the room.

The observance then continued in the Senate, where Sen. Hasegawa introduced Senate Resolution 8616, also honoring Japanese Americans who survived incarceration during World War II. Sens. Phil Fortunato (R-Auburn) and Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Island) spoke to the resolution as well. The Senate unanimously adopted the resolution.

The ceremonies were a touching and powerful gathering of the community and provided an opportunity to remember the past and commit to an equitable future.

In the next issue, look forward to more articles about how others acknowledged the Day of Remembrance. 

 

Calendar from March 14th Print Issue

By
N.A.P Staff
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MARCH

Movies at Mukai: Alley Cat – Thu, Mar 13, 7 p.m. Mukai Farm & Garden, 18017 107th Ave SW, Vashon. Retired and brain-injured boxer who adopts a stray cat. Unfortunately, the cat strays off and is subsequently adopted by a punk mechanic. They become rivals, competing for the cat’s affection but ultimately become partners in the fight to protect a young single mother from her evil ex-husband. https://mukaifarmandgarden.org/moviesmukai/

Calling All Poets. Can You Haiku? – Friends of Mukai is calling on poets both near and far to enter the 2025 Haiku Festival and Contest. This is the sixth year for Mukai Farm and Garden. Submittals welcomed March 18 – April 14. See: https://mukaifarmandgarden.org/events/haiku-festival-submissions/.

MOVE ON — Creative Movement Class – Thu, Mar 20, 10:45-11:30 a.m. Epworth United Methodist Church 1333 SE 28th Ave, Portland. MOVE ON is a movement class by the Japanese American Museum of Oregon held on the first and third Thursday of each month designed for physical and emotional health. Class is before Ikoi No Kai lunch at Epworth and led by Chisao Hata. RSVP is not required but encouraged by emailing ikoinokai7@gmail.com or chisao@jamo.org. Please check JAMO.org/events to confirm dates.

Artist Panel: Radical Empathy, the Power of Memory and the Freedom of Irony – Sat, Mar 22, 1:30 – 3 p.m. Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, 121 South First Street, La Conner. Artist panel with ceramic artists Patti Warashina, Tip Toland, Claudia Fitch, and Emily Counts on the expressive possibilities of the ceramic medium for creating space for critical agency and empowerment. RSVP at: https://www.monamuseum.org/events/artist-panel-march22

Glass in Bloom: An Ikebana Exhibition – Sat, Mar 22 – Sun, Mar 23, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock Street, Tacoma. Ikebana International Seattle Chapter 19 and Tacoma-Olympia Chapter 147 collaborating with the Museum of Glass for two days. Ribbon cutting ceremony by Consul General of Japan in Seattle on Sat, Mar 22, 11 a.m. Ikebana demonstration 1-3 p.m., Mar 22-23. For more info, see: https://www.museumofglass.org/ikebana.

Shared Kitchen Open House Visit – Wed, Mar 26, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall, 1212 S King St, Seattle. Those looking to start a food business or already running one, we would like to introduce our shared kitchen! Make reservations at: https://jassw.info/event-6099402. An e-mail will be received with important info before the open house. Gated parking lot available. Questions? Contact: smallbiz@jassw.org.

Volunteers needed – Fri, Mar 28 at the University of Washington campus, Seattle and Sat, March 29 at the historic Nippon Kan Theater, Seattle. JCCCW is hosting two screenings of the film “Kintsukuroi” with the film’s production crew. Contact Damien Craig at: getinvolved@jcccw.org. Info about the screenings can be found at: https://www.jcccw.org/kintsukuroi-film-screening.

Yamato Drummers – Thu, Mar 27, 4:00 p.m. – Sat, Mar 29, 2:30 p.m. Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave, Seattle. See: www.ticketsales.com. Japanese drum group based in Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Celebrating their 30th anniversary.

Film Screening: Kintsukuroi: The Lives of Two Families from Pre-War to the Concentration Camps – Fri, Mar 28, 7 p.m., University of Washington, Architecture Hall, Room Arc 147, 1410 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle; Sat, Mar 29, 5 p.m., Nippon Kan Theater, 628 S. Washington Street, Seattle. See: https://www.jcccw.org/kintsukuroi-film-screening.

June Kuramoto with Kimo Cornwell of Hiroshima Band – Sat, Mar 29, 8:30 p.m. and Sun, Mar 30, 1:00-2:30 p.m. Terry’s Kitchen, 5625 119th Ave SE, Bellevue. VIP seating – $55 includes: early entry 2 hrs before showtime (not reserved), meet and greet, and autographed CD. General admission – $40 includes: open seating 1 hr before showtime. No early entry (not reserved). Seating limited. Please purchase early. No refunds or exchanges between event dates. See: https://terryskitchen-catering.hrpos.heartland.us/menu and scroll down.

 

Bainbridge Island Mochitsuki 2025

By
Pamela A. Okano
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Bainbridge Island Mochitsuki 2025
By Pamela Okano
NAP Editor
Keith Uyekawa carrying steam rice prepared the old-fashioned way.
On January 11, the 35th Annual Mochitsuki sponsored by the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community (BIJAC) took place at Woodward Middle School on the island. More than 2,000 people attended. In addition to the pounding of the mochi, there was a small Bon Odori, origami classes, a display about the history of Japanese Americans on the Island and taiko performances by Seattle Kokon Taiko.
The mochitsuki event means more to me than to many because it is a family affair. At the urging of my stepmother, my dad, Philip Masaru Okano, agreed to have a small mochitsuki for my extended family on the island because he had an usu (mortar). Dad owned a drycleaning shop. He hooked up a line from the boiler to steam the rice. Of course, he first had to get all the clothes in the shop out of the way. (Even when my brother sold the building many years later, there was still rice stuck to the ceiling.)
As my dad got older, he no longer wanted to do the mochitsuki. It was then moved to a community center in an old church and opened to all Japanese Americans on the island. Afterwards, we would have a wonderful potluck dinner. I remember someone had invited a Caucasian lady and her son. I asked her if they liked mochi. She said “yes” they liked it with cheese.
My cousin, Donald Nakata, then suggested that Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community (BIJAC) open it to the public. The event moved from place to place, outgrowing each of them until it ended up at the school. Each year 2,000-3,000 people would show up.
Possibly the most popular event is the taiko performance. That, too, is a family activity. My cousin, Stan Shikuma, is the co-founder of Seattle Kokon Taiko and remains active with the group to this date.
Both children and adults are encouraged to pound the mochi with a wooden mallet. My brother, Michael Okano, and Tony Egashira are the head pounders. Mike also stores the usu, and makes and repairs the kine (wooden mallets). Supplies for making the mochi are donated by Town & Country Market, co-founded by my uncle and later managed by cousin Don Nakata. Don’s daughter, Susan Allen, is now part of the management.
The event is free, although there is a small charge for buying mochi. Donations can also be made to BIJACat: https://bijac.org.

Local Community Celebrates New Year

By
Barbara Mizoguchi
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Local Community Celebrates New Year

By Barbara Mizoguchi
NAP Editor

Three volunteers willing to pound the rice. Photo credit: Theo Bickel.

Mochitsuki (pounded rice) was founded in the eighth century in Japan as an offering to the god of the new year. Later, it was used to decorate homes for the new year with an orange placed on top – again as an offering. Today, mochi is usually eaten on New Year’s Day and decorates the home (as an offering to the deceased).

Traditional mochitsuki pounding usually occurs outdoors. A large stone or wooden usu (mortar) is placed on a stand for minimal bending over of volunteers while pounding.  Also, a large wooden kine (pestle) is used to pound the rice. When a large quantity of cooked rice is steamy and hot, it is placed in the usu. The pounding begins immediately, repetitively, and quickly. One person, who is not pounding, keeps the rice mass in the usu moist and continuously turning. Everyone is in unison pounding, turning and even singing. When the mass is completely smooth and a bit shiny, it is removed.

It is placed onto floured tables for shaping into smaller rounds. Then the rounds are used in a variety of ways such as in soups, baked with sugar or filled with sweet red beans as a dessert. On New Year’s Day, the ozoni (soup) is the very first dish to eat for good luck throughout the year.

Families rolling the mochi on floured tables. Photo credit: Theo Bickel.

In Seattle, monthly meetings in 2024 were held to organize a 2025 New Year mochitsuki event for Japanese and Japanese American organizations, kenjinkais, etc. and their guests. It was amazing to witness the organizational skills, know-how and helpfulness individuals brought to the planning. Emphasis was on celebrating with each other, who throughout the year volunteer for the same activities with little time to visit with one another. Although these were internal events, guests were allowed to attend by signing up online. Funds were provided by each participating organization.

The preparations begin the day before the event with volunteers setting up at Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church in Seattle. Vegetables, rice, signage, utensils and mochi-making machines were brought to the church’s kitchen and social hall. Round tables and chairs for socializing and eating were set up. The usu, kines, and rice cookers were also placed in the church’s courtyard.

The morning of the event began with several volunteers completing the set-up. Long tables were floured, ready to receive the mochi after pounding.  Outside, the usu and kines were ready to receive the cooked rice which was being cooked nearby. As it became available, families approached to pound the rice in the usu. There were two sizes of kines to use – large ones for the adults and slightly smaller ones for children (or for anyone desiring a lighter kine). Inside, the floured table were ready to shape and then season one’s mochi with “toppings” such as grated daikon (white radish), azuki (sweet red beans), kaiso (seaweed), zunda (edamame) and more. Later, Kyoto-style ozoni (soup), oshiruko red bean soup and yaki mochi (toasted mochi in butter/soy sauce) were available. There were also sandwiches and snacks for the volunteers.

After the event, positive comments ranged from “great space” to “meeting friendly people.” There were plenty of volunteers for one-hour shifts (so they could socialize) even though some admitted that they did not know what they were doing. Others were helping wherever needed. Overall, approximately 200 individuals attended, and it was agreed to do it again next year. It will continue to be an internal event for Seattle; however, anyone can participate by signing up within a group, kenjinkai or non-profit organization.

Okinawa’s Itoman High School Students Visit Washington State

By
N.A.P Contributor
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Okinawa’s Itoman High School Students Visit Washington State

By Yoko Sakomoto, Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle
Translated by Yuka Foley, NAP Contributor

The Kakehashi Project is a people-to-people exchange program between Japan and North America funded by the Japanese government. Promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Okinawa Program connects high school students from the United States and Okinawa, Japan, through school visits and cultural exchanges. This time, two schools nationwide were selected including one from Renton. Lindbergh High School was selected since it is the only school in the Renton School District that offers a Japanese language program.


Itoman students in a Japanese class at Lindbergh exchange differences and commonalities. Photo credit: Consulate General of Japan in Seattle staff.

Nine students and a teacher from Okinawa’s Itoman High School visited Washington state on January 22-28. Their itinerary included experiencing American school life and culture through classroom visits and homestays in Renton, along with courtesy visits to the mayor of Renton and superintendent of Renton schools.

Group shot with Lindbergh High School Principal Thomas Caudle. Photo credit: Dick Birnbaum.

Lindbergh High School Principal Thomas Caudle welcomed the group, who then joined Noriko Nasu’s Japanese class. There, the Itoman students gave presentations introducing their school life and some interesting “Wasei Eigo” (Japanese-style English). The students performed a skit to explain how “laptop” is called “notopasokon” in Japanese and “bread” is referred to as “pan.” In the skit, the students humorously acted out a scene asking, “Does ‘pan’ mean frying pan?” which the Lindbergh students enjoyed. During group discussions, students from both schools explored topics like hobbies and favorite foods. Their earnest efforts to communicate, switching between English and Japanese, were truly inspiring.


Itoman High School students visiting Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone at city hall. Photo credit: Consulate General of Japan in Seattle staff.

Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone welcomed the group at Renton City Hall and presented each student with commemorative city badges. At the Renton School District, Superintendent Damien Pattenaude held a discussion with the group about their observations on the differences between Japanese and American schools following their visit to Lindbergh. The students mainly focused on dress codes and school rules. It was particularly interesting to hear that while Itoman has strict rules regarding uniforms and hairstyles, creating dress code rules at Lindbergh is practically impossible. The superintendent was surprised to learn that students at Itoman can be expelled for having tattoos. Before leaving, the superintendent presented them with commemorative gifts.


Itoman High School students and teachers at the Renton School District office chambers with superintendent Damien Pattenaude.

The students further enriched their visit by learning about consular operations at the Consulate-General of Japan in the Seattle office. They also attended lectures on the history of Japanese immigrants at the Panama Hotel and the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington in Seattle.

A heartfelt thank you to all the students of Itoman High School and teacher Matsuo Miyata, who played active roles as goodwill ambassadors!

Maruta Shoten Founder Nakamura Remembered

By
Barbara Mizoguchi
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Maruta Shoten Founder Nakamura Remembered

By Barbara Mizoguchi
NAP Editor

The late Arata Nakamura. Photo credit: Nakamura family.

Some may be aware that Arata Nakamura passed away December 23, 2024. He was born the son of Kikutaro and Yuki Nakamura on January 8, 1946 and graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington. He enlisted as a volunteer soldier in the U.S. Army in 1965 during the Vietnam war. Fortunately, the army allowed Nakamura to live together with his Seattle friends Paul Haji, Larry Hamanishi, and Paul Miyahara during their military training at Fort Ord, California.

In 1978, Nakamura married Kieko. They had two children, daughter Stacy (Nakamura) Brinkman and son Russell Nakamura, and three grandchildren. During that time, Nakamura opened several restaurants then established Maruta Shoten in 1991. It was a small Asian grocery store in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle that sold high quality products at competitive prices. At the same time, Nakamura contributed his energy and resources to various Asian American charities.

By July 2024, Nakamura decided to retire from Maruta Shoten. He said he wanted “… to put the needs of our health and age first …” and “… to be closer to our children and grandchildren.” He passed the business on to his son Russell and promised there would be few to no changes. Five months later, Nakamura passed away.

Today, Maruta Shoten is still thriving with the same freshness, high quality, competitive prices, and half price sushi at the end of the day. Overall, Nakamura left a legacy in his hometown that will not be forgotten by his community. We are grateful for all that he has done for us.

The Sixth Seijin Shiki USA Ceremony

By
N.A.P Contributor
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The Sixth Seijin Shiki USA Ceremony

By Yuka Foley
NAP Contributor

Participants with their certificates. Photo credit: Otto Rabe.

On January 19, the Japanese in America (JIA) Foundation and the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle co-hosted the Seijin Shiki (Coming-of-Age) USA ceremony. The venue was at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington. Many young adults participated in the event and celebrated their new beginnings in gorgeous attire.

This was the sixth annual Coming-of-Age ceremony. It honored young adults born between 2003 and 2005, regardless of nationality, race or Japanese language proficiency. The entire ceremony was conducted in English. The event reached its capacity of 150 applicants, with approximately 300 people present, including parents and other guests.

While many attendees looked sharp in suits and dresses, those wearing traditional Japanese attire truly shone. Kimono, furisode (kimonos with long sleeves), hakama (skirts worn over kimonos, especially by men), and yukata (casual cotton kimono) highlighted everyone’s unique style. Some participants arrived early to dress, while others spent up to an hour preparing their outfits and hair at salons. The venue buzzed with excitement and vibrant color.

University of Washington Taiko Kai. Photo credit: Otto Rabe.

The program was rich with cultural experiences, featuring koto (Japanese stringed musical instrument) and taiko (Japanese percussion instrument) performances, speeches, a sing-along and the presentation of certificates of adulthood. Organizers thoughtfully explained the meaning of seijin shiki and the history and significance of the ceremony, particularly for attendees unfamiliar with Japanese culture. Demonstrations explaining furisode, haori (traditional Japanese jacket), and hakama provided further insight into these traditions.
Speeches from new adult representatives Sofia Nayuko Palermo and Kai Ichiro Itoh touched on themes of self-belief and perseverance in pursuing dreams, and the importance of seeking support when facing challenges. Their words of empathy and encouragement clearly resonated with their fellow attendees. Lisa Maria D’Aquila of the Japan-America Society of Seattle and Junichi Sumi, Deputy Consul General at the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle, also offered warm messages of hope and encouragement to these young adults as they embark on their futures.

New adults celebrated their seijin shiki with smiles and congratulations and shared their positive experiences. Comments included “It was a wonderful ceremony,” “The seniors’ speeches were so moving,” and “I was thrilled to hear my friend speak.”

The friendly atmosphere made the celebration a truly joyful and memorable occasion for everyone.

Future ceremonies will now be held every other year, with the next event taking place in 2027.

A message from the president of JIA Foundation Megumi Ijiri Haskin:

The JIA Foundation is a small, volunteer-run, non-profit organization. Therefore, it is never easy to hold a large-scale event like this. However, community support from fundraising to day-of volunteering, made the event possible.

This ceremony is more than a simple recreation of the Japanese tradition. It is conducted in English and welcomes Japanese and Nikkei young adults raised in the U.S., along with other Americans interested in Japanese culture. This event aims to provide a supportive space for the Nikkei community to celebrate these young adults, encouraging them to embrace their heritage and confidently pursue their futures in American society, with the feeling of “continue to do our best” and “we are all cheering for you.” We welcome future volunteers for the next Seijin Shiki USA ceremony 2027.

Interview with Lin Tokura: Echoes of the East Concert

By
N.A.P Staff
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Interview with Lin Tokura: Echoes of the East Concert

By Ryoko Kato
NAP Contributor

On March 8th and 9th, the Seattle Festival Orchestra will present Echoes of the East, a concert celebrating the essence of Eastern musical traditions. The program features exotic and mesmerizing pieces such as Gustav Holst’s Japanese Suite and Bao Yuankai’s Taiwan Sketches. As a highlight of the event, Seattle-born prodigy violinist Lin Tokura will take the stage as a soloist to perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor. With the concert just around the corner, we spoke with Tokura about her journey with the violin and her thoughts on the upcoming performance.

©️Sisi Burn
Lin Tokura■13, began playing the violin at age three and made her orchestral debut at 11. She has performed three recitals at Carnegie Hall in New York City and has been named Young Artist by both the Seattle Symphony and the Olympia Symphony Orchestra in Washington state. She has also won multiple awards at international violin competitions. In 2024, she joined the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in the United Kingdom, where she studies under Professor Robin Wilson.
instagram: ＠lin.tokura
―What inspired you to start playing the violin? When do you feel the most joy while playing?
My mother always admired the violin, so when she decided to introduce me to an instrument, she chose the violin. When I was two and a half, a violin school opened near our home, and she took me there to observe. Apparently, I spent six months just watching before I started playing. I do not remember much from those early days, but by the time I turned three, I had already declared that I wanted to become a violinist!
The most enjoyable moment for me is when I finish a performance and hear the applause and cheers from the audience. I also love the excitement of learning and playing new pieces.
―How many hours do you practice the violin each day? How do you overcome difficult times?
On weekdays, I practice for about three to four hours, and on weekends, I practice all day—sometimes around seven to nine hours. Right now, I genuinely love practicing but before coming to the Menuhin School, I did not enjoy it as much and often dragged my feet. However, since joining this school, I have been exposed to so much incredible music and surrounded by inspiring musicians. That has helped me discover my own goals, making practice naturally enjoyable.
―When practicing, do you sometimes come up with your own techniques or interpretations without direct guidance from your teacher?
There are fundamental ways to play pieces based on the composer and era. For example, Mozart has a particular style and Mendelssohn has his own. I start with these basics then work on technical aspects like intonation and phrasing. When I experiment with different fingerings or bowing techniques and find something that improves my playing, it is incredibly rewarding—especially when my teacher notices and praises my approach.
―How is life at the Yehudi Menuhin school in the United Kingdom (UK)and in the dorms? What do you do for fun? Have you encountered anything surprising?
The Menuhin school is amazing! My fellow students are all incredibly talented and inspiring. I am also close with my friends—we practice together, study together, and always have a great time. One of the biggest surprises since coming to the UK is that, at least at this school, we call our teachers by their first names! Even the headmaster and my violin teacher—at first, I was completely shocked.
Collaboration with the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, British Columbia.
―Are there any violinists you admire or aspire to belike?

There’s someone my age with incredible technical skill—they never miss a note! I really respect them. I also look up to my senior classmates at school. Christian Li has been my role model for years, and I was amazed to find myself attending the same school and studying under the same teacher.
At the end of last year, I performed Vivaldi’s Winter with the Seattle Symphony, and Christian even gave me some tips on how to play it. I also greatly admire Augustin Hadelich for his flawless intonation and deeply emotional performances, and María Dueñas for her passionate playing and undeniable stage presence.

―Do you ever take days off from practicing? What do you like to do in your free time?
I don’t really take days off from the violin. They say that skipping one day of practice sets you back three days! Playing the violin is as natural to me as eating—it is just a part of my daily routine. During breaks, I love swinging on the playground swings with my friends at school. Swinging high up in the air is a great stress reliever! On weekends, we also enjoy trips to the local supermarket for snacks or ordering bubble tea on Uber Eats.
―The piece you will be performing at the March 8-9 concert is Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. How would you describe the piece and what aspects do you focus on when playing it?
This piece has a paradoxical challenge—it embodies both the passion of the Romantic era and the balance of the Classical era. For example, even when the score indicates to play “passionately,” it does not mean playing loudly and forcefully. Instead, many parts require a delicate tone to convey inner emotion. Normally, when you see “passionate” in the sheet music, you would naturally want to play with strong emotions. But in this concerto, it is the opposite. That’s something I am particularly conscious of while playing.
―Finally, do you have a message for those attending the concert?
Thank you so much for coming to the concert! I truly love this piece, and I hope you will, too.

 

Calendar from February 28th Print Issue

By
N.A.P Staff
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MARCH

Sukiyaki Dinner – Sat, Mar 1, 1-6 p.m. Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church, 3001 – 24th Ave S, Seattle. Order now at blaineonline.org.  $20 per serving. Featuring cook and uncooked sukiyaki, ohagi, tsukemono, baked goods and Blaine cookbooks. Limited in-dining and take-out available. Portion of the proceeds will benefit Altadena United Methodist Church Disaster Relief to rebuild their church after the Southern California wildfires.

Volunteer Training for Japan in the Schools (JIS) Program by Japan-America Society of the State of Washington (JASSW) – Sat, Mar 1, 2-4 p.m. Bellevue Children’s Academy, 14640 NE 24th St, Bellevue. JIS offers hands-on cultural learning for children K-12 in King and Snohomish counties. Volunteers bring authentic Japanese experience directly to private and public classrooms with 50-minute interactive modules. Advisors will demonstrate JIS content and share tips for future volunteers. For more info, see: www.japan-in-schools.org or contact: jis@jassw.org. Walk-ins are welcome.

2025 Minidoka Pilgrimage Registration – opens Mar 1; 11 a.m. PT, 12 p.m. MT.  Pilgrimage will be July 10-13 at the Minidoka National Historic Site and Twin Falls, Idaho. Since it will be smaller in capacity, priority will be given to survivors and descendants of the Japanese and Japanese American incarceration. General registration will open April 15, if space is available. See: https://www.minidokapilgrimage.org/.

Japanese Baseball with Bob Bavasi – Tue, Mar 4, 2 p.m. Japanese Cultural Resource Center, Everett Community College, 905 Wetmore Ave, Everett. Bavasi comes from a baseball family. His dad Buzzie, and brothers Bill and Peter were all general managers of major league teams. Bavasi and his wife, Margaret, owned minor league teams including the Everett Aquasox. He also created Japanball.com, which organized tours of professional baseball games in Japan for over 20 years. Free but space is limited. Register online at: tinyurl.com/2h9atdy2. Questions? Contact Mayumi N. Smith at mnsmith@everettcc.eduor 425-388-9380.

Instant Noodles – Sat-Sun, Mar 8-9. Theatre off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave S, Seattle. Over 50 Asian American writers, actors, directors, musicians, and designers will come together to make a magical night of theater! Everyone will meet Friday night to figure out which actors,writers, and directors will be randomly paired together. Playwrights will write throughout the night and in the morning, actors and directors will rehearse throughout the day. Musicians will create music. Designers will create sets, props, lights, and costumes. Then the plays will be performed twice! Once on Saturday night and once on Sunday afternoon. Then it’s over! Tickets are $10/$15/$50. See: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/pork-filled/instant-noodles-24-hour-play-festival.

Inspire Positive Aging Awards (IPAA) – Sound Generations seeks nominations for its 20th Anniversary.  IPAA celebrates older adults in King Co. who inspire or challenge those around them to rethink the aging process and what they want for their own aging journey. Nominations open to 60 years old and older living in W. WA (anywhere west of the Cascade Mountains). Nomination form available at: https://soundgenerations.org/get-invlved/attend-an-event/inspire-positive-aging-awards/. Forms must be received or post-marked by March 12. All nominees will be celebrated at the Inspire Positive Aging Awards Luncheon May 29th at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.  Questions?  Contact: Kaitlyn Redwood at 206.727.6230 or email Kaitlyn.redwood@soundgenerations.org.

Family Saturday: Origami in the Garden – Sat, Mar 15, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.  Seattle Japanese Garden,1075 Lk WA Blvd E, Seattle. Seattle-based origami group, P.A.P.E.R., will demonstrate origami techniques in the Tateuchi Community Room. Paper and instructions available for visitors. Admission free for youth 12 and under 10 a.m.-2 p.m. during Family Saturday. See: https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/events-calendar/2025/3/15/paper-origami.

Music of the Birds Garden Concert – Sat, Mar 15, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Portland Japanese Garden, Miller Living Room, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland. In celebration of the more than 65-year-old sister-city relationship between Portland, Oregon and Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Amelia Lukas and Yoko Greeney will perform a specially curated program, featuring the debut of “Shima Enaga (Snow Fairies)” by composer Kirsten Volness. See:japanesegarden.org/events/music-of-the-birds-garden-concert/.

Ikebana – Sun, Mar 16, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Portland Japanese Garden, Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland. Presentation by Miwa Satoh from the Ohara School of Ikebana. She currently teaches in Vancouver, WA, while studying under an assistant professor based in Japan. Ohana school is known for moribana, which broke with more traditional and formal vertical styles. It creates new horizontal “landscape” arrangements with flowers “heaped” (moru) in lower plate-like containers. See: https://japanesegarden.org/events/cultural-demonstration-ikebana-74/.

 

Kobe Earthquake — 30 Year Anniversary

By
N.A.P Contributor
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Kobe Earthquake — 30 Year Anniversary

By Karin Zaugg Black, NAP Contributor;
and Barbara Mizoguchi, NAP Editor

Kobe bell with three candles in standing bamboos and flowers at the Seattle Center. Photo credit: Barbara Mizoguchi.

In general, do you remember 30 years ago? How about the earthquake in Kobe, Japan? It occurred on January 17, 1995, in Hyogo Prefecture and was 7.0 on the Richter scale lasting 20 seconds. Over 6,400 individuals died, half the homes were uninhabitable, and over 400,000 buildings were damaged, in addition to roads, bridges, electricity, water, etc. The Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association held a ceremony this year in remembrance of that devastating day. It was outside, around the large (57×37¾ in.), bronze, cylindrical bonshō (bell) at the Seattle Center. Hanging in a wooden shōrō (bell tower), the bell was a gift to Seattle by Kobe during the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962 as Seattle’s first sister city. (Some may recall that the Seattle Center was once part of the World’s Fair.)

Rev. Taijo Imanaka of Seattle Koya-san Buddhist Temple chants a sutra to comfort the earthquake victims. Photo credit: Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association.

As the group gathered outdoors on a windy and rainy day, Consul General of Japan in Seattle Makoto Iyori lit three candles in long, bamboo holders to represent 30 years. (The bamboo candle holders are like what is used annually in Kobe.) It was done in memory of those who died that day in what is called the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Seattle Center Director Marshall Foster welcomed everyone to the center’s grounds. Con. Gen. Iyori delivered words of observance, “Over a million volunteers from across Japan and around the world came together to provide aid. In moments of immense tragedy, we witness the incredible strength of the human spirit — the power of unity and compassion to rebuild communities and restore hope.” Mina Hashemi, director of the City of Seattle Office of Intergovernmental Relations spoke about the city’s connection with Kobe. Lastly, Kobe Trade Information Office Director Takeshi Maruki read a letter from Kobe Mayor Kizō Hisamoto who said, “… the City of Seattle and its citizens provided us with multifaceted support that spanned from donations to the provision of various cultural assets … The citizens of Kobe are deeply grateful to the people of Seattle for their immense help in our hour of need.”

Off to one side of the bonshō was a table with two long, vertical candles, a large singing bowl and incense for Rev. Taijo Imanaka of the Seattle Koyasan Buddhist Temple. After lighting the candles and using the bowl, he chanted the sutra for the comfort of the earthquake victims. At 12:46 p.m. there was a moment of silence. It was the exact time the earthquake hit Kobe (5:46 a.m. Japan time). Afterwards, participants were invited to ring the Kobe bell using a large log hanging horizontally to strike the outside of the bell.
It was such a poignant time to share and discuss the ceremony at the reception. Although invited guests were in attendance, it was a delight to meet the rest of the staff from each organization, learning of their connection and understanding of the remembrance.

Karin Zaugg Black, past president of the Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association and past JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching Program) participant who worked at Kobe City Hall during the earthquake, remarked, “It’s a true testament to the long history and strength of our sister city and sister port ties between Seattle and Kobe. Thirty years later, we still remember with our Kobe friends. That terrible disaster affected so many Kobe and Hyogo (Japan) people and those here in Seattle with strong Kobe connections. One good thing to come out of that terrible experience is the lessons learned in disaster preparedness, which has benefited the people of Seattle and the City of Seattle.”

The earthquake prompted a new law in Japan providing post-disaster assistance to affected residents and earthquake insurance. The nation also established a disaster management agency (starting in 2026) to expedite responses to earthquakes, typhoons and other natural disasters.

Kobe fears that when there are no witnesses left to share the story, the younger generation may forget and no longer have an annual ceremony in their city. The victims must be remembered, and the devastation of their beloved city must not be forgotten.

Hatsugama Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association

By
N.A.P Staff
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Hatsugama Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association

By Mie Ohno, NAP Contributor;
and Barbara Mizoguchi, NAP Editor

Left to right: Mrs. Yuko Iyori, Con. Gen. Makoto Iyori, and Tomio Moriguchi participating in the hatsugama. Photo credit: Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Assocation.

Last month was the hatsugama (first tea gathering of the year) performed by Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association at the Bellevue Children’s Academy in Bellevue, Washington.

Chado means “Japanese tea ceremony.” Urasenke is one of three types of Japanese tea ceremonies originating from the Sen no Rikyū family in the 1500s in Kyoto, Japan. More specifically, Sen perfected “The Way of Tea.” By the late 1940s, Urasenke established a foundation. Later, additional branches and tankokai (study group) associations were set up around the world. The Seattle tankokai association began in 1971, eventually becoming a nonprofit organization. Today, the 16th generation of the Sen Rikyū family is the head of the Urasenke school.

The ceremony includes the air/space which becomes the flavor of the tea. It must also capture the spirit of the season, occasion, time and place. Both the host and guest realize that the time shared is a “once in a lifetime” occasion.

Terry Kinjo performing the tea ceremony. Photo credit: Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association.

Mie and Hiroshi Ohno attended the event for the first time this year and shared their experiences. Mie Ohno asked what to wear as a visitor since she thought it was a “stiff and formal atmosphere where people sit in seiza (traditional sitting in Japan) and drink tea quietly throughout the tea ceremony.” However, she learned that Western business wear was appropriate, though many wore kimonos. About 60 guests sat in chairs, while watching two types of tea ceremonies. The Ryurei style was performed using a table and chairs and the Tatami mat style was performed on a tatami mat. Toward the end of each ceremony, association members shared the matcha tea with the guests. The thick tea was “mild in flavor and delicious,” said Mie Ohno. “We had a luxurious time enjoying tea prepared by members and homemade sweets while appreciating early spring-themed ikebana and hanging scrolls.” After the ceremony, guests had the opportunity to approach the stage to view more closely the table, utensils and tools as well as display of flowers and scrolls of artwork. Members were available to answer questions. They mentioned that each season is considered before choosing which tools and arrangements will be used for each ceremony.

The Ohnos witnessed a wide variety of guests including many non-Japanese Americans and Consul General of Japan in Seattle Makoto Iyori and his wife Yuko. Mie Ohno said, “It was a feast for the eyes as well to see various styles and prints of kimonos.” She added, “I would recommend this to those who are interested in drinking Japanese tea or matcha and to those who are too busy to enjoy their tea without time restrictions. I believe that taking time to savor the tea slowly is one of the precious moments in life for modern people who tend to race against time.”

The association offers other activities throughout the year. For more information about Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association and what is next, visit their website at: https://teaceremonyseattle.org/participate/list-of-event/.

Nakamoto Receives Order of Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays

By
Barbara Mizoguchi
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Nakamoto Receives Order of Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays

By Barbara Mizoguchi
NAP Editor

Left to right: Mrs. Iyori, Con. Gen. Iyori, Allen Nakamoto, and June Nakamoto with the award, plaque and flowers. Photo credit: Kyle McGroder.

On February 5, Consul General of Japan in Seattle Makoto Iyori and Mrs. Yuko Iyori hosted a reception at their temporary downtown residence in Seattle, Washington. It was to honor Allen Mamoru Nakamoto with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays. The order is administered by the Decoration Bureau of the Cabinet Office headed by the Japanese Prime Minister in the name of the Emperor.

Con. Gen. Iyori explained that the award is in recognition of Nakamoto’s “outstanding contributions to strengthening mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.” One of his key accomplishments was laying the foundation for the first Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. 7th Infantry Division collaboration while serving as the Nisei Veterans Committee (NVC) Commander in 2013. The collaboration began as a luncheon at NVC. It is now hosted annually by Japan-America Society of the State of Washington.

Con. Gen. Iyori presenting the award plaque to Allen Nakamoto. Photo credit: Kyle McGroder.

Nakamoto has also been promoting Japanese culture and business in the region. He served on the Board of Directors for the Eastside Nihon Matsuri (Japan Festival) Association in 2013 and later became vice chair. Nakamoto was also instrumental in its transition to Japan Fair by 2017. He is currently co-chair and vice-chair/financial officer of ASUNARO, the organization behind the event.

Con. Gen. Iyori then presented Nakamoto with the framed commendation and ceremoniously placed the pin on him. Mrs. Iyori also presented Nakamoto with a bouquet of flowers.

Left to right: Keith Yamaguchi, Allen Nakamoto and June Nakamoto toasting. Photo credit: Kyle McGroder.

In 1971, Nakamoto was discharged in Seattle from the U.S. Navy after four years and three deployments to Vietnam. After adjusting to civilian life, he met his future wife, June. During their 54-year marriage, they had three children and now have five grandchildren. However, life included the passing of their son. “I was broken,” says Nakamoto. He took early retirement after losing his ambition and energy.

After seeing an NVC advertisement about purchasing memorial bricks, Nakamoto purchased one in honor of his son who also served in the U.S. Navy. He then visited the NVC facility in Seattle. After taking a tour with then NVC Commander Keith Yamaguchi, he met Teruo Yorita who said, “Welcome home.” It was the first time Nakamoto’s military service was acknowledged. Nakamoto also noticed he had been harboring regrets, anger and anxiety (now defined as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), which was typical of Vietnam war veterans. He said, “I will never forget nor can apologize enough for the suffering I caused everyone in my family.” Nakamoto then joined NVC, became a commander and a Veterans Affairs service officer helping assist veterans and their families.

Con. Gen. Iyori pinning the award on Allen Nakamoto with June Nakamoto looking on. Photo credit: Barbara Mizoguchi.

After his talk, Keith Yamaguchi proposed a sake toast to his friend and colleague.

The event continued with food and drinks. It was an evening reflecting the life of a humble man receiving an honorable award at a wonderful location.

Apply Now! 2025 Seattle JACL Scholarships Applications

By
N.A.P Contributor
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Apply Now! 2025 Seattle JACL Scholarships Applications

By Seattle JACL
NAP Contributor

Seattle Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is proud to announce applications are now being accepted for the six 2025 youth scholarships to support students in continuing their education.

Each of the six scholarships were established in honor of Seattle-area Japanese American activists and leaders that made strides in community engagement and advancing access to education. They are the:

– Aki Kurose Memorial Scholarship  (Min.-$3,000)
– Bunshiro Tazuma Scholarship ($3,000)
– Cherry and Mas Kinoshita Scholarship ($3,000)
– Dr. Susumu Shimokon Memorial Scholarship ($5,000)
– Elaine Reiko Akagi Scholarship ($5,000)
– Minoru Tamesa Scholarship ($3,000)

Those eligible to apply include graduating high school seniors, current undergraduates, graduates and medical school students.

All scholarship applications and supplemental documents are due on Sunday, March 3, 2025. For more information about the Seattle JACL Scholarship Program, please visit our website: http://seattlejacl.org/programs/scholarships/.

If you have questions about the application process, contact Mika Rothman at mkuroserothman@gmail.com.

Seattle JACL is grateful for a recent generous bequest from the Shigeo and Toshiko Iseri Family Trust which will sustain our scholarship program for the future.

Calendar from February 14th Print issue

By
N.A.P Staff
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Day of Remembrance(DOR) Events:

February 19, 1942, is significant in American history whereby U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. It gave the U.S. Army authority during
World War II to remove Japanese and Japanese Americans living in Washington,
Oregon and California. Below are some remaining events occurring in the Puget
Sound area in remembrance:

The Tengu Club – Sun, Feb 16, 1-4 p.m. Seattle University Pigott Auditorium, 901 12th Ave, Seattle. 12 p.m. exhibits open. 1 p.m. The Tengu Club documentary film and performance by Hidaka Taiko begins. Free admission – all are welcome! A benefit for
the 2025 Minidoka Pilgrimage. By the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee. See:
https://www.minidokapilgrimage.org/copy-of-2025-minidoka-pilgrimage.

Erin Shigaki Talk – Tue, Feb 18, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Shoreline Community College, 16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline (north Seattle), Main Dining Room (MDR), Room 9215 Shoreline. Local artist and community activist Shigaki will present Never Again Is Now: Remembering Japanese American Incarceration and lead a mural-making workshop. Sushi and Japanese snacks will be provided. See: https://www.shoreline.edu/calendars/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D180668685.

Removed by Force film – Tue, Feb 18, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. University of Puget Sound, 1500 N. Warner St., Tacoma. Wheelock Student Center, Rasmussen Rotunda. Join UPS, Puyallup Valley JACL and Olympia JACL for a screening of the documentary on the
unlawful evictions of Japanese Americans in Hawai’i during World War II. This film
was written by UPS alumnus William Kaneko. He and director Ryan Kawamoto will
host a Q&A session after the screening. A specially curated menu of appetizers will be served. For more info, see: https://www.pugetsound.edu/events/japanese-american-day-remembrance-2025.

WA St. Legislative Resolution – Wed, Feb 19, 10 a.m.  Legislative Chambers, 416 Sid Snyder Ave SW, Olympia. WA St. Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos and Sen. Bob Hasegawa sponsor the annual resolution in the state legislature in remembrance of Executive Order 9066. Limited seating. RSVP to: Sarah Ellerbrock at Sarah.Ellerbrock@leg.wa.gov.

Stop Repeating History: Days of Remembrance and Resistance – Wed, Feb 19, 10-11 a.m. Pike Place Market entrance, 85 Pike Street, Seattle. The group will be wearing 1940s clothing and walking toward “expulsion.” “Call to Action” postcards will be distributed. By Tsuru for Solidarity. For more info, see: https://tsuruforsolidarity.org/seattle-area-day-of-remembrance-events-2025/ or contact Tsuru at: sktaiko1@mac.com.

Day of Remembrance Community Work Party – Wed, Feb 19, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.,
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, Pritchard Park, 4192 Eagle
Harbor Dr. NE, Bainbridge Island. Trim, weed, mulch and clean the outdoor feature of the memorial. All ages welcome. Tools provided. See: https://bijaema.org/event/2025-day-of-remembrance-community-work-party/. Sponsored by Bainbridge Island
Metro Park & Receation District.

Not Your Model Minority Film Screening – Wed, Feb 19, 5:00-6:30 p.m. Four Rivers Cultural Center, 676 SW Fifth Ave., Ontario, OR.  Award-winning documentary featuring post-screening discussion with filmmaker Jon Osaki; Cathy Yasuda, executive director of Treasure Valley Community College Foundation; and Daniel Liera-Huchim, director of Equity and Student Relations, Treasure Valley Community College, Caldwell,
Idaho. The screening is free but registration required at: https://notyourmodelminorityfilm.rsvpify.com/?securityToken=cQxeU5KC4PILW6IMKNVsdtEfa8yCmtCH. For more
info, see: https://www.minidoka.org/events/2025/2/19/nymm.

“Removed by Force: The Eviction of Hawaiʻi’s Japanese Americans During World II” film – Wed, Feb 19, 6 p.m. Blaine Methodist Church, 3001 24th Ave S,
Seattle. Relatively unknown experiences of 1,500 Americans of Japanese ancestry
from 23 geographic areas in Hawai’i who were evicted but not interned during World War II. After the film, a live discussion with filmmaker Ryan Kawamoto and
co-producer/writer William Kaneko.  By Olympia JACL, Puyallup Valley JACL and Seattle JACL.

Emerging Radiance: Honoring the Nikkei Farmers of Bellevue – Reception, Wed, Feb 19, 6-9 p.m. Recognition of elders and descendants, artist talk by Michelle
Kumata and Tani Ikeda, and film screening. Bellevue Library, 1111 110th Ave NE,
Bellevue. On display until Feb. 2027. Author talks throughout the week. More
information: https://bellevuewa.gov/emerging-radiance or https://www.emergingradiance.org/.

Manzanar Diverted film – Sat, Feb 22, 3-5 p.m. Featuring award-winning documentary filmmaker Ann Kaneko, UW Professor Vince Schleitwiler, Tsuru for Solidarity and UW Taiko Kai at the University of Washington Intellectual House, Seattle. Open to the public with $5 admission to cover catering.  Contact: okimoto@uw.edu or nikkeiuw@uw.edu. By UW Nikkei Student Union.

Chapter 11 — Part 3 Nisei and Their College Education〜History of Seattle Nikkei Immigrants from ‘The North American Times’

By
Ikuo Shinmasu
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History of Seattle Nikkei Immigrants from ‘The North American Times’

This series explores the history of the pre-war Japanese community in Seattle, by reviewing articles in “The North American Times,” which have been digitally archived by the University of Washington and Hokubei Hochi Foundation. Publication of this series is a joint project with discovernikkei.org.

By Ikuo Shinmasu
Translation by Mina Otsuka
For The North American Post

‘The North American Times’ was first printed on September 1, 1902, by publisher Kiyoshi Kumamoto from Kagoshima, Kyushu. At its peak, it had a daily circulation of about 9,000 copies, with correspondents in Spokane, Vancouver BC, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. When World War II started, Sumio Arima, the publisher at the time, was arrested by the FBI. The paper was discontinued on March 14, 1942, when the incarceration of Japanese American families began. After the war, the paper was revived as “The North American Post.”

Chapter 11 — Part 3 Nisei and Their College Education

Continuation from Jan. 10, 2025, print issue.

COMPARING COLLEGE STUDENTS IN JAPAN AND AMERICA

Sumiyoshi Arima, president of The North American Times, talked about college students in Japan and the U.S. in his column “Hokubei Shunju” as follows:

“College Students in America and Japan”
(December 13 and 14, 1938 issues)

The great majority of college students in Japan seem to be slacking off. This is because the college system itself is built in a way that lets them pass classes without much work. The reason behind it is they only have one exam at the end of the term. So as long as they cram for the exam hard enough to get a passing score, they are satisfied…Their schools do not have facilities such as common rooms, places to hangout or student clubs, so this leads to nearby mahjong halls and cafes all filled from morning…

College students in America also seem to enjoy their free time but study when they need to study. State universities, in particular, give their students exams more often, so they do not have an easy time.

The conditions at the University of Washington (UW) in recent years seem to have gotten worse.The way the students have fun is quite different as well, but this is probably natural. Japanese act differently on a fundamental level in an institution where males and females do not mingle. However, we cannot state which is better in simple terms. I believe that college students in Japan, not having the freedom and chance to be in relationships, should be taken more seriously as a problem in the future.

CONFERENCE OF JAPANESE AND AMERICAN STUDENTS

The conference of Japanese and American students was first held in Tokyo, Japan in 1934. The second one was held in America in the following year. From then on, it was held alternately in both countries every year until 1940.

▪️The First Conference▪️

“Building Friendship Between Japan and the U.S. Starts with Students”
(August 1, 1934 issue)

For four days starting July 14, the conference of Japanese and American students was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Hibiya Public Hall with 77 participants from the U.S. and 60 participants from Japan.

The conference was broadcast on live radio. With the slogan, ‘Building Friendship Between Japan and the U.S. Starts with Students,’ roundtable discussions were held on the following topics in each group of students: economics with 34 students, international issues with 50 students, politics with 16 students, and religion with 30 students.

▪️The Second Conference▪️

“The Conference of Japanese and American Students Takes Place in the U.S.”
(November 8, 1934 issue)

The conference will be held next summer in the U.S. and 100 students from Japan are expected to attend.

▪️The Sixth Conference▪️

“Participants of the Conference of Japanese and American Students　Officially Announced” 　(July 10,1939 issue)

The conference will start on August 11 at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California. Thirty-four male students and 14 female students will attend from Japan (their schools and names are listed).

“American Friendship at the Conference of Japanese and American Students”
(July 15, 1939 issue)

The 48 students planning to attend the sixth conference of Japanese and American students which will be held for a week starting August 11 at USC met for the first time at the International Students Institute.

The Japanese heard a sincere offer from the American side. The Americans stated they could not only pay for accommodation, but all expenses during the stay and allowances for those in need would be covered. The offer also included the message: “Please send our precious friends.” It was comforting to know this, for when and if the conference is to be held as planned. This is due to some obstacles such as the not-so-great relationship between the two countries today, and the strengthening of currency exchange which reportedly could have canceled the event.

The Japanese were informed of this cordial offer and learned that the conference was made possible with the mediation of the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry was moved by this beautiful friendship shown by America.

We can also see topics of discussion proposed by the Americans are not like the ones discussed at the past conferences, such as literature or art.Instead, we see those rooted in real life: current international problems, economic problems in the Pacific, military and national security, politics and its trends in both Japan and the U.S., working conditions, challenges for students, customs, religion and so on.

This also comes from the Americans’ willingness and thoughtfulness to listen to what Japan honestly has to say especially when it is in a disadvantaged position internationally and is in its barest form.

“Participants of the Conference of Students Leave Los Angeles Today”
(August 23,1939 issue)

After the conference at USC ended on the 18th, participants left on the 23rd. They will visit the Los Angeles Exposition on the 27th, leave San Francisco on the 30th, arrive in Seattle via Portland and board Heian-Maru Ocean liner on September 17 to return to Japan.
There was an article reporting the speeches that were given by the participants of the conference when they visited Seattle on September 12.

“Last Night’s Student Speeches” (September 13, 1939 issue)

Participants from Japan who attended the Conference of Japanese and American Students gave speeches last night at the Japan Hall with 400 people in the audience from in and out of the country.

Educational director Fujihira led the event as the Master of Ceremony. Students gave their speeches one by one, addressing various topics such as the progress and their impression of the Conference of Japanese and American students. They also shared their thoughts on the world in relation to Japan and America, the current situation of women, Japan’s economic development, Japanese economy during wartime, and family life in Japan. Their speeches were full of enthusiasm and passion, and were well-received with a great round of applause.

▪️The Seventh Conference▪️

“The Seventh Student Conference To Be Held in Tokyo This Summer”
(January 31, 1940 issue)

Six students will be sent from UW to Japan leaving San Francisco on July 1. After the one-week conference, they will go on a three-week trip, at the invitation of the Japanese. They will travel around various areas of Japan as well as Manchukuo.

THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON DURING THE JAPAN-U.S. WAR

I found an English article published right before the start of Nikkei (Japanese American) incarceration in 1942 reporting on Nisei students at the UW. Below is a summary.

“UW Campus Nisei Still on the Job” (Front page of the February 27, 1942 issue)

The UW authorities made the following comment today, “Residents are demanding that Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans) who work in public schools in the City of Seattle be fired. As for the Nisei who are employed at the UW, however, such action has not been made.

Those Nisei are full-time employees working at among 1700 facilities which hold office employees, on-site workers, and others. Henry F. Tatsumi is a veteran of the U.S. Army from World War I and is currently an associate professor of East Asian Studies. The other five are lecturers at the graduate school. There are either full-time or part-time staff in various departments of the school as office workers.

There was an article about the students at the UW during the war.

“424 Nisei at UW” (March 6, 1942 issue)

According to the report from the UW authorities, 435 Japanese students filed their applications for admission at the beginning of the year, and only 11 of them were Japanese citizens. The rest of them reportedly were all Nikkei citizens… As of now, there is no plan for the school to expel those students.

IN CONCLUSION

There were few Japanese students at the UW around 1919. The number kept increasing and reached 102 in 1926, 250 in 1939, and 435 in 1942; most of them were American-born Nisei. Also, the percentage of female students in 1908 was 0; however, it went up to 25% in 1926 and reached 40% in 1939, which shows that more and more Nisei women went to college as time passed. Nisei children who acquired skills at a university in America overcame various obstacles and made outstanding accomplishments in a number of different fields.

References:
▪️Jyushiro Kato, History of Development of Japanese in the United States, Hakubun-sha, 1908.
▪️Hokubei Nenkan, Hokubei jijisha, 1928.
▪️Kojiro Takeuchi, History of Japanese Immigrants in the Northwestern United States, Taihoku Nippo-sha, 1929.

*The English version of this series is a collaboration between Discover Nikkei and The North American Post, Seattle’s bilingual community newspaper. This article was originally published in Japanese on June 1, 2022, in The North American Post.

Ikuo Shinmasu retired in 2015 from Air Liquide Japan Ltd. then researched his grandfather who migrated to Seattle, Washington. He shared his findings through the series, “Yoemon Shinmasu – My Grandfather’s Life in Seattle,” in  The North American Post and in “Discover Nikkei” in Japanese and English during 2019-2020. He lives in Zushi, Kanagawa, Japan with his wife and son.
Mina Otsuka is a Japanese translator and writer.

Book Review: The Afterlife Is Letting Go

By
Pamela A. Okano
-

Book Review: The Afterlife Is Letting Go

By Panmela Okano
NAP Contributor

The Afterlife Is Letting Go is a series of essays about the Japanese American incarceration during World War II and its effects on later generations. For Shimoda, the afterlife of the incarceration has simply moved into another stage. The author, Brandon Shimoda, is a poet, so it is not surprising that his prose in this book is beautifully written.

The book opens with the murder of Issei (first generation Japanese American) James Hatsuaki Wakasa, who was shot by a guard at Topaz incarceration camp in Delta, Utah. The circumstances of his death are unclear: he might have been reaching for an unusual flower just outside the fence; he might have been trying to escape; he might have been deaf so that he could not hear the guard’s warning call; he might have been walking his dog. No one is sure.  What is certain is that after his death, other Issei men erected a monument in his memory, consisting of a 2000-lb stone, smaller stones and some cement. But the government ordered that it be destroyed. A few days later, the large stone appeared to be gone.

Several years later, the stone was found where the monument originally was placed. Mostly buried, just the top was sticking out of the ground. Topaz survivors and descendants called a meeting to discuss what, if anything, should be done with it. As one Japanese American archaeologist explained, “Excavation and removal are by their nature irreversible and destructive acts.”

But before a decision could be made, the director of the Topaz Museum, a white woman, arranged to have the stone hastily dug up and moved into the museum. She did not give the Topaz survivors or descendants advance notice. Many of them were devastated. As Karen Korematsu, Fred Korematsu’s daughter, explained, “All incarceration sites … need to be viewed as sacred. Accountability and transparency are the only ways to stop multi-generational trauma across all racial communities.”

Before the war, there were 43 Japantowns just in California. Now there are only three: in Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco. The Japantown in Seattle, what little is left of it, is hanging on by a thread despite valiant efforts by some Japanese Americans to resurrect it. As my friend Soji Kashiwagi once said, “They’ve destroyed our culture.” Fortunately, Eric Hayashi has restored the historic Nippon Kan Theater, built in 1909, which can now be used as an event space. Tours can be booked at: https://www.kobeparkevents.com/contact.

One chapter of the book is devoted to the Nakamoto Group. The Chief Executive Officer of the Group is Jennifer Nakamoto, a Yonsei. The Nakamoto Group contracted with the U.S. government to inspect several United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, receiving more than $25 million from the federal government through 2019. Because of complaints about the inspections, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security found that the Nakamoto Group had “misrepresented the work performed in evaluating the actual conditions of the facilities.” The faulty inspections may have resulted in the deaths of several detainees. (NAP 9/29/24) When Ms. Nakamoto was called to testify before U.S Congress, she cited her family’s incarceration experience during World War II. Members of Tsuru for Solidarity showed up at the Nakamoto Group headquarters in Washington, D.C., hoping to present her with eight bankers boxes of petitions and statements from the Japanese American community. Ms. Nakamoto was not there, and Group personnel refused to accept the boxes. As one activist said, “We were coming there to call her out, but we were also coming there as a community.” Shimoda noted, “Because the person who has fallen farthest from the community might still be considered a member of that community, and worth saving.”

The Civil Liberties Act, which provided reparations for incarceration survivors, had originally contained a $50 million proviso for public education. Sadly, this amount was lobbied down to $5 million, making it a certainty that very few Americans would know about the Japanese American incarceration even now.

Indeed, perhaps the most searing part of the book for me was reading about descendants who told their teachers about the incarceration. Many of these teachers refused to believe them and some even punished the students for telling lies. Why? Because they could not believe that their government — OUR government — would do such a thing. This is why for the last 20 years, every sixth grader on Bainbridge Island, Washington, spends a week or two learning about the incarceration, culminating in a visit by survivors (who were either children or babies when they went to camp) and descendants of survivors. A handful of schools have adopted a similar approach, but the vast majority have not. Our story is worth telling, so we must tell it.

The Afterlife Is Letting Go is a worthy addition to anyone’s Japanese American library.

Reconnecting with my Japanese Heritage

By
N.A.P Contributor
-

Reconnecting with my Japanese Heritage

By Ezra Ho
NAP Contributor

My name is Ezra Ho. I graduated college in 2022 and started a job recently with the Washington State government. I joined the Fukushima kenjinkai about a year and a half ago.

I first became interested in researching my Japanese ancestry around the time my mom passed away in 2021 while I was in college. I was struck deeply at the time by grief but also by the fact that so much knowledge about my family, traditions and history was lost at the same time. I realized how within only one or two generations so many things can be lost if people do not take the time to preserve them and pass them on to the younger generation.

Ezra at a family gravesite in Oahu in 2022 where several family members are buried. Ezra stands next to the headstone of his great great grandfather Kaju Hanzawa — the first family member to immigrate to Hawaii.

At the time, my only connection to the Japanese side of my family was my grandma on the island of Oahu in Hawaii and the anime I periodically watched with my friends. My grandma was sick at the time, and I knew she would not last much longer in this world. So, when I next visited her, I spent a great deal of time talking with her about the stories she told me of her childhood and of her grandfather who immigrated to Oahu from the city of Fukushima in Japan. I also learned he was a master carpenter and how they lived in a house that was built by his ancestor that is still standing to this day in Fukushima.

After my grandma passed away in 2022, I spoke to her sisters and my aunty who told me about the research they did into the history of the family in Fukushima. Later that same year, after attending my grandma’s funeral, I visited the gravesites of my ancestors buried at the Honolulu National Memorial Cemetery in Hawaii. I even managed to get in touch with acquaintances and distant cousins who still lived in the region. I became curious to learn more which was when I found out about the kenjinkai for children of immigrants from the Fukushima region.

Ezra Ho and his grandmother Ida Ho in 2022 shortly before her passing in Oahu, Hawaii. Photo credit: Ezra Ho.

I first learned about the kenjinkai from my aunty who lives in Oahu. She had heard about my interest in family history and told me about a trip my cousin had taken that was sponsored by the Fukushima kenjinkai in Hawaii. She had close friends who were heavily involved in the group that got me in touch with the Seattle one. The kenjinkai invited me to participate in things like mochi-making and learning about the different cultural groups present in the Seattle area. It also helped me grieve the loss of my grandmother whom I was rather close to throughout my life. These events and activities allowed me to not only reconnect with my ancestors who came before me but also to collect information that I share with my extended family and safeguard for future generations.

As an American of mixed race growing up in the U.S. and because of the geographical separation, I had limited experience in the traditions and history on the Asian side of my family. They lived far away. My only experience of the culture was through short visits every few years.

My dad was doing his best to pass on cultural artifacts from his childhood. My mom tried her best, but she had a very hard time understanding the cultural differences. Despite my limited experience, I always loved the sense of community and family whenever I visited Oahu to see my grandparents and cousins.

I have learned so much but there is always so much more to discover. I am planning a trip in the near future to see Fukushima and the rest of Japan firsthand. I have seen photographs of my great great great grandfather being buried and where he lived, which is still standing. I hope one day to walk the same places he did a hundred years ago. I am also taking time to learn from the other sides of my family – the Chinese side as well as those who immigrated from Europe. My hope is to inspire others, not only to learn about themselves, but also to share what they already know with their children. I believe others can share in the wonder of knowing about all the people who brought them into this world.

National Archives Whitewashing “Ugly” Histories

By
N.A.P Contributor
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National Archives Whitewashing “Ugly” Histories

By Densho
NAP Contributor

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is probably not a household name for most Americans. This federal agency oversees billions of documents, from the Declaration of Independence to electronic records covering more recent events, as well as a vast collection of historical photos. Among them are important records of the Japanese American World War II incarceration: Dorothea Lange’s iconic images of families reporting for forced removal, War Relocation Authority (WRA) data on the people they imprisoned, and where they went upon leaving the camps, and much more.

Two Japanese American children arrive at the Turlock Assembly Center, California. Photo credit: Dorothea Lange and Densho.

Managing the National Archives, its museum, and adjacent education center on the National Mall is a huge responsibility. But instead of educating the public about WWII incarceration and other dark chapters of American history, U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan has spent the last year quietly whitewashing that history.

Shogan, who was confirmed in May 2023, instructed employees to erase references to Japanese American incarceration from educational materials, and ordered the removal of Lange’s photos of WRA concentration camps from a planned exhibit at the National Archives Museum — claiming it was too negative and controversial. Also targeted for removal were photographs of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and labor activist Dolores Huerta, and references to the displacement and dispossession of Indigenous people. According to employees, after a review of an exhibit on westward expansion, Shogan asked, “Why is it so much about Indians?”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. participates in a civil rights march in 1963. The photo was removed from a planned exhibit and replaced with a photo (right) of U.S. President Richard Nixon shaking hands with singer Elvis Presley. Photos courtesy of the National Archives and Densho.

NARA defended this exclusion by claiming “it is imperative that the National Archives welcomes — and feels welcoming to — all Americans.” But let’s be clear: erasing the experiences of people of color in this country is not welcoming. Excluding our stories from the National Archives excludes us from American history.

This is a blatant dog whistle. When Shogan and her senior staff say “average visitors” like “Iowa farmers” should feel welcomed and not “confronted” by the National Archives, they are prioritizing the comfort of white visitors over the inclusion of communities of color. When they say their exhibits must show American history in a positive light, they are keeping the wrongs done to our ancestors in the dark.

Whitewashing the “ugly” parts of our history because they might make viewers uncomfortable or anger certain politicians is an act of censorship. It also stands in stark contrast to NARA’s stated mission “to provide equitable public access” to government records “by allowing all Americans of all backgrounds to claim their rights of citizenship, hold their government accountable, and understand their history so they can participate more effectively in their government.” If the stories of only some Americans are represented and uplifted in the National Archives, then only some can claim those rights — and none of us can fully understand and reckon with our history.

“It’s the National Archives’ responsibility to protect access to these records because they really belong to all of us,” said Densho Archives Director Caitlin Oiye Coon. “It’s only by confronting all parts of American history, the good and the bad, that we can learn from it and begin to heal.”

In NARA’s own words, “Leading a nonpartisan agency during an era of political polarization is not for the faint of heart.” Let’s hope that Shogan and her fellow leaders at the National Archives develop the courage to choose historical accuracy over censorship — or move out of the way for archivists who are not afraid to tell the truth.

Nikkei Manor Receives $625K Seattle JACL Bequest

By
N.A.P Contributor
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By Nikkei Manor
NAP Contributor

The Seattle Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (Seattle JACL) announced a major donation of $625,000 to Keiro Northwest, the operator of Nikkei Manor Assisted Living facility. It was part of a bequest it received in 2023 from the Shigeo and Toshiko Iseri Family Trust. “Nikkei Manor is an invaluable institution of our community,” said Kyle Kinoshita, Seattle JACL Chapter President. “They’ve been providing bilingual, affordable, and compassionate care for decades. We are proud to fulfill the wishes of the Iseri family to support Nikkei Manor’s steadfast commitment to serving our community.”

Keiro Northwest is a community-based nonprofit organization in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District in Washington, dedicated to serving elders. Its assisted living facility, Nikkei Manor, is Seattle’s oldest Asian American Pacific Islander senior care facility. Seattle JACL and Keiro Northwest have deep ties. Seattle JACL members and leaders helped in the founding of Keiro Northwest in 1975, its capital campaign to build Nikkei Manor in 1998, and throughout its rich history of service.

In 2023, the Iseri family, who resided in Michigan, bequeathed funds to Seattle JACL with the direction that half of the funds benefit a residence caring for aged members of the Japanese American community. The other half is to be used for Seattle JACL youth scholarships.

Seattle JACL presents a bequest check to Nikkei Manor during a small ceremony. Left to right: Susan Okamoto Lane, Keiro Northwest Board of Directors Kyle Kinoshita, Seattle JACL board president; Amy Nguyen, Nikkei Manor Executive Director; Alicia Taniguchi Eng, Keiro Northwest board; and Sheldon Arakaki, Seattle JACL board treasurer. Photo credit: Seattle JACL.

Keiro Northwest’s assisted living facility, Nikkei Manor, is Seattle’s oldest Asian American Pacific Islander senior care facility. Photo credit: Seattle JACL.

Fulfilling an Unmet Need

It is often reported that Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are the fastest growing racial group in the United States. Over the next 50 years, Diverse Elders Coalition reports the number of AAPIs aged 65 and older is expected to grow more than 350%, from 1.6 million to 7.3 million people.

Despite this, there are inadequate health services that are culturally-responsive to the diverse backgrounds of AAPI seniors. There are troubling disparities in health outcomes across different racial groups in the U.S. The rising affordability crisis of senior services, language-barriers to receive service, as well as stigma and isolation, are all part of the puzzle.

For the Japanese American community across the United States, demographics are older on average than the general population. This is even more so for those born in Japan. According to a 2019 Pew Research Study, 25 percent of all Japanese American Shin Nikkei (those born in Japan after World War II, many of whom were war brides) are 65 years of age or older, compared to 17 percent of the general population.

After careful consideration, Seattle JACL singled out Keiro Northwest and Nikkei Manor for the award, acknowledging its efforts to provide high-quality, affordable assisted living services in a linguistically and culturally-sensitive manner. Seattle JACL presented the check for the award in a small ceremony at Nikkei Manor in December 2024.

Golden Circle Awards OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates

By
Barbara Mizoguchi
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By Barbara Mizoguchi
NAP Editor

Left-right: Doug Chin, incoming OCA Seattle board co-president; Tomio Moriguchi, awardee; Tuk Eng, awardee; Connie So, outgoing OCA board of directors president; Dolores Sibonga, awardee; and Dylan Hartano, incoming OCA board co-president. Photo credit: Barbara Mizoguchi.

The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) Asian Pacific American Advocates of Greater Seattle recently held its annual Lunar New Year Celebration and Golden Circle Awards. Approximately 500 guests gathered at Ding Feng Seafood Restaurant in Seattle, Washington, as current OCA Seattle Board of Directors President Connie So announced the organization’s past year accomplishments.

Awards were presented to: Dolores Sibonga, a 93-year-old attorney and first woman of color to serve on the Seattle City Council; Tuck Eng, a 91-year-old retired engineer and Chinatown/International District (CID) preservationist; Jackson Street Community Council (1946-1967), a model of cooperation despite inter-racial tension (The council merged with the Central Area Community Council to become the Central Seattle Community Council); and Tomio Moriguchi, an 88-year-old CID entrepreneur and patron. The event program said, “Tomio Moriguchi is a visionary … and community treasure … no one has done more for the local Asian American community …”

The awards began in 2000 honoring unsung heroes. These individuals/ organizations perform great deeds but receive little or no recognition within the Chinese American community. For more information, see: https://ocaseattle.org/.

Calendar from January 24th Print Issue

By
N.A.P Staff
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JANUARY

Kintsugi: The Restorative Art of Naoko Fukumaru –through Jan 27, Wed-Mon, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (closed Tuesdays). Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave., Portland. Ancient method of mending damaged ceramics using urushi (natural lacquer) dusted with powdered gold. Highlights the beauty of imperfections. Explores themes of healing through the artwork. https://japanesegarden.org/events/kintsugi-the-restorative-art-of-naoko-fukumaru/.

Bonsai –Fri, Jan 24, 1:15-2:15 p.m., Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center, Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave., Portland. Presentation by Andrew Robson – a deciduous artist in the American bonsai community. Robson is president of the Bonsai Society of Portland – largest bonsai club in the United States. https://japanesegarden.org/events/cultural-demonstration-bonsai-104/.

Ikebana – Sat, Jan 25, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center, Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave., Portland. Ikebana presentation by Jeffrey Robson from the Ikenobo School of Ikebana. https://japanesegarden.org/events/cultural-demonstration-ikebana-72/.

Exhibition of Secondary Market Offerings – through Feb 15, Tue-Sat, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, Seattle. Known for exhibiting emerging, nationally established, and Northwest artists; and curators of exhibition resale works. Strong collection of NW masters and internationally known artists. Collage works by Paul Horiuchi, paintings by Kenneth Callahan, works by Guy Anderson, drawing by Morris Graves, and a sculpture by James Washington Jr. https://www.gregkucera.com/.

Day of Remembrance(DOR) Events:

February 19, 1942, is significant in American history whereby U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. It gave the U.S. Army authority during World War II to remove Japanese and Japanese Americans living in Washington, Oregon and California. Below are some events occurring in the Puget Sound area in remembrance:

Criminals Book Reading for late Ben Masaoka – Sun, Feb. 2, 2-4 p.m. Mam’s Books, 608 Maynard Ave S, Seattle. Join Seattle writers: Carla Crujido (The Strange Beautiful), Frank Abe (We Hereby Refuse), Lucy Tan (What We Were Promised), Bruce Rutledge (Chin Music Press), and Dan Deweese (Propeller Books) for a reading and celebration of Ben Masaoka’s posthumously published debut novel Criminals.  Wing Luke Museum is a partner of this event. https://resisters.com/2025/01/09/asserting-our-history-and-defending-civil-liberties-in-2025/.

DOR Program – Sat, Feb 8, 10:30 a.m. (doors open 10 a.m.) Remembrance Gallery, Expo Hall, Washington State fairgrounds, 110 – 9th Ave SW, Puyallup. By the Seattle JACL, Tsuru for Solidarity, Densho, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington, Minidoka Pilgrimage and Puyallup Valley – JACL. https://puyallupvalleyjacl.org/gallery/gallery-events/.

Dual Program – Sat, Feb 8, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. WA St. fairgrounds, 110 9th Ave SW, Puyallup. Then 1-2 p.m. moving to NW Detention Center, 1623 E, “J” St, Tacoma By Puyallup Valley – JACL, Tsuru for Solidarity, Seattle JACL, and Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee. https://www.minidokapilgrimage.org/.

Fundraiser and Program – Sun, Feb 16, 1- 4 p.m. Seattle University Pigott Auditorium, 901 12th Ave, Seattle. Tentatively, “The Tengu Club” documentary film and performance by Hidaka Taiko. By the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee. https://www.minidokapilgrimage.org/.

Erin Shigaki Talk with Scott Kurashige – Tue, Feb 18, time TBD. Shoreline Community College, 16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline (north Seattle). https://www.shoreline.edu/.

Day of Exile Event – Feb 19 Wed, time TBA. Mukai Farm and Garden, 18017 107th Ave SW, Vashon. https://mukaifarmandgarden.org/ .

DOR at the Legislative Chambers – Wed, Feb 19, 10 a.m. 416 Sid Snyder Ave SW Olympia.

DOR Press Conference – Wed, Feb 19, 10 a.m. Pike Place Market, 85 Pike Street, Seattle. By Tsuru for Solidarity with “Call to Action” postcards being distributed. Details of speakers TBA. Questions, contact: kikujhughes@gmail.com.

“Removed by Force” film – Wed, Feb 19, 6 p.m. Blaine Methodist Church, 3001 24th Ave S, Seattle. By Puyallup Valley – JACL and Seattle JACL.

Emerging Radiance: Honoring the Nikkei Farmers of Bellevue – Reception, Wed, Feb 19, 5-8 p.m. Recognition of elders and descendants, artist talk, and film screening. Bellevue Library, 1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue. On display until Feb. 2027. Author talks throughout the week. More information: https://bellevuewa.gov/emerging-radiance.

UW Nikkei Student Union DOR Program – Sat, Feb 22, 3-5 p.m. Featuring Ann Kaneko (award-winning documentary filmmaker of Manzanar, Diverted), UW Professor Vince Schleitwiler, Tsuru for Solidarity, and UW Taiko Kai at the University of Washington Intellectual House, Seattle. Open to the public with $5 admission to cover catering. Contact: okimoto@uw.edu or nikkeiuw@uw.edu.



Chapter 11 — Part 2 Nisei and Their College Education〜History of Seattle Nikkei Immigrants from ‘The North American Times’

By
Ikuo Shinmasu
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Students near fireplace at the Japanese Students Club, an earlier name for SYNKOA House, the former home of the current UW Nikkei Alumni Association at the University of Washington, ca 1941. Photo: Densho, UW Nikkei Alumni Association Collection.

History of Seattle Nikkei Immigrants from ‘The North American Times’

This series explores the history of the pre-war Japanese community in Seattle, by reviewing articles in “The North American Times,” which have been digitally archived by the University of Washington and Hokubei Hochi Foundation (hokubeihochi.org/digital-archive). Publication of this series is a joint project with discovernikkei.org.

By Ikuo Shinmasu
Translation by Mina Otsuka
For The North American Post

‘The North American Times’ was first printed on September 1, 1902, by publisher Kiyoshi Kumamoto from Kagoshima, Kyushu. At its peak, it had a daily circulation of about 9,000 copies, with correspondents in Spokane, Vancouver BC, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. When World War II started, Sumio Arima, the publisher at the time, was arrested by the FBI. The paper was discontinued on March 14, 1942, when the incarceration of Japanese American families began. After the war, the paper was revived as “The North American Post.”

Chapter 11 — Part 2 Nisei and Their College Educations

CONNECTION BETWEEN　THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON AND JAPANESE COMMUNITY

“Female Students from UW Go Sightseeing in Japantown”
(August 17, 1938 issue)

Thirty-five female students taking summer classes at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, Washington, went sightseeing in Japantown, just south of downtown. It was an event arranged by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) at UW. Though we call them university students, some were high school students taking summer classes and others were elementary school teachers; there were even some elderly ladies with grey hair.

The group visited the Japanese (language) school, enjoyed Mr. Kubota’s Japanese garden, repeatedly calling out the word “wonderful,” had their sense of curiosity stimulated at the (Seattle) Nichiren (Buddhist) church, and stopped by the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (The Anglican Episcopal Church of Japan). They then visited our (newspaper) headquarters, walked around the factory asking a series of tricky questions, got a chance to see the rotary press in operation, bought one copy of The North American Times and left the office.

After that, they tried some Japanese sweets at Sagami-ya on Main Street, flipped through some Japanese magazines next door at Sanrindo, looked inside Toyo-uoten (fishmonger), enjoyed a Japanese meal at Maneki-tei and left feeling completely satisfied.

“Wardrobe from the Heian Era at the UW Museum”
(November 12, 1938, issue)

Mr. Miyatake has treasured the attire worn by the presiding officer at the coronation ceremony of the present emperor. He has decided to donate it as a token of appreciation to UW which educates a great number of Japanese students. UW was deeply touched by Mr. Miyatake’s benevolence and has decided to display it in the tokonoma alcove in its grand museum which was given by the International Culture Promotional Association.

To be continued

References:
▪️Jyushiro Kato, History of Development of Japanese in the United States, Hakubun-sha, 1908.
▪️Hokubei Nenkan, Hokubei jijisha, 1928.
▪️Kojiro Takeuchi, History of Japanese Immigrants in the Northwestern United States, Taihoku Nippo-sha, 1929.

*The English version of this series is a collaboration between Discover Nikkei and The North American Post, Seattle’s bilingual community newspaper. This article was originally published in Japanese on June 1, 2022, in The North American Post.

Ikuo Shinmasu retired in 2015 from Air Liquide Japan Ltd. then researched his grandfather who migrated to Seattle, Washington. He shared his findings through the series, “Yoemon Shinmasu – My Grandfather’s Life in Seattle,” in  The North American Post and in “Discover Nikkei” in Japanese and English during 2019-2020. He lives in Zushi, Kanagawa, Japan with his wife and son.
Mina Otsuka is a Japanese translator and writer.

Smithsonian Highlights Japanese War Brides in a New Traveling Exhibition

By
N.A.P Contributor
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Smithsonian Highlights Japanese War Brides
in a New Traveling Exhibition

By Jennifer Schommer
NAP Contributor

Toyo Swartz (second from left) attended brides school after her 1952 marriage in Yokohama, Japan. Photo courtesy of the Swartz family.

The experiences of the nearly 45,000 Japanese women who immigrated to the United States as wives of American military service members after World War II are explored. The new exhibition is titled, “Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide” from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). These young women left their homes to build lives within the complexities of postwar American society. Their experiences reshaped communities by challenging immigration laws and race relations.

“Japanese War Brides” debuted at the Irving Archives and Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, in Irving, Texas, and will remain on view through April 6, 2025. It will continue to tour museums and cultural organizations across the United States through 2028.

The lives of Japanese citizens and occupying American servicemen during the Allied Occupation in Japan, 1945-1952. Photo credit: National Archives.

“Japanese War Brides” examines the lives of ordinary women living in extraordinary times. These women navigated the wide divide between the country of their birth and the country of their husbands. It was a divide of cultural, social and legal differences. The exhibition begins by examining how the lives of Japanese citizens and American service men intertwined during the Allied Occupation of Japan between 1945 and 1952. It outlines the obstacles of U.S. laws banning Asian immigration and the push to change perceptions following WWII.

The exhibition highlights how these women learned to be mid-century American housewives while preserving their cultures. It is a story as varied as their circumstances, from geography and the race of one’s husband, to religion, work or whether the couple had a military or civilian career.

Mixed race couples were often denied service in 1955. Photo courtesy of McConney family.

Through touchscreen displays, visitors can explore a historical and cultural timeline highlighting significant dates relevant to Japanese war brides in both the U.S. and Japan. They can also hear personal accounts from Japanese women and their families that reflect on the themes of the bride schools, moving to the United States, marriage, parenting, identity and community.

Videos showcase segments from 1950 films which helped shape expectations on both sides of the world. Films produced by the Allied forces screened throughout Japan during the occupation period promoted American sentiments and values. While in the U.S., films and other media played a pivotal role in creating new stereotypes of Japanese people and Japanese women, in particular.

The arrival of these brides marked the largest women-only immigration event in U.S. history. By 1960, they had increased the population of Asian Americans in the U.S. by 10 percent. In contrast to other waves of immigrants, war brides did not settle in established immigrant communities with strong Japanese cultural roots. They lived in cities and towns, big and small, across America, often without familial, linguistic or cultural support networks. Not all women lived happy lives nor had intact marriages, but many carved out meaningful lives in their communities despite formidable challenges.

The exhibition draws upon the work of three daughters of Japanese war brides to better understand their mothers’ experiences. Through War Bride Experience Inc., Lucy Craft, Karen Kasmauski and Kathryn Tolbert collected oral histories of war brides and members of their families. The exhibition features these voices and personal reflections on life in postwar Japan and the U.S.

“Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide” is a collaboration between SITES, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and War Bride Experience Inc. The exhibition received federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. Additional funding was provided by the Sachiko Kuno Philanthropic Fund.

The national tour of “Japanese War Brides” will continue through the end of summer 2028. Not all the locations are confirmed at this time. The current schedule is noted below. Updates will be available on the Tour Schedule tab at: sites.si.edu.

Current bookings (as of 12/4/2024):

Irving Archives and Museum, Irving, TX 
Dec. 14, 2024 – April 6, 2025
Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, Florida
May 1 – Aug. 31, 2025
Louisiana’sOld State Capital, Baton Rouge, LA
March 21 – May 31, 2026
Mills Station Arts & Culture Center, Rancho Cordova, CA
Dec. 19, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027
The Historical Society of Saginaw County, Saginaw, MI
March 18 – May 28, 2028

About SITES | Smithsonian Affiliations
The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service | Smithsonian Affiliations (SITES | Affiliations) deepens the impact of the Smithsonian beyond Washington, D.C. It brings high-quality content, resources and expertise to people across the nation in collaboration with museums and cultural organizations. SITES | Affiliations is home to traveling exhibitions, a vast network of Smithsonian Affiliate organizations. It also collaborates with the Museum on Main Street program that brings the Smithsonian to rural communities across the United States and beyond. Visit SITES | Affiliations for more information at: sites.si.edu.

Calendar from January 10th Print Issue

By
N.A.P Staff
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JANUARY

OrcaCon 2025 WA Tabletop Gaming Convention Returns – Jan 10-12, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Sea-Tac, 18740 International Blvd, Seattle. Newly expanded venue with more space and games. Improved transportation including Light Rail and shuttle services. Whether a seasoned gamer or newcomer, OrcaCon is inclusive featuring open play and scheduled games. Game library available and friendly volunteers to teach and play games with you. Larger rooms for RPGs, miniatures, and social deduction games. Industry panels, workshops, and special guest appearances. Merchants Hall with vendors showcasing the latest gaming accessories, collectibles, and indie games. Plus, a Community Row. Register at: https://www.orcacon.org/registration-info/.

Bainbridge Island Mochitsuki – Sat, Jan 11, 11a.m. – 3 p.m., free but donations welcomed. Woodward Middle School, 9125 Sportsman Club Road, Bainbridge Island. Authentic mochi steaming, mochi pounding, form your own mochi balls, musubi for purchase, origami folding, group obon dance workshop, and taiko drum performances. https://bijac.org.

Mochitsuki Event, Call for Volunteers – Sat, Jan 11, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Seattle Chapter – Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) needs volunteers of all ages from its membership for the upcoming community-only event in Seattle. To volunteer or attend, please contact Tsuki Nomura-Henley at: snowy3000@gmail.com.

Taken From Their Families: Japanese American Incarceration on Angel Island During World War II exhibition – Jan 18 – Apr 6, Wed-Sat 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sun 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Japanese American Museum of Oregon, 411 NW Flanders St.,　Portland. The former immigration center was used to process prisoners of war and Nikkei community leaders living on the West Coast and Hawaii. Includes 24 individual stories who passed through its gates. https://jamo.org/angel-island/. Friends of JAMO reception – Fri, Jan 17, 5-7 p.m. RSVP by Jan 15 at: https://jamo.org/event/taken-reception/.

Sixth SEIJIN-shiki USA by JIA (Japanese in America) Foundation – Sun, Jan 19, 2 p.m. (doors open), 3 p.m. (program begins), Meydenbauer Center Theatre, 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue. Anyone whose birthday falls between January 2003 and March 2005 regardless of nationality, ethnicity or Japanese language proficiency can register. Free to attend; pre-registration is required and now open at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seijin-shiki-usa-2025-tickets-1022268993077; space limited to first 150 registrants. General public registration now open, limited seating, $10 per person. Donors who contribute $100 or more will be given priority invitations to VIP seating. SEIJIN-shiki USA is every other year starting 2025. No SEIJIN-shiki USA 2026. The seventh SEIJIN-shiki USA is 2027. For more information, see: https://seijinusa.org/2025-celebration/.

Protecting You & Your Loved Ones: Financial Planning by the Decade (60s and beyond) – Fri, Jan 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Nikkei Manor, 700 Sixth Ave S, Seattle. RSVP at: tfaasuamalie@keironw.org or call 206-726-6474. https://keironw.org/.

 

Year of the Snake Drawings by Seattle Japanese Language School Students 2/2

By
N.A.P Staff
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Japanese Cultural & Community Center of WA
ワシントン州日本文化会館

Year of the Snake Drawings by
Seattle Japanese Language School Students

By Daphne, 13years old
By Willa, 9yeasrs old
By Sonoma, 11years old
By Daniela, 14years old
By Malina, 11years old
By Kaila, 10years old
By Bennett, 9years old
By Lupita, 11years old
By Anna, 13years old
By Hiroki, 9years old
 By Reuben, 10years old
By Andreas, 12years old
By Ivy, 11years old
By Molly, 14years old
By Mila, 10years old
By Aarav, 13years old
 By Essah, 12years old
By Eliza, 9 years old
By Wyatt, 16 years old

Japanese Artwork from Japan Presented in Seattle

By
Barbara Mizoguchi
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Japanese Artwork from Japan Presented in Seattle

By Barbara Mizoguchi
NAP Editor

Those of us who have an interest or a background in the arts look forward to Seattle Art Fair each summer. Afterwards, we reminisce about all the beautiful and innovative work seen, admire the new piece purchased or wish we had made the purchase of a particular item. It is also a time to reconnect with colleagues, artists, and friends; and a time to meet new artists and gallery owners.

riding the dragon, 2024. Oil on canvas, 80.3×116.7cm. Photo credit: Chika Hattori.

Although Japanese and Japanese American artists exhibit their works at Art Fair, only three galleries from Japan were represented this year. One of them has been graciously staying in touch with The North American Post (NAP). It is YUKI-SIS Gallery from Kayabachō in Tokyo, Japan owned by Yuki Terashima. She has been participating in the Seattle Art Fair since 2017. She also participates at other art fairs around the U.S. and other countries.

Terashima was born in Niigata, Japan and has been living in Tokyo since she was 18 years old. She studied English, French, and Italian but maintained her English by making friends at art fairs and other events. Terashima has been doing art fairs across the U.S., Belgium, and Germany. Preparing a booth elsewhere is a lot of work, crating and shipping the artwork, packing equipment and materials, finding a hotel, and keeping up with the art fair’s schedule. A person also stands in the booth all day for several days, talking with potential customers, then packing and crating for the next destination. It must also be difficult travelling to a foreign country and going through customs each time. However, Terashima takes it all in stride since she has been doing this for 25 years and has owned her gallery for 12 years. Before that, Terashima was still in the arts working at other galleries, doing film festivals, and managing musicians.Back in her gallery, Terashima is drawn to artwork that is beautiful, captivating, and elegant. An example of such an artist is Chika Hattori. She had her work displayed at the Seattle Art Fair and visitors were drawn to her paintings. The canvases were of large, soft shapes with familiar colors.

flow with the flow, 2024. Oil on canvas, Photo credit: Chika Hattori.

Nature comes to mind. Hattori says, “The main motifs in this show are sea creatures. Their colors and shapes are so delicate, beautiful, and full of life that I could not help but paint them.” One begins to see foliage, shells, and octopus tenacles. Hattori’s eye for seeing the beauty in sea life and nature is unique which comes across well in her artwork.

When viewing the work more closely, one wonders, “How did she paint this?” It is ethereal and cloud-like. Hattori says that she visits botanical gardens or riverside areas for inspiration. She even looks at biology books or videos. After cropping and sketching what she sees, she then determines the size and composition before painting. Hattori loves the freedom to concentrate on her artwork and be herself. Although life as an artist can be financially difficult, she says, “I am most fulfilled when I am painting for myself.” She finds painting a natural part of her life and cannot imagine being distracted by an office job, raising children, etc. Hattori was born in Tokyo and learned English in New Zealand. She was an art teacher in Japan and an artist simultaneously; but it was difficult managing both. So, she gave up teaching to paint full-time. She is lucky enough to live and work in Japan at her mother’s house which provides enough space to do large paintings. Hattori never gets stuck creatively. She has so many ideas, yet she is very aware when her senses are dull. It is important to Hattori that her mental health is balanced so she can remain calm and not rush in her work. Otherwise, it allows Hattori to let her emotions take over and create.

Seventeen years ago, Hattori exhibited her work in New York and has since been showing at other art fairs. As her work was displayed at YUKI-SIS Gallery, Terashima invited Hattori to come to the Seattle Art Fair where she has participated for the past two years. She is now travelling to art fairs in other countries.

The 2025 Seattle Art Fair is scheduled for July 17-20, 2025, at Lumen
Field in Seattle. See: https://seattleartfair.com/ for more information.
YUKI-SIS Gallery will be there. See: http://yuki-sis.com/. More about
Chika Hattori can be found at: http://www.gallery-tsubaki.net/artist/chika_hattori/chika_hattori.html.

The Writing Life with Shizu Usami

By
Bruce Rutledge
-

The Writing Life with Shizu Usami

By Bruce Rutledge
NAP General Manager

Deputy Counsel General Junichi Sumi gets instruction from calligraphy sensei Shizu Usami.

When Shizu Usami came to the Consulate-General of Japan office in Seattle, Washington, in late 2024 to give Deputy Consul General Junichi Sumi a calligraphy lesson, she brought sheets of paper she had acquired in grade school.

“So, you got them just recently, right?” quipped Sumi. The Izumo paper was actually 40 years old. Usami explained that every element of sumi-e, or East Asian calligraphy, is important. Great care and thought are given to the paper, ink stick, ink stone and brush.
Usami began learning calligraphy when she was 3 years old. Her mother taught her from that young age, which helped her feel at one with the brush. She encourages others to start their children early.

Usami pursued a career in calligraphy after graduating from University of Teacher Education Fukuoka, one of only four programs in Japan sanctioned to train high school calligraphy teachers.

When her mother fell ill, Usami left teaching to tend to her. Eventually, she returned to give lectures on the history of kanji characters. You can see some of those on her YouTube channel, Vignettes Kanji Stories.

Sumi and Usami show their work in front of the Consulate General of Japan Seattle office.

Today, Usami continues as an educator and artist. Her home is in Kitakyushu City, Japan, where her family has a soy sauce and miso wholesale business. She once lived in Seattle and is pondering a return to the city.

That is how she found herself in the Consul General’s office. After giving a short talk on the history of calligraphy and the elements involved, she began her lesson.

“When I am writing, my heart releases,” she says, but that ability to release comes through practice. “I’m 47 now and I started when I was three. Throughout my student years, I copied the masters and kept practicing. I experienced many frustrations while practicing. Why can’t I do this? There was joy in the practice, but it was tough. And that is true of most of my practice. But after practicing for 20 years or so, I realized that it was up to me to find that release in my heart.”

“I began to imagine a blank sheet of paper in my mind’s eye,” she continues. “And then I would take my brush to it. I would hear the sounds of calligraphy as I imagined the process, and my heart would release.”

As she taught Deputy Consul General Sumi how to approach the blank page with his brush, she encouraged him to make confident brushstrokes.

For over an hour, we watched as Sumi wrote his name on sheet after sheet of paper. Over time, his brushstrokes went from hesitant to bold thanks to Usami’s constant coaxing and encouragement.

Sumi’s writing improved dramatically within the session. Before (left) and aftr practice (right).

At one point, Usami switched seats with him to show everyone how she would write his name. The few spectators in the room oohed and aahed as she expertly wrote his name with thick, dramatic strokes.

By the end of the lesson, Sumi was writing his name with flair. “That’s it!” Usami exclaimed. She placed the 40-year-old paper in front of him. The time had come. Sumi inked the brush and wrote his name one last time. The paper that was held onto since grade school was finally put to good use.

New Year’s Greetings ー Seattle Japanese American Citizens League & Puyallup Valley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League

By
N.A.P Staff
-

Seattle Japanese American Citizens League

Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu!

Happy New Year to All from the Seattle Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)! We look forward to another year of serving our Nikkei (Japanese American) community. We are grateful to the North American Post for continuing to be the respected voice of the community for the Seattle area and Washington State. The North American Post keeps us connected with current news and our rich history in the region.

This year, we continued our work to keep alive the civil rights lessons learned over 80 years ago from the incarceration of 125,000 Japanese Americans. In February 2024, we co-sponsored a moving Day of Remembrance at the Puyallup fairgrounds and joined the following demonstration protesting the deplorable treatment of immigrant detainees at the Northwest ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Processing Center (NIPC), formerly the NWDC [Northwest Detention Center) in Tacoma, Washington that echoed the treatment of our ancestors in the World War II concentration camps. Many of our members also supported other actions by our partner organization, Tsuru for Solidarity against incarceration at the NIPC. With a JACL member event, we learned about the legacy of the historic Japanese American Mukai Farm on Vashon Island, in Washington, now a community institution.

We spoke out on important issues to educate and advocate for justice. We have issued strong statements against Islamophobia and anti-semitism, as well as a humanitarian call for a cease-fire in the war in Gaza. We co-sponsored a film and panel conversation in October to show why Asian-Pacific Islander communities need to support the ongoing campaign to support Black reparations for slavery and the 150 years of continued discrimination and racism. And we are working with others to replace the stolen statue commemorating Sadako Sasaki, the young survivor of the Hiroshima A-bomb whose effort to create thousand origami cranes have become a testimony for world peace.

Seattle JACL has worked this year in solidarity with others in our Asian-Pacific Islander community, advocating for our city and county governments to improve the safety in the face of continued anti-Asian violence and discrimination. We lent critical support to the successful establishment of statewide hate crimes hotline. We provided strong statements supporting the re-establishment of the King County Civil Rights Commission.

In the New Year, we hope to expand our reach to the community, and to connect with the next generation that will carry Seattle JACL into the future!

Kyle Kinoshita,
President, Seattle Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)

P.O. Box 18558 Seattle Wa 98118
http://seattlejacl.org
info@seattlejacl.org
Membership: https://jacl.org/member/

Puyallup Valley Chapter of the
Japanese American Citizens League

Happy New Year … – Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!

Puyallup Valley JACL proudly opened the Remembrance Gallery at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington with a ribbon cutting ceremony in August 2024; welcoming over 16,000 people during the fall fair season. The Gallery presents the wartime incarceration experience in 1942 through the Nikkei (Japanese American) lens and voices with accurate, authentic, and respectful perspectives.

These visitors explored the stories, oral histories, and maps within the “Throughline”, reflected on over 7500 names listed on the “Monument”, and contemplated living in the 8 by 10-foot horse stall. Engaging and interactive screens provide a unique approach to learning about the various assembly centers and permanent camps. Overall, the technology offers inspiration and empowerment to encourage visitors to advocate for other groups experiencing discrimination.

The Gallery is located inside the grandstands near the original Fisher scones and across from the Fair Museum. While the Gallery is currently closed to the public, tours may be scheduled for groups. Please contact Sharon Sobie Seymour, interim Gallery manager at ssproevents@comcast.net.

Eileen Yamada Lamphere
President, Puyallup Valley JACL

Left to right: Bill Weyerhaeuser, Penny Fukui, Frank Fukui, Alice Hikido, Mary Abo, Cho Shimizu, Elsie Taniguchi, Jim Yamaguchi, Renee McCain, Barbara Mizoguchi-Asahara, Liz Dunbar, Sharon Sobie Seymour, and Eileen Yamada Lamphere.

New Year’s Greetings ー Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple & Seattle Koyasan Buddhist Temple

By
N.A.P Staff
-

Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple

Dear Readers,

On behalf of the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, I wish each of you a happy and healthy New Year.

When one year’s end is approaching, I remember one teaching.

“We assume that today has come because there was yesterday, and tomorrow will come because it is today. Somewhere along the way, we take life for granted and just live every day without feeling any meaning.
One year passes as quick as a flash. Ten years pass as quickly as a wink. And our entire life passes as quick as lightning.”

How did you live your life in 2024? How did you live today? Our life is a continuation of today. To live our life fully means to cherish today and this moment.

I hope the year 2025 is going to be a good year for all of you.

May there be peace in the world and may the Buddha’s teaching spread.

With Palms Together (Gassho),
Rev. Katsuya Kusunoki, Rimban

1427 S Main St,
Seattle, WA 98144
(206) 329-0800

Seattle Koyasan Buddhist Temple

Happy New Year

Last year was full of dark events, such as wars that are still going on around the world and frequent crimes in Seattle. But it was Shohei Ohtani’s great performance that brightened our spirits from time to time. He won his third Major League Baseball MVP award. As you may know, MVP stands for Most Valuable Player. The baseball experts who voted for Ohtani recognized his number of homeruns and stolen bases as valuable.

So, what is the value of each of us? Considering that baseball is Ohtani’s job, the ability to hit home runs, steal bases, and pitch the ball (if his right shoulder gets healthy) is a professional skill. So, are people with professional abilities more socially valuable?

According to SoftBank’s Mr. Masayoshi Son, in the near future artificial intelligence (AI) will explode to super-artificial intelligence. Human capabilities in most occupations will be overtaken by the capabilities of AI-powered robots. At that time, will we humans fall into worthless existence?

If you are a fan of Ohtani, think about what draws you to him the most. What is his greatest value? Do you like him because he hit 54 home runs? Do you like him because he has stolen 59 bases? I do not think so. Is it because he is a nice guy? Is it because he is polite, caring, friendly, humble, sincere, and willing to work hard? There is no such item in the MVP evaluation criteria, but I think our hearts are attracted to Ohtani’s virtue that can be conveyed even through the screen. I believe that this is where the source of his value lies.

When Ohtani was in high school, he created a mandala-like chart, commonly known as the “Ohtani Mandala,” to help him become a great professional baseball player in the future. In addition to physical aspects, there are goals such as pick up trash, be polite to umpires, care for teammates, cherish tools, be a loveable person, show gratitude, offer greetings, be a supportive person, do not be overjoyed or depressed. It is just like Buddhist precepts. The precepts are not something that binds people, but something that protects and nurtures them. Despite the many difficulties he has faced, Ohtani has been able to perform well because he is protected by something. Although I am a monk, I dare not say that the Buddha has protected him. I think his way of life protects him. Good karma leads to good results and bad karma shapes a bad future. It is the root of the Buddhist path.

Even if we are to be swallowed up by the wave of AI, let us increase our value as human beings, which will not diminish. Whether the world is in an upheaval or Seattle becomes an even tougher place to live, let us think, speak, and do as much good as we can, with less thinking, saying, or doing bad things. If the number of people living in this way increases, Seattle and this world will eventually become a better place. It is the long way, but the only way. It is the way of bodhisattva. Even though we cannot hit a home run, let us keep trying to become an imperfect bodhisattva where we are. May everyone’s life be cherished this year. Thank you.

Ven. Taijo Imanaka, Head Priest

1518 S Washington St
Seattle, WA 98144
(206) 325-8811

New Year’s Greetings ー Steve Hobbs, Secretary of Washington State Legislature

By
N.A.P Staff
-

Dear Fellow Washingtonians,

On behalf of the Office of the Secretary of State of Washington, I wish you a very peaceful, joyous, and prosperous 2025.

I am fortunate to conduct a trade mission in Japan soon. I love seeing the strong sense of community, many traditions that honor history, and commitment to building relationships between Japan and Washington, which I am excited to continue in 2025.

During the November 5 General Election, more than 3.7 million Washingtonians made their voices heard to improve communities across the state. My office has been working hard to ensure everyone eligible has equal access to civic and voter education programs and ways to cast their votes, especially non-English-speaking voters, voters with disabilities, new residents, and voters in tribal and underserved communities.

Voters this year will decide many important items affecting our communities. Those interested in voting can easily and conveniently register online at www.sos.wa.gov/elections.

In the year ahead, I look forward to continuing to expand Washington State Library resources and deal with challenges to libraries everywhere, including book banning. Books serve as a gateway to life experiences, empowering readers to understand different places, cultures, religions, perspectives, and ideas. What’s more, libraries serve as safe spaces where everyone may gather.

I hope the New Year brings a clear resolution to another challenge: the future of our State Archives. The Archives preserve our history and provide public access to understanding the state’s identities and cultures. They are at risk due to structural deficiencies. The building they are housed in near the Capitol floods frequently, and I am urgently trying to bring a long-planned new State Library-Archives Building to fruition.

I am confident that 2025 will be a wonderful year of exciting possibilities.
If you would like to reach my office, please do so at 360-902-4151 or secretaryofstate@sos.wa.gov.

Once again, I am sending you and your loved ones many good wishes for a Happy New Year.

Steve Hobbs
Secretary of State

Olympia, Legislative Building WA 98504-0482

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