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https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1413/

Nomo's Risk

Well, here’s a guy, that…he could have made a lot of money in Japan – just staying in Japan – maybe with a different team, but he risked everything, came over here, and he couldn’t speak much English…I don’t know how he spoke with his pitching coach…but he wanted to challenge himself, challenge…probably Japanese baseball also because he probably thought that American baseball fans looked down at Japanese baseball.

So he had two things to prove – to prove to everybody that Hideo Nomo can make it and also that Japanese baseball is quite…great, so he had two big pressures on his back.

And of course everybody remembers his delivery – very, very…unusual – and I believe somebody named it the tornado, but no…a lot of young baseball players and little leaguers – they copied him. I thought that was really fascinating.


baseball broadcasting Hideo Nomo Japan Japan Broadcasting Corporation NHK (firm) Nihon Hoso Kyokai United States

Date: December 20, 2013

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Mark Langill

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Margaret Narumi, Producer at NHK Cosmomedia America, Inc., in Santa Monica, California, for two decades has produced broadcasts to Japan of Major League Baseball in the United States, featuring Japanese players such as Hideo Nomo, Hideki Matsui and Yu Darvish. Her interview for Discover Nikkei was conducted in both English and Japanese as part of a documentary on Hideo Nomo for the Japanese American National Museum exhibit, Dodgers—Brotherhood of the Game. (September 2014)

Jane Aiko Yamano
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Jane Aiko Yamano

Having patience in Japan, being both

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

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Jane Aiko Yamano
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Jane Aiko Yamano

Preserving traditional Japanese culture

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

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Wayne Shigeto Yokoyama
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Wayne Shigeto Yokoyama

Working at the magazine

(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.

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Wally Kaname Yonamine
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Wally Kaname Yonamine

The privations of living in post-war Japan, 1952

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

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Luis Yamada
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Luis Yamada

Proud to be a Japanese desecendant (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

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Henry Suto
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Henry Suto

School life in Japan (Japanese)

(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.

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Henry Suto
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Henry Suto

Identity (Japanese)

(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.

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Miyoko Amano
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Miyoko Amano

Yoshitaro Amano’s Business in Japan (Japanese)

(b. 1929) President of Amano Museum

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Toshihiko Seki
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Toshihiko Seki

The Road to Success As a Sushi Chef (Japanese)

(n. 1962) Sushi Chef

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Toshihiko Seki
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Toshihiko Seki

Making Sushi and Enjoying Life (Japanese)

(n. 1962) Sushi Chef

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Toshihiko Seki
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Toshihiko Seki

Raising a Golden Egg (Japanese)

(n. 1962) Sushi Chef

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Isao Taoka
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Isao Taoka

Views on Japanese Youth (Japanese)

(b. 1943) Paraguayan Ambassador to Japan

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Masakatsu Jaime Ashimine Oshiro
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Masakatsu Jaime Ashimine Oshiro

The Image of Japan: Expectations versus Reality (Spanish)

(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan

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Toshiko Elena Onchi
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Toshiko Elena Onchi

The importance of knowing the Japanese language (Spanish)

Japanese Peruvian in Japan

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Edward Toru Horikiri
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Edward Toru Horikiri

My image of America as a child (Japanese)

(b. 1929) Kibei Nisei

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