Shuko Akune’s life is one of rich dualities—East and West, tradition and modernity, acting and design—each thread contributing to her multifaceted identity. An accomplished theater and television actress as well as the creator of the whimsical Yancha bag line, Akune channels her creative spirit into two distinct yet complementary forms of self-expression.
Visitors to the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) store will encounter the delightful Yancha collection—colorful, playful totes and cosmetic bags handcrafted by Akune herself. Made from textiles often printed with humorous motifs such as smiling sushi rolls, cheeky maneki-neko, (beckoning cats), or colorful kokeshi (wooden dolls), each bag reflects her vibrant sense of fun.
Whether transforming into characters on stage or stitching cheerful, Japanese-inspired motifs at her sewing machine, she grounds her work in humor, warmth, and a deep desire to evoke joy into everyday life for others.
“I want to create things that make people smile,” she says, echoing the same ethos that drives her acting career.
The brand name comes from the Japanese word yancha, which means “mischievous” or “naughty.” It was inspired by her calico cat, a lively companion who brings her daily joy. Akune infuses that same spirited energy into every piece she makes.
Beneath the humor and playfulness lies something more reflective: A sense of gratitude that fuels her creative practice. Whether performing on stage or crafting a bag, Akune sees her work as a way to honorof honoring those who helped shape her life—her parents, teachers, mentors in the arts, and friends who encouraged her along the way.
Complex Family History
Born in Wahoo, Nebraska in 1959, Shuko is the daughter of Goro “Roy” Akune and Tamako Harazono, childhood sweethearts from Kaseda Kominato, a coastal town in Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Her paternal grandparents, Riichiro and Yukiye Akune, immigrated to California in 1918 and opened a small grocery store. After Yukiye’s passing, Riichiro returned to Kagoshima to raise his children, including the youngest, Goro, among his extended Japanese family.
Goro was the youngest of five brothers in the family marked by a complex wartime legacy. The oldest two brothers, Harry and Ken, returned to the U.S. in 1942 and were incarcerated at the Merced concentration camp in Colorado in 1943. They were later recruited by and served in the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Service. In contrast, the third and fourth brothers remained in Japan and served in the Imperial Navy.
After the war, Goro joined his brother Harry, then a student at DePaul University in Chicago. In 1955, he married Tamako, and together they studied chick sexing—one of the few occupations available to Japanese Americans at the time. Their work eventually took them to Nebraska, where Shuko was born. The family later settled in Chicago and opened a dry cleaner with their savings.
Between Cultures
Chicago was one of the major resettlement hubs for Japanese Americans after World War II. Shuko, raised by a Kikoku Nisei (returning second- generation Japanese American) father and an Issei (first- generation Japanese American) mother, was steeped in cultural values and traditions that her mostly Sansei (third-generation Japanese American) friends didn’t always share. Her parents spoke Japanese at home, emphasized a strong work ethic, and valued family honor.
“We had a Buddhist temple that held Obon festivals, Japanese grocery stores, restaurants, and my parents’ dry cleaner,” Akune recalls.
Her mother, Tamako, was known in the community as the “tsukemono queen” for her expertly prepared Kagoshima-style takana (mustard greens) pickles, —though young Shuko often longed for the American foods her friends enjoyed. After school and on weekends, Shuko she helped out at the family dry cleaner. Her mom was Tamako, a talented seamstress and, made all of Shuko’s clothes while watching her favorite baseball team Chicago Cubs play or The Andy Griffith Show with Shuko by her side.
A Spark for Performance
Shuko’s father, fluent in both Japanese and English, worked as a consultant for Japanese corporations with offices in Chicago and often hosted visiting businessmen at home. These gatherings became an early stage for young Shuko, who would sing after dinner to entertain the guests.
She attended a diverse multiethnic high school where she discovered acting through a drama class. Encouraged by her teachers, she quickly developed a passion for the performing arts.
At 21, Akune landed a role in Primary English Class, a play with multicultural characters written by Israel Horovitz and directed by Gerard Gutierrez at St. Nicholas Theater in Chicago, credited as “Shirley Shuko Akune”—a nod to Shirley Temple. This led to a part in the play E/R-Emergency Room, a comedy based on the daily experience of local emergency room doctors. A rave review in the Los Angeles Times brought the play to Hollywood’s attention, and it was adapted into the TV sitcom series E/R-Emergency Room in 1984-1985. Akune was one of only two cast members brought from the original stage production.
Her acting career flourished from there, with appearances on numerous TV shows including Murphy Brown, Seinfeld, and various stage productions. Akune aim to be a character actor like Penny Marshall, or Jack Soo (Suzuki) with dry wry humor. She even penned the Japanese lyrics for “Mr. Roboto,” the iconic song by the Chicago rock band Styx.
The Birth of Yancha
Despite her success on screen and stage, Akune yearned for a creative outlet that was entirely her own. “In acting, you have to empty yourself to become someone else,” she says. “But with design, you are in control. You express your own spirit.”
The tactile, meditative process of designing and sewing Yancha bags became a personal sanctuary—a joyful counterbalance to the emotional vulnerability required in acting.
In 2002, Akune met Maria Kwong, then Director of Retail Enterprise at JANM. Kwong noticed the sushi motif bag Akune was carrying and encouraged her to make more. The first order was for just four bags, and Yancha was born.
For Akune, the creation of Yancha is not just a craft, —it’s an expression of heartfelt appreciation. She stitches gratitude into every bag—for her parents’ sacrifices, the teachers who saw her potential, the producers and directors who gave her opportunities, and friends like Kwong who believed in her vision. Designing Yancha is, in her words, “a way to give back through joy.”
Two Paths, One Heart
For Akune, acting and designing represent two opposite yet balancing energies, like yin and yang. One is collaborative and outward-facing; the other is solitary and introspective. Together, they allow her to explore the full range of her creative voice. Whether on stage or at her sewing machine, she continues to craft things that surprise, delight, and—above all—make people smile.
At the core of both practices lies a deep sense of gratitude —for her heritage, her community, and the many people who helped her along the way. Through performance and design, Shuko Akune continues to express not only her artistry, but also a heartfelt thank you to the life that shaped her creativity.
This article is based largely on the author's conversation with Shuko Akune.
Additional background information on the Akune family and the wartime resettlement of Japanese Americans was drawn from the following sources:
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TED-Ed video: “The Akune Brothers: Siblings on Opposite Sides of War” by Wendell Oshiro
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Keiko Fukuda, “Japanese Americans who fought against their homeland, America—Part 3: Brothers fighting as allies and enemies–Saburo Akune,” Discover Nikkei, April 26, 2008.
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“Resettlement,” Densho Encyclopedia
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“Chick Sexing,” Densho Encyclopedia
© 2025 Masako Shinn
