culture en

Little Kunoichi Is Kid-Tested, Kid-Approved

A children’s book about a tiny ninja girl—do I need to say anything else? There are tiny watercolor ninjas hiding among cherry blossoms and scaling …

identity en

Nikkei Chronicles #4—Nikkei Family: Memories, Traditions, and Values

The Weight On My Shoulders

I don’t remember exactly how old I was when this happened—maybe nine or ten—but I distinctly remember what the hotel room looked and smelled like. …

identity en

A Lesson in Taiko—And Parenting

“Don doro don don, Don doro don don, Don doro don don, Don doro don don….” Nine of us are onstage at the Tacoma Buddhist …

identity en

Nanka Nikkei Voices

The Screen Door

Summers in the San Fernando Valley can be stifling hot, and during the 1950s when I was growing up, a screen door was a nice …