The Rafu Shimpo
@rafushimpoThe Rafu Shimpo is the premier newspaper of the Japanese American community. Since 1903, it has provided bilingual coverage and analysis of Nikkei news in Los Angeles and beyond. Visit the Rafu Shimpo website to read articles and to explore subscription options for print and online news.
Updated September 2015
Stories from This Author
Philanthropist Tomoye Takahashi Dies at 100
June 16, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
Tomoye “Tami” Takahashi, co-founder and owner of the Takahashi Trading Company, passed away peacefully on June 4, just short of turning 101 years old. Tomoye was known by many as a walking encyclopedia and had a wealth of knowledge and stories about the history and people of the Japantown community going back to its founding in 1906, following the Great San Francisco Earthquake. This year marks the 110th anniversary celebration of Japantown in the Western Addition. Born on August 16, …
William “Bill” Hiroshi Shishima
June 13, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
Bill Shishima grew up eating gohan along with lingua (tongue), seso (brain), and menudo (tripe soup). His father ran a grocery store near Olvera Street, in the Mexican American community of Los Angeles. The store was stocked with items such as chile and masa for tamales. In the store’s kitchen, they made chorizo from leftover scraps. On weekends, Mexican American residents from Chavez Ravine would stop by Bill’s parents’ store to place their orders. Bill’s father would then have a …
Olympic Medalist Tommy Kono Dies at 85
May 30, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
Tommy Tamio Kono, who won three Olympic medals in weightlifting and became head coach of the U.S. Olympic weightlifting team, died on April 24, 2016, in Honolulu, according to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He was 85. According to KHON2, a family member said Kono passed away at 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon from complications of liver cirrhosis. His family said in a statement, “The family would like to thank all of his friends and especially the lifters at the Nuuanu YMCA. He …
Gary Ono
May 23, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
Gary Ono’s sunny Little Tokyo apartment is a monument to the things he loves. Behind his dining room table hangs a Japanese illustrative scroll—vintage and yellowing—that shows the Japanese emperors in neat rows leading all the way back to their godly, mythical ancestors, Izanami and Izanagi. On the next wall are calligraphy scrolls, each maybe five feet tall, their dark brushstrokes painted by Mrs. Takeda, the nonagenarian who lived in the apartment before Gary moved in. Farther along the wall, …
Buena Vista: Haven in the Desert Exhibit Covers 118 Years of Alameda History
May 16, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
At Buena Vista United Methodist Church’s annual Spring Bazaar, as you follow the delicious aroma of chicken teriyaki on the barbecue, be sure to find a special place to reflect on a century of Alameda history—Buena Vista: Haven in the Desert for 118 Years, a historical exhibit tucked away in the sanctuary area. As you enter, you will hear the wistful notes of the koto. Stop and look at photos of Japanese men in stiff suits standing with missionary women, …
Richard Michio Murakami
May 9, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
Richard Murakami’s wartime experience was an odyssey that saw his family moved from one camp to another. By the end of WWII, they had lived in three concentration camps—in Tule Lake, California; Jerome, Arkansas; and Heart Mountain, Wyoming. At the outbreak of the war, Richard was living in Lakewood, California, a community with very few Japanese Americans. He recalls that after the Pearl Harbor attack, his hakujin friends advised him not to come to school for a few days. When …
Asian American Yale Alumni Remember Nakanishi
May 2, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
NEW YORK—The Association of Asian American Yale Alumni (AAAYA) issued the following statement on March 27, 2016. * * * * * AAAYA mourns the loss of distinguished Yale alumnus Donald T. Nakanishi SY ’71, but finds inspiration in the extraordinary life he lived. An indefatigable and prolific scholar, his pioneering efforts and trailblazing methods established the bedrock upon which much of Asian American studies flourishes. A determined and fierce community advocate, his expansive and insightful exploration of Asian American …
May Fujino
April 25, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
May Fujino (1933–2016) enjoyed her time as a volunteer at the Japanese American National Museum. There, she was able to immerse herself in history and improve her Japanese language skills. But being at JANM also reminded May of her early years and how, even during their toughest times, her family knew how to make the best of any situation. May was born in 1933 in Salinas, California as the eldest of 12 siblings. “I was a taisho (general),” she chuckled. …
Yasuyuki Suzuki
April 11, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
“Working as a volunteer guide at the Japanese American National Museum is such an interesting experience. I’ve taken a class about the history of Japanese Americans, but there’s no manual for my work. So I have to study constantly,” says Yasuyuki Suzuki. Yasuyuki is one of the volunteer guides at the Japanese American National Museum who give tours around the exhibitions in Japanese. He learned the explanations of the exhibitions by accompanying the Nisei volunteer guides who gave tours in …
Kenneth “Ken” Hamamura
March 28, 2016 • The Rafu Shimpo
Over the years, Ken Hamamura has assumed various roles at the Japanese American National Museum. As a donor, staff member, and volunteer, he learned the importance of preserving and sharing our stories and artifacts to create a legacy for future generations. Inspired by the Museum’s ongoing mission, Ken started to focus on his family history and hopes to build an enduring legacy for his daughter and grandsons. For some time now, the retired Sansei with Kibei parents has been researching …
