Sunny Seki
Sunny Seki (a.k.a. Sankyaku Seki) is a teacher of senryu. He has published two compiled works: Gardeners’ Pioneer Story, an account of the 100-year history of Japanese gardeners through their senryu poems, and Hokubei Senryu Michi Shirube, which traces the milestones of Japanese Americans in North America, again via their senryu poetry. Sunny is also the author/illustrator of four award-winning Japanese children’s folktales: The Last Kappa of Old Japan, The Tale of the Lucky Cat, Yuko-chan and the Daruma Doll, and The Little Kokeshi Doll from Fukushima.
Born in Tokyo in 1947, he earned a BA in photography, and studied illustration at Pasadena Art Center. For the next 30 years he and his wife Judy operated Sunny Seki Photography. Today he presents his books at schools and community events. Sunny was featured on The Disney Channel.
Sunny and Judy live in San Gabriel, and they have nine children.
Updated July 2018
Stories from This Author
Short Form - Haiku and Senryu
July 19, 2018 • Fran Ito , Sunny Seki , traci kato-kiriyama
This month I thought we’d have a little fun with short form and featuring two creative community members who are dear to the Japanese American and Little Tokyo communities. Sunny Seki (a.k.a. Sankyaku Seki) has taught senryu (a short form similar to haiku but with a focus on the human condition over a focus on seasons and nature) and curated and edited a wonderful collection of 100 years of Japanese American gardeners’ stories through senryu. Fran Ito, who shares a handful of haiku here, …
