Nima-kai
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I am a shin-Issei who has lived in the West and Midwest for nearly thirty years. I spent the first six years in Berkeley California. When I was young, I got excited about visiting New York City. But now, after thirty years in Midwest, my body seems to be allergic to people, cars and noises. I am now enjoying my life in retirement, writing and tending to my garden.
Erik Matsunaga’s investigations into the history of Chicago’s Japanese American community have been featured by the Japanese American National Museum, Alphawood Gallery, WBEZ Radio, and the Newberry Library. Born in Chicago, a descendant of WWII-era Nikkei resettlers from California, he curates @windycitynikkei—“Bite-sized Glimpses of Japanese American Chicago”—on Instagram. He has been a Discover Nikkei contributor since 2011.
Ryan Masaaki Yokota is a Yonsei/Shin-Nisei Japanese/Okinawan American who currently lives in Chicago, IL. He holds a PhD in East Asian History from the University of Chicago and an MA in Asian American Studies from UCLA. His recently completed dissertation is titled "Okinawan Postwar Nationalism(s): Independence, Autonomy, and Indigenousness, 1945-2008." His previous academic writings have been on Okinawan Peruvians in Los Angeles, the history of Japanese and Okinawans in Cuba, and an interview with Pat Sumi, seminal figure in the Asian American Movement.
1. Member of Chicago Sister Cities Osaka Committee 2. Vice President of Illinois Association of Teachers of Japanese
Hapa fiction writer (+ Nisei) published in Tin House, Antioch Review, Kenyon Review, Kartika Review, Fiction, Quarterly West, Connecticut Review, African American Review, QA8, Notre Dame Review, Fiction International, ZYZZYVA, the Good Men Project, News (Australia) + Stand (UK), among others. You can find me at: www.jacksonbliss.com
www.MusashiMixInq.com -Blood type: A+ -Born: Chicago, Il, USA -Founder — Musashi Mix Inq: Fight the Future, Save the Past -Latin School of Chicago; class of 2002 -Earlham College; Japanese Studies, minor in Film, class of 2006 -University of Chicago; Archivist Studies -Graphic Design Associate; Silver Image Creative Inc. -Board Member; C3: Chicago Creative Coalition, social media marketing -Apprentice Archivist; Japanese American Service Committee -Judo Sensei; Nidan (2nd degree black-belt), certified national paralympic coach and multi-national junior champion -Certified rescue and wreck diver -Techno-Maven =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- David's current work takes a look into the dark world of post-war Japan in his series “Occupied: the Art of War.” Using an amalgam of photographs he took while in Japan, family documents/photos, and publicly-available art, David creates digital landscapes of a country at war with itself for identity and deliverance. 2011's earthquake and tsunami has shifted David's recent focus to helping the relief effort in Japan by raising awareness and lifting spirits through children's artwork as well as his own: "Tsunami 2011". "Apocalypto-Nouveau" dives into the trenches of war and returns with a glimpse of the future. Much of David's inspiration comes from the work of Alphonse Mucha, a turn-of century revolutionary artist from the Czech Republic where David's European family is from. Mucha and his contemporaries captured the spirit of the World at the brink of oblivion: Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think…
I'm interested in a lot of different things. I love listening to stories and finding something new out of them.
Nima of the Month
Learn about some of our favorite Nima and what they like about Discover Nikkei.
Matthew Sueda is a Yonsei based in Hawaiʻi. Matt began volunteering for Discover Nikkei in late 2024 and has written stories about Issei photographer George Masa, an exhibition about ceramicist and educator Minnie Negoro, and Amy “Emiko” Hever, the Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Trust.
Matt works in tourism management with a focus on destination stewardship. He holds degrees from the University of Tokyo and from Swarthmore College, where he majored in Japanese. He also volunteers with the Hawaiʻi Japanese Center, supporting its archival and exhibition efforts.
What do you like most about Discover Nikkei?
Discover Nikkei provides a thoughtful space for voices from across the global Nikkei community. I appreciate the platform’s attention to context and the way it highlights both shared heritage and individual journeys. Interviewing people from different walks of life and learning from their stories has been a privilege, and I look forward to contributing more in the future.
How do you connect to your Nikkei identity?
I connect to my Nikkei identity through language and the community histories around me. Volunteering with the Hawaiʻi Japanese Center has given me a chance to work with documents and artifacts that reflect the everyday lives of Hawaiʻi’s Nikkei families. Many of these materials are in Japanese, and engaging with them has helped me better understand the challenges and hopes of earlier generations. It’s been a grounding experience and a reminder that our stories are interconnected.
Are you a Nima*?
*The term “Nima” comes from combining Nikkei and nakama (Japanese for “colleagues”, or “fellows”, or “circle”).
Discover Nikkei Updates
Guest host Tamlyn Tomita chatted with actor Christopher Sean in the latest episode of Nima Voices about his background, acting, and community involvement.
WATCH NOW!
Tuesday, December 9
Hosted by traci kato-kiriyama. Featuring Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, Erica Isomura, and Syd Westley