For Halloween the Nikkei Student Union puts on a contest for the best carved pumpkin! Each family gets together and designs and carves a pumpkin. My family was the "Kumagumi" family, a play on words: Kuma is Japanese for Bears and "Gumi" can mean gummy (which our "parents" really liked!) or GUMI like group/team/clan. We carved out a representation of the Japanese flag, a big bear with gummy bears coming out of its mouth, and little baby bear cubs.

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Photograph courtesy of Kari Kiyokane (October 2009)