>> Read part 1As if the study of Yanagi’s life and theories hadn’t been sufficient, Tatsuo found a formidable mentor within his own family. His uncle Yoshio Sato—his mother’s brother in Sendai—led him intellectually to appreciate Japanese folk crafts and lore. Uncle Yoshio had done a number of guide shows …
Meet Tatsuo Tomeoka, whose website (http://mingei-wasabidou.com/), is most attractive for those interested in the Arts of the People. Tatsuo is a young Nisei born from immigrant Japanese parents in Seattle, in 1961…far away from the time when being of Japanese descent was a capital sin in our country.
Together with the concepts of honor, duty, and self-respect, Gambare—also ganbare—ranks among the top values which characterize the Japanese culture; and you get all kinds of opinions as to whether it means an extraordinary power of determination and endurance, or simple mulishness. Whatever it is, it has proven invaluable in …
>> Part 1Unlike the elegant, orderly, and colorful setting for Hina Matsuri, the exhibit for Tango No Sekku is an artistic disaster. The arrangement has usually three levels instead of the girls’ seven to nine steps, and it is loosely set on a green carpet or a grass mat. Okay, …
In 1948, during the McArthur shogunate and Tatsu Katayama’s premiership, the Japanese government determined to officially declare May 5th as Kodomo no Hi, or Children’s Day. The government’s intention was to celebrate a special day for children, and to honor their parents. However, since the way to hell is always …
Read Part 1 >>1964 was a crucial year for the ESGVJCC. At the center of West Covina’s “road to progress,” and right smack on the actual path for the Walnut Creek Parkway, the Center’s property was the ideal candidate for an “eminent domain” takeover. The Center yielded, closed that chapter …
I can’t remember having been formally introduced to him; but shortly after we met, we were talking as if we had been long time buddies. Yoshimaro Sogioka, “Yosh” was the friendliest and most generous person I’ve ever met.
Have you ever read Ernest Hemingway’s famous novella: “The Old Man and the Sea”? It is a tale of stamina and survival in which Santiago, an old, unlucky Cuban fisherman attempts his last catch in the Gulf of Mexico. He lands a gigantic marlin, but despite all efforts, what he …
Right at the center of Chugoku lays the prefecture of Hiroshima, one of the most fascinating, mountainous regions of Japan. The many rivers that cross it have created bountiful plains near the coast. The lovely breezes of the Seto Inland Sea, sheltered within Honshu and Shikoku tame the summer, and …
Till you start talking to them, personally, you’ll never know for sure, what brought to life the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center we so much enjoy. “Them,” of course, is The Founders. Many are already gone, and you kick yourself for not having caught them on tape or …
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