Taylor Wilson is a volunteer writer for Discover Nikkei. She has always enjoyed the culture of Japan from a young age, starting with interests in Japanese game series, anime, and manga. Over the years, her appreciation and interest in Japan and its rich culture has expanded. Her additional interests include reading a wide variety of books, writing, cooking, and learning about many different topics.
Taylor has interviewed several authors for Discover Nikkei and is working on another article to be published in March 2023. We’re glad to have her as a volunteer and look forward to working with her more in the future!
What do you like about Discover Nikkei?
I think what I love the most about Discover Nikkei is the work it does to show the depths of Japanese culture, both in Japan and its Nikkei communities, to readers all around the world regardless of ancestral or personal connections to Japan.
When most people think of Japan, their thoughts turn to Japanese entertainment (i.e. anime and video games), food, and on occasion the language or art. Many people don’t know about Nikkei communities; nor do they understand how Nikkei communities play a role in the greater Japanese culture and identity, or even the culture of countries where these communities are found.
When I was younger, I was mainly focused on my various Nintendo games, reading manga, or watching anime. While I still enjoy these things, as I have gotten older, I have had a drive to learn more about Japan through learning the language, reading countless books or articles on the country and its culture, watching documentaries or videos about Japan, and visiting local Japanese cultural events or organizations like my local Japanese Friendship Garden. All of these actions throughout my life have allowed me to see how culturally rich and unique Japan is as a country. Since becoming involved with Discover Nikkei, I have been able to see another side of the Japanese culture and its communities, that I never really knew about previously in my own journey to learn more about Japan.
What do you like most about volunteering with Discover Nikkei?
My enjoyment of volunteering with Discover Nikkei is twofold.
1. I love that as I do research, write my articles, and conduct my interviews, I get to learn so much about the topics at hand and the people who were involved with making those things a reality. For instance, I really enjoyed the time I spent on creating my article “An Interview with Roy Wesley on His Book, His Father, and Sharing His Family’s Story.” This article was my first look into the Japanese American community and a family’s personal experience in America during and after World War II, from a first-hand account. I got to learn so much about the author, Roy Wesley, his father, and about the development of contact lenses (a product I have used before). In my article where I interviewed Katie Yamasaki on her book Shapes, Lines, and Light, my understanding and appreciation for the Nikkei community, especially here in the U.S. where I grew up, was nurtured even more. I really look forward to learning more about different Nikkei communities, experiences, and stories as I write more articles for Discover Nikkei.
2. As much as I love learning about Nikkei communities, I truly enjoy being able to share these stories with others around this world. I enjoy the fact that I get to highlight narratives and experiences of wonderful people to audiences that might not have gotten the chance to learn about them; all of which plays into my passion in creating a more understanding world that all can enjoy. I am very thankful that my work with Discover Nikkei allows me to do my part to bring people together.
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