NICHI BEI

The Latest from NichiBei.org

Films of Remembrance unveils little-known stories of wartime incarceration

The Nichi Bei Foundation presented its seventh annual Films of Remembrance program, featuring a curated selection of 10 films, Feb. 24 at the New People Cinema in San Francisco’s Japantown. The one-day film showcase… [more ... ]
Tea for two

In San Francisco’s Outer Richmond district, Larry Sokyo Tiscornia, 69, and Kimika Soko Takechi, 68, teach tea as members of San Francisco Urasenke Tankokai. The couple met while taking Saturday tea classes with… [more ... ]
‘Japanese Babe Ruth’ Shohei Ohtani dominant on the mound, at the plate

In his major league pitching debut in Oakland, Calif. and in his home pitching debut in Anaheim, Shohei Ohtani, the highly touted two-way player from Japan, earned the wins as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland… [more ... ]
Tiffany Tamaribuchi’s multifaceted Sacramento Taiko Dan family

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — “My mom would say from the time I could walk, I would stand in front of the taiko,” said 51-year-old Tiffany Tamaribuchi, recalling her earliest encounter with the drums at a Sacramento… [more ... ]
Ikebana to go: Kiyo’s Floral Design delivers ikebana-inspired creations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For designer Lisa Taira, every flower arrangement she creates is one that comes from the heart — even if it’s just one flower. “It’s not just a single flower because it has so much… [more ... ]
Matt Ogawa perpetuates the cultural arts and gives back with a purpose

Whether motivating a group into action or expressing his love for his own Japanese American heritage through his involvement in a myriad of cultural activities, Matt Ogawa doesn’t have to look far for inspiration.… [more ... ]
Historic Wintersburg preservation effort gains community support

LOS ANGELES — Concerned citizens in the Nikkei community have called on the Huntington Beach City Council to help preserve and protect the Historic Wintersburg site, whose status is being threatened by the proposed… [more ... ]
Speaking the language of karate for the Tokyo Olympics

As if fluency in both English and Japanese wasn’t enough, Gakuji Tozaki has used a different type of skill as a means to positively express his Japanese American identity. Through karate, the 26-year-old is aiming… [more ... ]

From the Nichi Bei Weekly

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: The apple of my eye

April 12, 2018 By Ryan Tatsumoto, Nichi Bei Weekly Columnist

For the past several years, along with my usual brown bagged lunch of various cooked vegetables and my hybrid herbal and black tea, I’ve also packed an apple for my daily midday meal. Early in my career, my lunch consisted of a sandwich and some type of vegetable. The side dish eventually morphed into cooked […]

Santa Clara Co.: Registrar of voters seeking thousands of workers for June 5 election

April 12, 2018 By Bay City News Service

The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is calling for 5,000 to 6,000 election officers to serve in over 800 polling places around the county for the June 5 election. The registrar is seeking bilingual support in 19 different languages for the 824 polling places that will serve the diverse population of the county. Bilingual […]

Attorney General Becerra files lawsuit over citizenship question on Census

April 12, 2018 By Bay City News Service

State Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration March 26 in response to their move to include a question about citizenship in the 2020 Decennial Census for the first time in more than 50 years, saying that such a question could discourage non-citizens from participating. “Adding a question on citizenship threatens […]

Warriors help dedicate Chinatown gym in honor of late Mayor Ed Lee

April 12, 2018 By Bay City News Service

Children in San Francisco’s Chinatown on March 30 began playing on a recently refurbished basketball court dedicated in honor of the city’s first Asian American mayor, late Mayor Ed Lee. At the dedication ceremony at the Salvation Army’s Chinatown Corp. Community Center at 1450 Powell Street, the center’s gymnasium and indoor basketball court was christened […]

Tea for two

March 31, 2018 By TOMO HIRAI, Nichi Bei Weekly

In San Francisco’s Outer Richmond district, Larry Sokyo Tiscornia, 69, and Kimika Soko Takechi, 68, teach tea as members of San Francisco Urasenke Tankokai. The couple met while taking Saturday tea classes with Soko Kobara, founder of the Tankokai, and have since been together, teaching all aspects of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Prior to […]