“There are still scholarly works that say there were no internment camps in Hawai‘i,” observes archaeologist Mary Farrell. In fact, there were at least 14 places in the islands where people were detained during World War II. The Honouliuli camp, located in a gulch cutting through agricultural land of Central Oahu, was the largest and […]
Archives for 2011
Japanese American centenarian donates life work and more to Vermont college
December 22, 2011 by 1 Comment
NEWBURGH, New York — In the 1920s, Tokyo high school student Hideichi Oshiro was moved by a haiku poem he never forgot. In it, Edo era poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) described coming across the subtle beauty of a wildflower during a walk in the mountains. “I wanted to make this kind of haiku in my […]
Uoki K. Sakai market to close at end of the month, ending 105-year run: Store operated for three generations
December 22, 2011 by 6 Comments
One of San Francisco Japantown’s oldest remaining businesses, Uoki K. Sakai Company, will close at the end of the year. Community members expressed shock and disappointment about the impending loss of the market, located at 1656 Post St. in the heart of the ethnic enclave. The market is one of the last three pre-war family-owned […]
THE KAERU KID: Journey to Jordan (pt. 2)
December 16, 2011 by 1 Comment
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Our final destination was known as the “High Place of Sacrifice” platform (which was supposedly gold covered in ancient times) where animal sacrifices were carried out. Channels can still be seen where blood drained away. Riding horseback close to this area allowed me to conserve […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Goin’ hog wild
December 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
I recently had the fortune to be invited to a whole hog dinner at Town restaurant (3435 Waialae Ave. in Honolulu). What’s a whole hog dinner anyway? Well, taking a step back, one of the regulars of our informal wine group won a silent auction benefiting the culinary program at Leeward Community College. The item […]
Pearl Harbor in new light, 70 years later
December 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
HONOLULU — Pearl Harbor survivor James Dewitt was among more than 5,000 people who observed a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m. on Dec. 7. It was exactly 70 years after the beginning of an unexpected military strike by the Imperial Japanese forces on Pearl Harbor. And it was 70 years since Dewitt had been […]
Sikhs shocked by unprovoked Fresno attack
December 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A bloody attack on a 56-year-old Sikh preacher in the city of Fresno (in early December) has rattled the local community, with members recalling the period after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when Sikhs became the target of anti-Muslim sentiment for their turbans and beards. “I saw hatred in the assailant’s eyes,” recalled S. Anup Singh, […]
Lodi Nisei baseball legend ‘Mauch’ Yamashita dies: Local baseball field was named after longtime manager
December 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
LODI, Calif. — Masato “Mauch” Yamashita, a veteran of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team who served as the longtime manager of the Lodi Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) baseball team and had a local baseball field named after him, died on Dec. 7, 2011 from complications following a heart attack, sources said. He was […]
Good eats for the curious in San Francisco’s Japantown
December 9, 2011 by 1 Comment
To many people, Japanese food is a special and exotic treat — that often consists solely of sushi or ramen. A new tour aims to demystify the dishes, and teach those who may be otherwise hesitant about them. Since 2004, Lisa Rogovin has taken locals on culinary tours around the Bay Area. Her knowledge of […]
Reflections on the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony
The day began with drama. My sister and I had come to the ceremony on behalf of our late father. She had gone to the Washington Hilton, headquarters for the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, to reconnoiter and register us. Some minutes later, she phoned me yelling, “Get over here. The buses are leaving for the ceremony!” […]