THE JOY OF SOY! — The first ever Northern California Soy & Tofu Festival was held on June 11 in San Francisco Japantown’s Peace Plaza, attracting some 3,500 visitors throughout the day to an event that educated the public about the health benefits of soy and tofu. The Festival, a fundraiser for the Nichi Bei Foundation, featured an array of soy and tofu vendors, mascots Tofu Ninja and Tofu Panda, various entertainment, “ToFun” audience participation games and a Tofu Dessert Competition. The Tofu Dessert Competition winner: Green Tea Tofu Cream Puff by Masako Nakatani of San Jose was a treat for both the celebrity panel judges and the audience judges.