TRANSPACIFIC FIELD OF DREAMS: HOW BASEBALL LINKED THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN IN PEACE AND WAR By Sayuri Guthrie-Shimizu (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2012, 344 pp., $39.95, cloth) How many times have we heard the adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”? “Transpacific Field of Dreams” is one […]
Japanese government honors NorCal Cherry Blossom Festival leaders
June 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Dozens of community members associated with the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival gathered at the official residence of Consul General of Japan in San Francisco Hiroshi Inomata on the evening of May 30 to honor the work of the festival’s General Committee. The evening celebrated the presentation of the Commendation of the Minister for Foreign […]
Author shows politics, intrigue of Ruth’s 1934 tour
May 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
NEW YORK — When Babe Ruth barnstormed across Japan in November 1934 with a team of American All-Stars, he was welcomed not only as a baseball hero, but also as a broker of friendship between two nations drifting toward war. The 18-game exhibition tour, hailed by politicians on both sides as a chance to promote goodwill, […]
THE GREAT UNKNOWN AND THE UNKNOWN GREAT: The astonishing history of Japanese Americans in Louisiana
November 3, 2011 by 1 Comment
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series. The story of Japanese settlement in Louisiana, whether in the metropolis of New Orleans or in the bayous, is rather unknown, even to locals, but Nikkei have had a surprisingly large impact on the state’s history. Jokichi Takamine was possibly the first Japanese settler in […]
Leaders discuss future of Japan’s recovery at U.S.-Japan Council’s annual conference
October 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment
WASHINGTON — The 2011 U.S.-Japan Council’s (USJC) annual conference, entitled “Innovate, Educate, Collaborate: Moving Forward the U.S.-Japan Partnership,” addressed the evolving relationship between the United States and Japan as leaders from both sides of the Pacific came to discuss the next step toward recovery. The U.S. delegation pledged continued commitment to Japan. The conference opened […]
SORTING THROUGH THE AFTERMATH: Consul General of Japan reflects upon disaster
July 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment
In September 2010, Hiroshi Inomata was appointed consul general of Japan in San Francisco. Just six months after his arrival, Japan was hit by a major national disaster, devastating areas of Northern Japan and causing energy and radiation concerns throughout the country. In the months since the earthquake and tsunami, Inomata and his staff have […]
Students act as bridge to Japan on memorial trip
July 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment
When a major earthquake and tsunami devastated Northern Japan, claiming thousands of lives and wiping out entire towns, the world watched in horror. In Indiana, Alex Kessler, who had earlier that evening said goodbye to a visitor from Japan, was struck by the images of people crying. Kayla Lindsey, who attends a Japanese school in […]
Genki Mail brings hope to young survivors
July 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
KESENNUMA, Japan — Japanese children in the disaster-hit northeast of the country are feeling encouraged by more than 7,000 notes of hope that were written by elementary students throughout the United States and distributed to shelters and schools in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures. “I am happy to know that people in America have been thinking […]
Japanese government honors Sen. Daniel Inouye
June 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Japanese government announced on June 18 that U.S. Sen. Daniel Ken Inouye (D-Hawai‘i) will receive the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers, the highest level of National Orders for ordinary foreigners. The award recognizes his continued significance and unprecedented contribution to enhancing goodwill and understanding between the two nations, a statement […]
National conference to discuss ‘The State of Japanese America: 2011’
June 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
LOS ANGELES — The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council (CJACLC) are convening a one-day conference entitled “The State of Japanese America: 2011” on Saturday, July 9 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa in Hollywood. This conference is open to the community. “The State of Japanese America: […]
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