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週刊NY生活[English Edition］

VOICES From

THE NEW YORKERS
Distant Islands
Dan McDonald
As work
hopefullyslows downandtheweather outside turns
chilly andgrey, the endof year canbe a greattime to curl
up on the sofa and catch up on TV
shows or reading. One book greatfor holiday reading is DistantIslands; The Japanese American
Community in New York City 1876
– 1930s.
Historian Daniel Inouye’s work
brings the stories of early Japaneseimmigrants back to life, as if they
jumped off the page and invited us
into their world for a fleeting
moment. From the bold Meiji entrepreneurs who established tradingbusinesses to Japanese immigrants,businesspeople and diplomats up to
the pre-war 1930s, Inouye opens
the restaurants, homes, offices andchurches of the Japanese community in this distant land.
The title of the book commentson the historical lack of unity andcohesion among the Japanese community here due to social stratification and other reasons. The author,
however, connects us to luminaries
such as the wealthy entrepreneur
Jokichi Takamine and Dr.
Toyohiko Campbell Takami and hisfamily, who vacationed withJapanese nobility at their summer
estate in Cold Spring Harbor.
Distant Islands also leaves us withthe memorable tales of early pioneers such as Senzo Kuwayama,
who patented a process for making
the Japanese snack arare, which hemanufactured in the basement of
his home in Woodside, Queens.
Reading Distant Islands on a
bleak winter’s day made the cold,
seemingly lifeless streets of myneighborhood in Queens come tolife again with a historical richness
I never knew.
Dan is a newspaper columnist, editor and Japanese translator.
Interested readers can contact him
at dan9605@hotmail.com

THESHUKAN NEW YORK SEIKATSU

2020年（令和2年）1月1日（水）JAPAN VOICECOOL JAPAN from New Yorkers’ Viewpoints
Guitarist
Nobuki Takamen
Wins Best Songwriting
Competition
Jazz guitarist Nobuki Takamen won
has won first place for best instrumental
song in 2019’ s USA Songwriting
Competition. He began his originalcomposition, “ Helsingin Taivas”(“Helsinki Sky”) while performing inFinland, and completed it in New York.
It appears on his eighth album, 2018's

https://www.yomiuri-info.jp/daily_yomiuri/nys/

Christopher Reeve's children Alexandra, left, Will and Matthew
welcome Chie and Chiaki Imai. (Photo: Kinue Imai Weinstein)

Supporting Reeve's torch
Chie Imai's 16 years passion
Encourage from Japan
Ms. Chie Imai, leading designerof the luxury brand CHIE IMAI, andpresident Chiaki Imai both came to
New York City to attend the Gala
Charity event of CHRISTOPHER &DANA REEVE FOUNDATION on
November 14th at Cipriani SouthStreet.
Chie said "When I first started
supporting the CHRISTOPHER &DANA REEVE FOUNDATION,
both Christopher Reeve and his wife

Dana were still alive. Mr. Reeve used
to say,"Nothing is impossible." Hiswords were powerful and encouraging
for people living with spinal cord
injuries, their families and the communities supporting them. I remember
being fascinated by his amazing attitude in the face of his disability.

After meeting many people withspinal cord injuries, she says that she
realized what was missing in the rest of
the world, particularly in Japan. She
was encouraged to relay Mr. Reeve's
positive message of hope to Japan andthe rest of the world.
During the past sixteen years, scientists and medical specialists have discovered a variety of new treatments andtherapies both in the United States aswell as in Japan. Many people withspinal cord injuries have enjoyed significant improvements in their mobility
thanks to medical developments such as
iPS treatment. Medical knowledge andpractice continues to evolve regarding
spinal cord injury and the word "impossible" no longer has the same meaning.
Mr. Reeve, unfortunately passed
away without experiencing some of thenewest and most cutting-edge treatments. Chie believes that we should alllearn how important it is to be positivein life from Mr. Reeve. "His message
was true for everyone, not only for
those living with spinal cord injury. I
believe that supporting the foundation
will not only benefit people in the“The Nobuki Takamen Trio”.
“This was my first time entering a songwriting competition, so when I received
notice that I won, I was shocked," hecommented, cheerfully. "This has
inspired me; I think that I want to create
100 more original compositions.”(Ryoichi Miura/ Translated by Marie
Calloway)
United States, but all countries where
there are people with spinal cord
injuries." She said the quality of life forpeople with these injuries will improve
if we support research in this field nomatter where the research is based in theworld, the United States or Japan. This istrue for people no matter where theylive.
"My mission is to continue to carry
Mr. Reeve's torch and share his positive
message of hope and progress. I realize
this by continuing to support the work of
the foundation which funds medical
research as well as providing direct services. I travel to New York City every
year to attend the Magical Evening, tosee Mr. Henry Stifel who is the original
founder of the foundation and to meetthe foundation President Mr. Peter
Wilderotter." The Magical Evening is
the annual get together of the foundation
supporters to ensure that Mr. Reeve's
message continues to be heard. Chie andChiaki celebrated that night withChristopher Reeve's three children,Alexandra, Matthew and Will.
(Ryoichi Miura with courtesy of CHIEIMAI)THE JAPAN VOICE is the English Edition of SHUKAN NY SEIKATSU
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