January 1, 2024, Vol. 78, Issue 24
Published every 2nd and 4th Friday

Your Link to SEATTLE’S JAPANESE COMMUNITY Since 1902

Kimonos galore at the Japan America Societyof the State of Washington centennial gala! (Seepages 12 and 22 for more.)"Year of the Dragon" by Aki Sogabe

New Year's Day Special Bilingual Edition
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024 新年特別号

新年を清らかに変化に富んだ時代こそ、新年は諸事万端を整え、幸福を祈り、清浄な時と場を作りましょう。日本で正月に門松を立てるのは、魔よけの力を持つとされているから。昔の人は、冬でも緑を失わない樹木に、人間の力を超えたものを見たのではないでしょうか。そんな王道の松と、難を逃れるという南天を合わせ、
ピンポンマムを配して仕上げます。

Change Service Requested

The North American Post
519 6th Ave. S.,
Seattle, WA 98104

PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEATTLE WAPERMIT NO. 1153

金子 恵 ショッカー
草月流師範理事、シアトル草月支部副支部長、いけばなインターナショナル会員。
Ikebana By Megumi スタジオ主宰。初心者いけばな体験クラスは月 2 回あり。
☎ 425-744-9751 megumi.schacher@gmail.com www.ikebanabymegumi.com@megumi.schacher@megumischacher9649

Kent & Connie Matsumoto bring their epic WWII
novel to Bainbridge and Mercer islands.

VOICES 声
Japan in a Suitcase Program Changes Lives
By Lacey Ott
For The North American Post
The following article is an edited version of aspeech delivered by Lacey Ott at the Japan-America
Society of the State of Washington's centennial gala.
I am here tonight as an elementary educator,
to speak to you about both the impact
and importance of the Japan-America Society ofWashington State’s educational programs.
Since its inception in 1994, I have been servedby this incredible group for more than half of thattime, so I feel like I can reasonably speak to theimpact I’ve seen on my students, both annually,
and generationally.
For those that are not aware of what this programis, in short, my students get to experience a day inthe life of a Japanese student. They get to holdJapanese textbooks and peruse them, attempt
to use chopsticks, try on uniforms that Japanese
school students use every day, and they all but
have a heart attack when they discover that school
begins in April in Japan. But most importantly —They see how much respect the students have for
their teachers, their school, and each other.
As always, my students are most shocked to hearthat there are no janitors at school, leaving theJapanese students to clean their own classrooms,
bathrooms, school, staff lounge, and evenserve their own lunches to their classmates. This
understanding helps to foster what I call an“attitude of gratitude,” and leads us to enriching
conversations about how differently their actions
might be around our school campus if they knew
they would be cleaning it all together.
So, what is the impact I see? I see an impact bothannually and generationally. Bear with me and I
will explain.
Annually, I mean year after year without fail,and immediately following a Japan in a Suitcase(JIS) presentation in my classroom, there is an
instantaneous improvement in respect among thestudents both peer to peer and student to staff.
There is an increased curiosity for learning both
the Japanese culture, and the cultures of theirpeers, of which they hadn’t previously considered
getting to know until JIS sparked their interestin celebrating differences while digging forsimilarities to find common ground.
They begin to respect the looks and smells ofeach other’s cultural foods.
And they literally ask me to throw out othersubjects to give more time to Social Studies so that
we can explore culture more in depth.
While each year brings new and special
awareness to each group, these are the things thatare fostered in my students every year regardlessof my student demographics. Last year, after
returning from the Gala with a food gift from agenerous attendant, my students got to try a very
special dessert called yokan.
The unwrapping of the seven fanciful layersof packaging of this exquisite dessert made mystudents swoon and had one proclaiming that she
would, “Go to Japan someday, if nothing else, forthe food!”

Lacey Ott, a fourth-grade teacher at Wellington Elementary School in Woodinville, delivers a speech about theJapan America Society's Japan in a suitcase program at the society's centennial gala.

The Japan in a Suitcase experience doesn’t merely
entertain the students; it truly builds bridges ofunderstanding.
When I think of the generational impact I’ve seen
in my students because of the Japan in a Suitcase
enrichment experience, a student named, well, let’scall him Weston… comes to mind. (He was too shy
to let me share his name). I taught Weston in third
grade, and he is now a junior in high school. For
the last eight years he’s come to visit me off and on
to give me the latest life updates, and he proudly
proclaimed to me last June that he had survived his
first year of Japanese. Knowing his plan for college,
this didn’t seem to fit into his career needs, so I was
intrigued and had to ask him why he decided totake Japanese, seemingly out of the blue, so late inhis high school experience.
His response?
He said, “Well, you know that ‘suitcase project’
you do?”“Yes,” I said, “go on.”He replied, “Well I still have it, and for whateverreason, I was looking back at it, and I remembered
how fun it was to study Japan and do that thing,with that lady who brought the suitcase of goodies.”
I chuckled and let him know that I still do Japan ina Suitcase, with “that lady,” Lisa, and her suitcase of
goodies. While I don’t quite see it yet, I know that
his language lessons he took will serve him insome way in his future, all because of a seed thatwas planted in elementary school because of JIS’s
educational programming.  
That is generational bridge building, fostering alove for one another.
Another student, also a junior, and classmate ofWeston, is Olivia, or Liv as I call her; she has alsocome to visit me for the past eight years with life
updates, but the number one thing that I hear fromher is that her vote for her annual family vacationis still, and will always be, for Japan. She says she
knows her family can’t afford it, but says she will
always dream big, and someday go, even without
her family.
In this suitcase project that Weston referred to,
we study 25 countries on the Pacific Rim, and yet,Japan still stays everyone’s favorite, and I believe
this is because of the hands-on experience thatJapan in the Schools provides.
In summary, I can personally attest to the factthat the Japan-America Society’s educational
programs have been strategically building thebridges between American culture and Japaneseculture in our public schools for the past two
decades.
With increasing budget deficits in our publicschools across our state, our hands are tied — ourhands-on experiences and field trips are becominga thing of the past.
So, the most special thing about Japan in Schools
for me is that this program is completely free tome, my students, and my school, ensuring that we
can continue to open our minds to a world outsideof our own, and bring Japan to us, even when we
can’t go there.
In the spirit of forging friendships andunderstanding between the peoples of Japanand Washington state, we can continue to build
bridges into the next century, and beyond.

Lacey Ott is a fourth-grade teacher at Wellington
Elementary, Woodinville. She delivered this speechat the Gala of the Japan-America Society of the Stateof Washington, Westin Hotel, Seattle, November 28,
2023.

SANSEI JOURNAL: The Second-Language Learning Window
By David Yamaguchi
For The North American Post
It is hard to circulate in the Greater Seattle Japanese community, where one regularly encountersstrongly bilingual Shin-Issei and Shin-Nisei andlargely monolingual Japanese American Sansei
and Yonsei, without regularly thinking about who
acquires a second language, who doesn’t, and why.
The question is timely because we have an opportunity to influence which Seattle-area youth will beable to work effectively in Japan across the coming
decades and fill gaps in its declining labor force.
As a Sansei who stands between the two groups
linguistically, today I wanted to share the graphic
shown here. New to me, it is the most remarkablepicture of the second-language learning process I
have seen in my entire life.
The descending lines summarize the main findings of a grammar quiz posted on the internet, towhich over 669,000 responded. The upper curve

8

cy. Those who begin later literally run out of time
before the sharp drop in learning rate at around17-18 years of age.” Notably, the authors place the“beginning of the end” of second-language acquisition at 17.4 years.
In summary, the key points for optimal study are
to start learning the second language by age 10
and to get as far as you can by age 17. Beyond thispoint, you can study all you want, but you’re facing
diminishing returns. Your brain is no longer flexible enough to easily acquire the second language.
A related point is that if two years of college
Japanese study are in your plans, then it would be
more effective to place them earlier in your courseshows how the second-language ability of thoseof study. This amount of exposure meets the level
who immigrate to a new country varies by age ofof study recommended by the U.S. Department ofimmigration. The lower curve describes how theState for its foreign service workers.
ability varies in non-immersion contexts, for example, through foreign-language study in school. David Yamaguchi is Executive Director of the JaThe two curves show “that learners must start by pan-America Society of the State of Washington
10-12 years of age to reach native-level proficien- (dyamaguchi@jassw.org).
The North American Post Vol. 78, Issue 24 January 1, 2024 napost.com

NEWS ニュースSpring Japan Tour Orientation Set for Jan. 19

By NAP staff

By Bruce Rutledge
For the North American Post
There's still time to sign up for The
North American Post's spring Japan
tour. We revived the tour last year
after a long hiatus for the pandemic
and have plans for two more trips in
2024.
The spring 2024 tour, scheduled
for April 10-24, includes five nights
in Tokyo, two in Takayama, and six in
Kyoto. It also includes day trips from
Tokyo to Yokahama and from Kyoto
to Kobe, Kanazawa and Hiroshima.
This is a great way to immerse
yourself in Japan. It's a walking tour
with transportation on bullet trains
and subways, so be sure to packcomfortable waklking shoes.
L a s t y e a r, N A P s u c c e s s f u l l ycompleted two of these tours with
about 20 people each.
The price of $5,075 per person fora double occupancy room includes
air fare to and from Japan, a railpass, and a bilingual tour guide. In anutshell, a bargain!
The tour is filling up fast, but asof this writing, there are still several
spot s open. If you're interested,
please write japantour@napost.com
for more information.
We'll be holding an orientationo n J a n u a r y 19 f r o m 4 to 6 p m a t
the Nor th American Post of f ice( 519 6 t h A v e S , S e a t t l e 9 810 4 ) .
T h e o r i e n t a t i o n i s o p e n to b o t hparticipants of the spring 2024 tour
and those who are curious about
the tours.
We look forward to traveling withyou in the new year!

New Cherry Trees Grace Market Entrance
A small plaque across the street
from the entrance of Pike PlaceMarket honors the planting of eight
new cherry trees along Pike Street.
The message on the plaque waswrit ten by Kyle Kinoshita of theJapan American Citizens' League.
He reminds us that more than 75%of the vendors in the market wereJapanese American until they were

imprisoned during World War II.
In the last couple of years, thecit y contemplated replacing thecherry trees with hybrid elms, whichplanners argued would nicely frameth e Mar ke t e ntr an ce a s p e op l eapproach it on Pike Street.
Save the Market Entrance, led
by Ruth Danner, spearheaded thecampaign to preser ve the cherr ytrees. A ceremony was held in early
December to unveil the plaque.

Tokyo as viewed from the top floor of
Shibuya Sky. Photo by Kate Rutledge

Commercial Kitchen Available for Startups at Nisei Veterans Hall
By David Yamaguchi
For the North American Post
On November 20, the King County
Public Health inspector signed off on a
new commissary kitchen permit at the
Nisei Veterans Committee Hall, 1212 S.
King Street, Seattle. As of that date, thekitchen facilities there are up to codefor startup small-business food-vendor
use. The renovation is a small-businessassistance pilot program funded by
the Washington State Department ofCommerce. It is the brainchild of Kanako
Matsumoto and Dale L. Watanabe, whostarted the small-business assistance 2008.
program of the Japan-America Society of The first business currently in the kitchen
the State of Washington (jassw.org).
door is Nigiri Zanzan. It is a part of GreatAs background, if you want to start up Rice, which imports rice from Yamagata
a food business, you cannot currently Prefecture, north-central Japan. Top local
prepare food in your home kitchen, sushi restaurants use their rice.
then bring it elsewhere and sell it. The JASSW Commissary Kitchen at
Kitchen cleanliness and continuous NVC Memorial Hall is open to othertemperature-control of the prepared food minority businesses using the facility on
are paramount and required by the King a space available basis. It is set up toCounty Health Department.
accommodate three small businesses at
The kitchen is a part of JASSW’s broader a time.
Japanese small-business assistance Potentially interested businesses should
program. The improvements significantly start by filling out the small-business
upgrade the NVC Hall, last remodeled in contact form at jassw.org.

(425)861-5574

The North American Post Since 1902 napost.com

9

NEW YEAR’S GREETINGS 新年の挨拶
Nisei Veterans Committee
NVC Foundation

Olympia, Legislative Building
WA 98504-0482

Washington State
Legislature

Dear fellow Washingtonians,
On behalf of the Office of the Secretary of State, I wish you a very peaceful, joyous, and prosperous
2024. I was fortunate to travel to Japan to conduct a trade mission in October. I loved seeing the strong
sense of community, many traditions to honor history, and commitment to building relationships
between Japan and Washington, which I am excited to continue in 2024.
During the Nov. 7 general election, more than 1.75 million Washingtonians made their voices heard to
improve communities across the state. My office has been working hard to ensure everyone eligible
has equal access to civic and voter education programs and ways to cast their votes, especially nonEnglish-speaking voters, voters with disabilities, new residents, and voters in tribal and underserved
communities.
Voters this year will decide many important items affecting our communities, including the race for
the U.S. presidency. Those interested in voting can easily and conveniently register online at VoteWa.
gov.
In the year ahead, I look forward to continuing to expand Washington State Library resources and deal
with challenges to libraries everywhere, including book banning. Books serve as a gateway to life
experiences, empowering readers to understand different places, cultures, religions, perspectives, andideas. What’s more, libraries serve as safe spaces where everyone may gather.
I hope the new year brings a clear resolution to another challenge: the future of our State Archives.
The Archives preserve our history and provide public access to understanding the state’s identities andcultures. They are at risk due to structural deficiencies. The building they
are housed in near the Capitol floods frequently, and I am urgently trying
to bring a long-planned new State Library Archives Building to fruition.
I am confident that 2024 will be a wonderful year of exciting possibilities.
If you would like to reach my office, please do so at 360-902-4151 or
secretaryofstate@sos.wa.gov.
Once again, I am sending you and your loved ones many good wishes fora Happy New Year.

NVC Memorial Hall
1212 S King Street
Seattle, WA 98144(206) 322-1122

Greetings!
Another banner year has elapsed, and the NVC and NVCF are deeply grateful for your support,
partnership, collaboration, and opportunity to educate and share the extraordinary legacy of theJapanese American service members who served during WWII.
We’ve traveled outside the local area (e.g., the 16th Annual PPALM General Membership Meeting
and Reception in DC and the weeklong Association of the US Army’s President’s Reception). Our
78th consecutive Annual Memorial Day service at Lake View Cemetery was well attended. It was
extraordinary that The Honorable Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian
American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison to the White House, was ourdistinguished speaker. We hosted the farewell for Consul General Inagaki and Mrs. Inagaki and awelcome event for incoming Consul General Iyori and Mrs. Iyori. Our partnership with the JapanAmerica Society of Washington’s Small Business Empowerment Academy will help empower
Japanese and Japanese American small and microbusiness owners through our new status as aCommissary Kitchen, which will help generate revenue and support Washington state’s Small
Business Resiliency Network.
The Nisei experience continues to inspire us and the Greater Seattle community as we build a better
tomorrow by embracing this unique and special legacy. And we’ll continue to overcome and adapt to a
new normal. The challenges attributed to COVID and an uncertain local and world economic outlook
will only dare us to persist and endure in our mission through our programs and services.
Akemashite omedetuō gozaimasu as we enter the Year of the Dragon.
Michael J. Yaguchi, Lt Col, USAF (ret) Commander

Shawn Brinsfield President
1416 S. Jackson St.
Seattle, WA 98144
https://densho.org/

DenshoThe Japanese American Legacy Project

Steve Hobbs

Secretary of State
Dear friends,
3010 77th Ave SE, Suite 102
Mercer Island, WA 98040(206) 374-0180 jassw@jassw.org
Dear Friends,

Having just celebrated my one-year anniversary as Densho’s new Executive
Director, I am so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside all of you to
steward and uplift the legacies of our Japanese American communities.
As I reflect on my first year with Densho, I have been thinking deeply about
the importance of preserving stories of Japanese American WWII incarceration
for future generations. Human beings are storytellers, using narratives to makesense of our experiences. The stories we tell define us, guide our actions, andenrich our lives. I have also learned so much from witnessing my own father
publicly share his experiences as a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing so that
future generations, including my own daughter, can hear and learn from those
who lived through history.

新年明けましておめでとうございます。Happy New Year from the Japan

America Society of the State of Washington (JASSW)! On July 24,
1923, the Japan Society of Seattle was formed by local businessmen,
educators, and politicians, both Japanese and American, to foster “Peacein the Pacific.” Since then, the society has demonstrated unwaveringcommitment to its broader mission “to promote mutual understanding andfriendship between the peoples of Japan and Washington State.”
As we begin 2024, JASSW is well positioned to continue “Building
Bridges to the Next Century” through its essential work of deepening
bonds between the two nations, fostering cultural understanding, inspiring
younger generations to become future global leaders, and driving
economic growth. Our mission is deep and takes a long-term outlook indeveloping meaningful investments and commitments.
Building community through exchanging ideas and culture at the grassroots level and creating positive
experiences leading to mutual understanding are ongoing collaborations in which we all can participate.
JASSW does this through programs in classrooms and boardrooms. Through lively discussions with
community partners both in-person and virtually, we create opportunities to learn from and celebrate eachother.
We welcome NAP readers to join our Society in its mission to bring communities together, ensuringthat the bridges we construct today will foster continuing “Peace in the Pacific.” My hope is that ourcommunity circles will continue to expand outward, contributing to “Peace in the World.”

Naomi Ostwald
Kawamura
Executive Director

Through my own family’s experiences, I have always known the profound
impact of sharing our stories as a practice of remembrance and an act ofresilience, weaving together a shared history that connects us all. This is the essence of Densho’s work,
and it is all made possible thanks to the power of community — so thank you for contributing to ourcollective memory-keeping efforts!
With warm wishes for a happy 2024,
Naomi Ostwald Kawamura

Japan Business Association of Seattle(Shunju Club)
シアトル日本商工会（春秋会）

919 124th Ave. NE, #207,
Bellevue, WA 98005(425) 679-5120

We wish you a year filled with joy, prosperity, and meaningful connections.
Sincerely,
Shoko Farmer
2022-2024 ChairJapanese Cultural & Community Center of WA
ワシントン州日本文化会館

1414 S Weller St.
Seattle, WA 98144
www.jcccw.org

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu! Happy New Year to All!
2023 seems to have gone as fast as it arrived! While the year has spedthrough, 2023 has been a remarkably busy, challenging, and rewarding year.
Through your continued support we have had another year of successes.
Below is a brief list of accomplishments by our wonderful staff andvolunteers:

Our online adult classes have surged to an all-time high of 200+ students!

当会は日本に縁をもちつつ、ノースウエストに根を張り、当地の福祉・教育・文化・産業・行政の発展に尽くしてこられた多くの先人の尊い努力と献身を礎に、脈々と続くその志を受け継いでまいりました。
縁あって、こんにち同じ時代と地域社会を共有する私たちの使命は、世界のなかでも重要で卓越した役割を持つ、日米パートナーシッ
プを様々な機会で支え、より一層価値を高め、ここで育んだ信頼関係を国・地域を越えて広げ、そして人類の未来を創ることにあります。

Dear Family and Friends of the “J”,

Reinstated in-person youth Japanese Language classes!

あけましておめでとうございます。皆様におかれましては、ご家族、親しい方々とともに新しい年を健やかにお迎えのこととお慶び申し上げます。日頃よりシアトル日本商工会の活動にご理解、ご支援、ご協力を賜り、誠にありがとうございます。商工会を代表して厚く御礼申し上げます。

Noboyuki Odagiri
President

新年にあたり、皆さまとともに、改めて歴史に想いを馳せ、「いま」に努力を捧げ、希望溢れる未来を描き、この使命を果たしたいという思いを強くいたしました。皆さまのご多幸を祈念いたします。
2024 年（令和 6 年）元旦
Kurt Tokita
Board PresidentInterest continues to grow in our adult prep classes for those studying for theJapanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).
The Seattle Rep joined the Omoide writing group in a collaborative performance presenting dramatic
readings and original music at “What is Home: Japanese American Stories from Omoide.”
Our own Northwest Nikkei Museum co-curators Eric and Maddy participated in a panel discussion at
Emerald City Comic Con.
Participated at the Sakura Matsuri (Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival).
Hosekibako resale shop continues to thrive and our online shopping service continues to grow – allproceeds support the operation of the ”J.”
Hosted a booth at Hai! Japantown 2023 at the Wing Luke Museum.

シアトル日本商工会（春秋会）会長

小田切信之

Dear Friends and Families,
Happy 2024! I wish you all a happy and healthy new year with your families and loved
ones. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation with the activities of the Japan
Business Association of Seattle (JBAS). On behalf of the JBAS, I would like to express our
sincere gratitude.
JBAS has inherited the noble efforts and dedication of many of our predecessors who,
while having ties to Japan, have put down roots in the Northwest and contributed to thedevelopment of welfare, education, culture, industry, and government in this region.
As we share the same era and community today, our mission is to take every opportunity tosupport and enhance the U.S.-Japan partnership, which plays an important and prominent rolein the world, and to extend the trust fostered here beyond national and regional boundaries toshape the future of humanity.

Our community classes (judo, karate, taiko, etc.) and events continue to grow and offer uniqueexperiences – come join us!

On the occasion of the New Year, I would like to join with all of you in recalling our history
once again, and to do our best in the &quot;present&quot; to fulfill this mission and envision afuture filled with hope.

We are very fortunate to have such a great staff, volunteers and community. Wishing you all a healthyand safe holiday season and a big thank you for your continued support!

January 1 st , 2024

Kurt Tokita, Board President

The North American Post Since 1902 napost.com

Warm wishes,
Nobuyuki Odagiri
President, Japan Business Association of Seattle (Shunju kai)11

VOICES 声

The Obi

By Lori Matsukawa
The North American Post
The stylists padded quietly in their tabi, speaking
highly feminine and polite Japanese. Mariko
Kayama, “Niki” Nakamitsu, and the renowned Yu
Ugawa wrapped me in an undergarment, a collar
garment and finally, an astounding black silk kimono
exploding with red, purple, and gold flowers. Plum,cherry, iris.
Shoka Ludden did what I considered impossible.
She swept my short hair up with the help of oddly
shaped hairpins and spurts of softly fragrant Shu
Uemura hair spray. The purpose: to reveal the nape of
my neck which is framed just-so by the kimono collar.
The highlight of this elaborate outfit was the shiny
gold obi, hand-tied by Ugawa-san. She is a tiny
woman, but a mighty one. She creased, folded, andknotted the thick silk brocade fabric. Her experienced
hands commanded the heavy cloth to transform into
a flowing, sumptuous bow of bold and exquisite size.
I loved that the back of my costume was even Mariko Kayama (left) and Yu Ugawa dressing me inmore evocative than the front. I imagined walking
a kimono.
past cherry trees along a riverbank in Kyoto andhaving the last vision of me being the disappearing
chrysanthemum blossoms at the nape of my neckand the obi, beckoning like a wind-kissed flower.
“Who is that woman? How old is she?” One cannot
tell because the long furisode sleeves and exploding
obi are meant for young, unmarried women. The
curls and flowers in her hair are flirty, not reserved. A
woman departing in mystery.
Note: The stylists are from Kimono Art here in
Washington State. This was just the second time theauthor had ever been dressed in formal kimono. The
first time was in Tokyo at age 17.

The completed obi.

From left to right, Mariko
Kayama, Yu Ugawa, me, andNiki Nakamatsu at the JapaneseAmerican Society of the State ofWashington centennial gala.

Lori Matsukawa wrote the children’s book, Brave
Mrs. Sato, about stories her grandmother told her(napost.com, Nov. 10).

Couple Pens Sweeping World War II Love Story

Kent and Constance Hays Matsumoto will be speaking about their book on January 9 at Harbor Book
Co. on Bainbridge on 6:30 PM and on January 10 at Island Books on Mercer Island at 6 PM.

By Bruce Rutledge
The North American Post
Ruby Ishimaru is a Japanese American growing
up in Hawaii. Koji Matsuo is a Japanese youth living
in Hiroshima. World War II reshapes their lives,
sending Ruby and family to incarceration campson the mainland after the bombing of Pearl Harborand forcing Koji to grapple with the effects of thegrinding Japanese war machine and the atomic
bomb dropped on his city all while hiding a secret.
That is the premise behind "Of White Ashes," aresilient love story penned by Kent and Constance
Hays Matsumoto and published by Apprentice House
Press, an independent book publisher at Loyola
University Maryland. The authors will be in town thisJanuary for two events in the Seattle area.

12

While the book is fiction, the Matsumotos say
the story is based on the lives of Kent's parents. His
American mom was incacerated during World War II,
and his American dad was in Hiroshima at the timeof the bombing. The fictionalized version of theirlove story brings Ruby and Koji together in California,
where they immediately fall in love and begin toforge a future together and heal from their personal
traumas. But the danger of history repeating itself
looms large. Can Ruby and Koji overcome the odds
and live a happy life together despite what they had
been through?
Connie and Kent say writing this novel as acouple has brought them closer together. While
Kent's parents rarely spoke to him of their wartime
experiences when he was growing up, once hemarried Connie, his mother began to open up to herdaughter in law.
The choice to turn this family memoir into fiction
gave the writers more artistic license and freed themfrom worrying about what other family members
thought of their depiction of Ruby and Koji.
The Matsumotos will be in the Seattle area for two
special presentations and book signings on January
9 and 10. They'll be at Eagle Harbor Book Co. on
Bainbridge Island on Jan. 9 at 6:30 and at Island
Books on Mercer Island on Jan. 10 at 6. Both eventsare free and open to the public.
The Matsumotos also donate a portion of theirbook sales to the Japanese American Memorial
Pilgrimages.
If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially fictionthat combines a love story with the harrowing eventsof World War II, be sure to catch one of these events.

The North American Post Vol. 78, Issue 24 January 1, 2024 napost.com

CLASSIFIEDS クラシファイド● JOB Looking for a change of life?
How about a place to live, foodand getting paid to be a caregiver/roommate for an elderly Japaneselady. You must speak Japanese.
Located in Silverdale, Washington.
This is not a nursing posi­tion but
a friend and general room­mate
type of position. The monthly pay
range depends on experience andpersonality. References required.
Contact: Jim (Jfc611@icloud.com)● JOB Uwajimaya is hiring: Comejoin our team. We have several
immediate openings available. Apply
today! Visit www.uwajimaya.com/
jobs● JOB 84 Yesler, Northwest Seafood

Restaurant is hiring. Contact
Takahashi: (206)618-7739●MEETUP 百年の歴史を持つシアトル短歌会です。新会員を募集しています。楽しく学びながら短歌を作ってみませんか？短歌を作ってましたという方も大歓迎です。歌会は毎月第二月曜日午前十時から川辺ハウスの図書室にて開催。見学、または入会ご希望の方、田宮までご連絡ください。206-851-4303またはatamiya@
comcast.net● SHOP Hosekibako, Japanese
Resale Shop, Thursday-Sunday
10am-3pm, Japanese Cultural& Community Center ofWashington:1414 S Weller St. A
Seattle store offering Japanese art,

antiques, collectibles & household
treasures. Donations of new or used
Japanese items are accepted year
round!
●SHOP Okura Art China, 23 piecetea set, in original box, never used.
Brought from Tokyo to Seattle in
1973, etched and painted gold trim
on white and burgundy with painted
gold leaves. Pattern # 6MJ 1306.
A beautiful tea set for a collector.
Please call or email for pictures(some included here), pricing, andinformation. Sam, 509-771-9324
samdcole1966@gmail.com● CLASSIFIEDS:
https://napost.com/classifieds/

What a Night! JASSW Celebrates 100 Years!

A beautiful 23-piecetea brought fromTo k y o t o S e a t t l e
in 1973. Contact
Sam for more info:
samdcole1966@
gmail.com

Photos by David Yamaguchi
For The North American Post

ABOVE: Ellen Eskenazi raises her
paddle during the auction. A former
exchange student in Japan, today
she is Associate Director of the UWJapan Studies Program. Photo: KS
UPPER MIDDLE: Shoko Farmer (left)
and Masami Katayama awaiting
guests at the gala entrance. They22

are JASSW Executive Commit tee RIGHT: 1001- crane ar t work of the LOWER MIDDLE: At the Westin Hotel,
C h a i r a n d 2 0 2 3 G a l a C h a i r , JASSW logo made by Lane Shigihara Seattle (Nov. 28, 2023).
respectively. They stand next to 2023 (right). A corporate employee by day,centennial-year calligraphy written by Shigihara is an emerging community
Chiyo Sanada.
artist by night.

The North American Post Vol. 78, Issue 24 January 1, 2024 napost.com