SAN JOSE, CA – Seven women sat around a couch, chatting and laughing as they flipped through old photos from their teenage years in San Francisco during the 1950s. There were snapshots of their days playing on a social basketball team called The Dots, wedding photos, and several reunions from the past that sparked plenty of stories and laughter about the antics they shared along the way.

Izzy is a unique blend of several cultures as she explains, “Mom is full Japanese American, and my dad is a mix of Guatemalan, Spanish, Syrian, and Lebanese. I grew up feeling more connected to my Japanese American side—something my mom laughingly says my dad should get credit for, since she used to call him “the Asian one”—that connection really came from him”.

Emeryville, CA – Did you know that manju and mochi are types of wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets? In fact, there are more than 60 varieties of wagashi, and even snacks like arare are sometimes classified within this category.

When Jason Mikami walks the vineyard rows his family first planted more than a century ago, he does so with a deep awareness that the land beneath his feet carries far more than vines. It carries memory, survival, and a legacy shaped by perseverance through discrimination, war, and generational change.

Rory Fukuda has been meticulously creating a miniature replica of a portion of San Jose Japantown, a place that Rory grew up and has many connections to the business owners and residents. He describes it as a 2024 snapshot of 5th and Jackson Street, the center of Japantown.

By Patti Horikawa (daughter of Lucy Minamishin) SAN JOSE, CA - Lucy Minamishin was born November 6,1924 to Japanese immigrant parents Kunihisa Matsunaga and Tsuya...