Hiroshima’s protest of a U.S. nuclear test, and the U.S.-Japan trade strain

Vol. 95, No. 7, August 13, 1982. 8 pages. View this issue

Hiroshima Mayor Takeshi Araki’s protest of a U.S. underground nuclear test in Nevada, made on the eve of the 37th anniversary of the atomic bombing, led the front page. The paper also followed the strain in U.S.-Japan relations over the whaling ban, the IBM-Hitachi case and trade friction. On the Go for Broke exhibit opening, more than 1,600 people attended. Inside, John Tateishi wrote on redress and the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, Jim Tsujimura reviewed his biennium as National JACL President, and M.M. Sumida continued his study of Earl Warren and the wartime incarceration.

There is also news of the Nisei Week Queen, a reception for Nisei veterans, and the Oakland Tribune’s backing of AB 2710. Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani wrote columns, and Hiroshi Kitamura offered a farewell reflection on leaving San Francisco. Letters to the editor looked ahead to the JACL convention.

What’s in this issue

National

• Hiroshima Mayor Denounces U.S. Nuclear Test, page 1. Hiroshima Mayor Takeshi Araki protested a U.S. underground nuclear test conducted on the eve of the 37th anniversary of the atomic bombing. About 100 of the 43,000 memorial attendees staged a sit-in to protest the test, and the city’s atomic bomb death toll was updated to 151,689.
• Whaling Ban Adds Problems to Strained U.S.-Japan Relations, page 1. The International Whaling Commission’s decision to ban commercial whaling has created tension between Japan and the West, rooted partly in cultural and economic differences. Japan’s whaling industry supports tens of thousands of jobs, while Western critics call for conservation of endangered whale species.
• Japan, U.S., Panama Eye Second Panama Canal, page 1. A joint U.S., Panama and Japan planning body may soon be announced to plan a second Panama Canal. Japan has shown interest since 1980, with Prime Minister Suzuki supporting the project for trade and security reasons.
• Hitachi Pleads Innocence in IBM Case, page 1. Hitachi Ltd.’s lawyer entered an innocent plea to charges of stealing IBM computer secrets, arguing the case stemmed from a questionable arrangement between IBM and the government. Several Hitachi employees and associates have also pleaded innocent in the ongoing case.
• Oakland Tribune Backs Johnston’s AB 2710, page 1. The Oakland Tribune editorialized in support of AB 2710, a bill to compensate Nikkei state employees dismissed from their jobs because of their ancestry 40 years ago. The editorial noted that the proposed $5,000 compensation would not even cover wages lost during the five years they were barred from employment.
• As Trade Tensions Increase, Japan Wary of Scapegoating, page 1. Economic friction between the U.S. and Japan has intensified due to cases like the IBM-Hitachi espionage scandal and Mitsui’s dumping settlement, with many Japanese believing their country is being unfairly targeted. Despite the tension, positive developments such as new Japanese auto plants in the U.S. may help ease the strain.
• Whale Meat Tradition Fades as Dispute Continues, page 8. This continuation piece details Japan’s declining but culturally significant whale-eating tradition, noting that fast food has largely replaced whale restaurants. The article also discusses historical ironies in U.S.-Japan whaling relations, with some conservationists urging a measured rather than total ban on Japanese whaling.
• Four Japan Students Killed in Accident, page 8. Four members of a Japanese student tour group were killed and seven injured when a driver fleeing a hit-and-run accident plowed into them near the U.S.-Mexico border. The driver, a U.S. Marine sergeant, was arrested and held on multiple murder and hit-and-run charges.
• Kenya’s Windmill a Gift From Japan, page 8. Japanese charity groups raised $22,000 to build a windmill in an arid region of northern Kenya to pump water. The project is helping turn the area into a more livable settlement for refugees.

Community

• NCWNP Co-sponsor Kitamura Dinner, page 1. A community dinner was held in San Francisco in tribute to Japanese Consul General Hiroshi Kitamura. NCWNP JACL was among the co-sponsors of the event marking his departure.
• 1982 Nisei Week Queen Crowned, page 1. Janet Midori Barnes of the East San Gabriel Valley JCC was crowned the 1982 Nisei Week Queen at the Coronation Ball held at the Century Plaza Hotel. Deena Lynn Akemi Hard was runner-up and Dianne Yumi Osora was named Miss Tomodachi.
• Over 1,600 Attend ‘Go for Broke’ Event, page 1. More than 1,600 people attended the opening of the ‘Go For Broke’ exhibit at the L.A. County Museum of Natural History, marking one of the biggest Japanese American social events in Southern California. Eric Saul, Tom Kawaguchi and Robert Pirosh were honored during the program emceed by Lane Nakano.
• Educator Robert Suzuki Says Students Need Self-Sufficiency, page 1. Dr. Robert Suzuki told an education conference in Boston that Asian American communities must pursue self-sufficiency and that bilingual and multicultural education needs to be reshaped to teach survival skills. He criticized the Reagan Administration’s block grant system as diffusing advocacy organizations’ effectiveness.
• Nikkei Hotel Owner Charged as ‘Slumlord’, page 2. Hideo Matsumoto, owner of a 100-unit Hollywood hotel, was cited for 21 violations of fire, health, and building codes by the Los Angeles City Attorney. Matsumoto is due to face arraignment on slumlord charges in L.A. Municipal Court.
• Belli Apologizes But Irks Chinese Again, page 3. Attorney Melvin Belli apologized for remarks calling Chinese jurors ‘stingy’ after a shouting match with protesters outside his San Francisco office. Belli’s use of the term ‘Chinaman’ during the confrontation was called racist by Chinese for Affirmative Action director Henry Der.
• JA Republicans Slate 1st Calif. Meeting, page 3. CAL-JAR (California Japanese American Republicans) will hold its first statewide meeting at a fundraiser in Little Tokyo featuring Republican candidates for state office. Confirmed speakers include candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.
• Wintersburg Church Slates Food Festival, page 3. Wintersburg Presbyterian Church in Garden Grove will hold its 26th Annual Food Festival on Sept. 18. The event runs from 4-9 p.m.
• Alumni Assn. Sets Up Student Loans, page 3. The California Japanese Alumni Association will establish a Student Loan Program for Nikkei youth facing financial hardship due to government cutbacks in student loan programs. Loans will be available to students attending any of the nine University of California campuses.
• Traditional Music Concert for Nisei Week Slated, page 3. A traditional Japanese music concert featuring kangen, shakuhachi and koto performances will be held at Koyasan Temple during Nisei Week. The event takes place Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
• Nisei Week Casino Night Set Aug. 13, page 3. The fifth annual Nisei Week Casino Night will be held at the Venice Japanese Community Center. The event starts at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13.
• Scholarships Awarded by Placer JACL, page 6. Placer County JACL and California First Bank awarded scholarships to four Nikkei students including Patricia Lynn Sugiyama, Lori T. Hirabayashi, Daniel M. Yoshikawa, and Michelle M. Kashiwabara. Each chapter scholarship was for $200, with the bank awarding its own newly-established scholarship.
• Picnic Time for Honolulu JACLers Aug. 29, page 6. Honolulu JACL will hold its annual picnic at Keaiwa State Park in Aiea, chaired again by Raymond Inafuku. Multiple committee members were named for food, publicity, prizes, sound, and other picnic duties.
• Marin Hosts Forum on Interracial Relations, page 6. Marin JACL will sponsor a forum on interracial relationships featuring guest lecturer Michael Omi of Mills College. The event will be held at the Mill Valley Buddhist Church.
• Quintuplets Born to Sansei Couple, page 6. Amy Chikaraishi gave birth to quintuplets conceived through fertility drugs at Lutheran General Hospital, delivered by a medical team in a 22-minute span. The children were named Ben, Julie Natsue, Kristi Aiko, Kari Chiyoko, and Jami Fumiko, and the family already had an adopted daughter.

Commentary

• Redress Phase 4: Additional Funds, by John Tateishi, page 2. CWRIC chair Joan Bernstein requested additional funds from Congress to complete research on economic losses and psychic impairment from the camp experience, with reports suggesting the commission is divided on redress recommendations. Tateishi argues that while commissioners largely agree the wartime incarceration was wrong, Congress will be far less unified, making the path to legislation difficult.
• President’s Corner: A Busy Biennium, by Dr. Jim Tsujimura, page 4. Outgoing National JACL President Jim Tsujimura reflects on the accomplishments of his biennium, including new staff appointments, CWRIC hearings participation, and completion of Bill Hosokawa’s JACL history book. He thanks volunteers, staff, and the Portland Chapter for their support during his tenure.
• Guest’s Corner: On Leaving San Francisco, by Hiroshi Kitamura, page 4. Outgoing Consul General Hiroshi Kitamura reflects on his nearly three years in San Francisco, discussing U.S.-Japan economic friction including the Medfly crisis, steel tariffs, and semiconductor disputes. He expresses gratitude to the Japanese American community and JACL for their support during his tenure.
• Letterbox: Convention Issues, by Stanley N. Kanzaki, page 4. A reader responds to a prior column about redress, urging the JACL Convention to reach out to other groups who suffered similar wartime injustices, including Japanese Canadians, Japanese Peruvians, and Aleuts. He suggests the National Redress Committee coordinate with these groups for mutual assistance and solidarity.
• Letterbox: Choose Wisely, by Ken Hayashi, page 4. A longtime JACL member urges convention delegates to elect foresighted and courageous leaders rather than those who are ‘heavy on rhetoric but weak on action.’ He emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing candidates’ track records given pressing issues like redress and U.S.-Japan trade relations.
• Letterbox: ‘Minkaen’, by Jin Konomi, page 4. A reader issues a correction regarding misinformation about the inspiration for Minka En, clarifying that the book’s author was Taizo Minagawa rather than Midori Motoi. He also shares additional details from a Denver reader about the Gassho Restaurant’s traditional building construction.
• Frying Pan: Police Lt. Ohara and Officer Masao Masuto, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa follows up on a reader question about mystery author E.V. Cunningham (pseudonym of Howard Fast), creator of Japanese American detective Masao Masuto. The column also highlights other fictional Japanese American and Japanese detectives, including Nan Hamilton’s Lt. Isamu Ohara and others featured in mystery magazines and British novels.
• East Wind: A ‘Blue Jeans’ Convention, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani argues that JACL national conventions have become too lavish and expensive, pricing out members whose voices should be heard. He proposes holding conventions at college campuses or rustic retreats to reduce costs and counter perceptions that JACL leadership is elitist.

Military & Veterans

• Sup. Hahn Hosts 1,200 at Vets’ Fete, page 3. Supervisor Kenneth Hahn hosted a reception for 1,200 Nisei Veteran Reunion participants at the Hall of Administration, with many local Nikkei public officials in attendance. About a third of attendees came from Hawaii, and nearly 20 Canadian Nisei veterans from the S-20 intelligence group also attended.

Incarceration & Redress

• Newspapers & Warren, by M.M. Sumida, page 4. This continuing historical analysis examines how California Attorney General Earl Warren used racist reasoning and unsubstantiated claims to justify the removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, despite lack of evidence of espionage or sabotage. The piece contrasts Warren’s claims with intelligence reports from 1941 that found no greater security risk posed by Japanese Americans than other groups.

JACL

• JACL Endorses Alarm Bill for Trucks, page 6. National JACL offered support for AB 3809, a bill requiring back-up audible alarm systems on garbage trucks, following the death of a chapter member’s friend’s son in a backing-truck accident. Youth Director David Nakayama sent a letter urging support to the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Ernest Konnyu.

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