The 2004 holiday issue: Passion

Vol. 139, No. 11, December 2004. 120 pages. View this issue

Passion was the theme of this 120-page holiday issue, and writers took it in many directions. Lynda Lin wrote about a lifelong love of movies, Gail L. Tanaka about her Collie, Summer, and Phil Shigekuni about staying fit at any age. Tom Ikeda told how he found his calling at Densho, which documents the stories of Japanese Americans held in the World War II incarceration (often called internment). Floyd Mori wrote about his drive to level the playing field for the disadvantaged.

Other pieces turned to history and community. Harry K. Honda looked at reunions of former camp residents, including Topaz, Poston, Manzanar and Heart Mountain, and Sandra Tanamachi described a pilgrimage retracing the path of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in France. Gil Asakawa answered Michelle Malkin’s book. About 67 pages carry holiday greetings, including ones from Watsonville-Santa Cruz, Twin Cities and Sonoma County.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Movie Passion: A Movie Lover’s Guide to Happiness, by Lynda Lin, page 6. Lynda Lin recounts a lifelong passion for classic and modern films that began in childhood and later became a career asset while writing in New Zealand. She reflects on shedding film-snob pretensions to embrace guilty pleasures alongside cinephile favorites, including top-five lists of favorite films and Asian films.
• I Love Collies, by Gail L. Tanaka, page 9. Gail Tanaka describes her lifelong love of dogs and her deep passion for Collies, particularly her dog Summer who competes in AKC obedience shows. She highlights the Japanese American community of dog obedience competitors and the joy Summer brings to her family and neighbors.
• A Passion for Fitness, At Any Age, by Phil Shigekuni, page 11. Phil Shigekuni describes how he and his wife Marion maintain a rigorous fitness routine of golf, aerobics classes, and healthy eating as they age, inspired by role models like Tom Doi and Rev. Leo Fong. He argues that a healthy lifestyle brings rewards beyond longevity, including better sleep and energy.
• A Dancer’s Passion, by Andrea Parker, page 12. A university dance major describes the frustration of constantly having to justify her choice of major to adults asking about her post-graduation plans. She concludes that passions like dance should not require justification and resolves to stop making excuses for pursuing what she loves.
• Hoop Dreams, by Joseph Craig, page 13. Joseph Craig recounts his lifelong love affair with basketball, from discovering the sport at age six to failed high school tryouts and adulthood fandom. Despite never achieving stardom, he describes basketball as an enduring relationship that has shaped his identity.
• Art A Labor of Love, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 16. A UCLA art major describes her struggle with self-doubt and fear after being accepted into the competitive art program, particularly during a painting class assignment to draw a paper crane 100 times. She discovers her Japanese American identity emerging in her artwork and concludes that art requires suffering as a labor of love.
• Densho Fulfilling a Passion for Community, by Tom Ikeda, page 17. Tom Ikeda describes his winding career path from chemical engineering to Microsoft before finding his true calling leading Densho, an organization documenting the life stories of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. Through interviews with Nisei elders, he found a deep connection to his heritage and a lasting commitment to education and social justice.
• I Love Cooking, by David Kim, page 22. A self-described bachelor explains how learning to cook, starting with basic Asian dishes and progressing to elaborate meals, became key to attracting women and building relationships. He shares his signature dishes and encourages other men to develop cooking skills.
• A Gastronomical Passion, by Maya Yamazaki, page 23. Maya Yamazaki reflects on her deep passion for food, especially Japanese cuisine, as a way to connect with her heritage and share culture with American friends. She discusses how Japanese food adapts foreign influences like curry rice and croquettes into distinctly Japanese dishes, paralleling the American melting pot ideal.
• Divine Wine, by Kevin Grigsby, page 26. Kevin Grigsby criticizes pretentious wine stewards and argues that wine enjoyment should come from personal experience rather than others’ guidelines. He shares memories tied to specific bottles of wine, from celebrations with friends to dates with his girlfriend, illustrating how wine enhances significant life moments.
• Dichotomy of a Dating Dad, by Eric Elkins, page 28. A single father describes the conflicting passions between spending quality time with his young daughter Simone and his enjoyment of martini-fueled nightlife. He reflects on how the tension between these two experiences, each heightened by the absence of the other, fuels his sense of satisfaction in life.
• Vampire of Stories, by Stewart David Ikeda, page 29. Novelist Stewart David Ikeda describes writers as “vampires” who feed on other people’s stories and experiences to fuel their creative work. He recounts how writing his historical novel about Japanese American history led him to interview Issei and Nisei relatives and strangers, uncovering family history he never knew.
• Passionate About Multicultural Living, by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, page 31. Frances Kai-Hwa Wang describes her effort to proactively surround her children with a multicultural environment in the Midwest so they develop pride in their Chinese heritage rather than feeling like outsiders. She wants her children equipped to confidently respond to racist taunts and stereotypes rather than internalizing shame as she once did.
• It’s My Melon Calling, Baby, by Raymond Nakamura, page 34. Raymond Nakamura recounts his childhood experience carving Japanese New Year foods and his later adult challenge of carving a watermelon into a whale shape for his mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. Despite imperfections in his carving, the fruit whale was a hit at the family gathering.
• Born to be Wild, by Mowe Hy, page 35. The author describes a fascination with motorcycle choppers as symbols of rebellion and “badness,” tracing this passion back to a childhood coffee mug slogan. He fantasizes about riding his own chopper, named Bertha, while acknowledging he is not truly a bad character despite the machine’s edgy appeal.
• Sharing a Passion for All Things Japanese, by Emily Murase, page 38. Emily Murase, a Sansei-han raised by a native Japanese mother, describes how her bilingual and bicultural upbringing in San Francisco opened doors throughout her career, from business deals with AT&T Japan to a White House fellowship and military tours. She hopes to pass her passion for Japanese language and culture to her own daughters.
• Let’s Hear it for the Boy Bands!, by Mary Tam, page 39. Mary Tam humorously describes her enduring fandom for boy bands like the Backstreet Boys, ‘NSync, and Boyzone as an idealized escape from real-life romantic disappointments. She compares the perfect, scripted love portrayed in boy band lyrics to the messier reality of dating actual people.
• Sports & Art … an ongoing passion, by Pete Hironaka, page 41. This brief entry references Pete Hironaka’s contribution on the theme of sports and art as ongoing passions, part of the table of contents listing for the Holiday Issue.
• Thanks for the Reminder!, by Gil Asakawa, page 46. Gil Asakawa writes a sarcastic open letter thanking Michelle Malkin for her book defending Japanese American internment and advocating racial profiling of Muslims, ironically noting how her arguments motivate continued civil rights activism. He challenges her book’s historical omissions regarding pre-war racism against Japanese Americans.
• Freedom of Expression, by Emily Teruya, page 52. Emily Teruya describes creating an online “Japanese American Youth Forum” to foster intergenerational dialogue within JACL, noting the disappointing lack of local participation compared to international visitors. She criticizes JACL’s segregation of youth and adults at conventions and calls for greater freedom of expression within the organization.
• Confessions of a Starving Artist, by Glenn Lee, page 54. Glenn Lee reflects on his lifelong passion for art, describing how the “not knowing” and creative uncertainty of artistic work drives him despite economic instability as a freelance artist. He connects personal passions to core identity and communicates how trends change but passion-driven feelings endure.
• Stay Healthy, Be Happy!, by Ann Fujii Lindwall, page 56. Ann Fujii Lindwall writes about her commitment to maintaining good health through exercise and healthy eating as she ages, motivated by witnessing her parents’ and in-laws’ health struggles. She argues that quality of life depends on proactive health choices made early rather than waiting until illness strikes.
• Passionate About Passion!, by Erin Yoshimura, page 58. Erin Yoshimura reflects on discovering her own passions through a period of writer’s block, realizing she had internalized Japanese American cultural values like enryo and gaman in ways that suppressed her voice. She encourages readers to question when such cultural values become disempowering rather than helpful.
• Fighting for a Fair Playing Field, by Floyd Mori, page 59. Former JACL National President Floyd Mori describes his passion for leveling the playing field for the disadvantaged, rooted in childhood experiences with discrimination, which drove his legislative career including spousal abuse protections and agricultural labor law reforms. He emphasizes his commitment to JACL and hopes future generations maintain similar passion for the organization.
• Finding ‘That Special One’ Through JACL, by David Kawamoto, page 69. David Kawamoto recounts meeting his wife Carol at a San Diego JACL beach picnic and reconnecting with her years later through JACL events before marrying. He notes that many other couples in his circle also met through JACL, arguing the organization holds unique value for building community relationships.

In-Depth

• Zest for Camp Reunions Keeps Flowing, by Harry K. Honda, page 42. Harry Honda surveys the tradition of reunions held by former incarcerees of World War II camps like Topaz, Poston, Manzanar, and Heart Mountain, describing his personal history visiting many of these sites over the decades. He reflects on the enduring passion and emotional connection that drives survivors, families, and friends to gather and preserve camp history.
• Passionate About Our JA Vets, by Sandra Tanamachi, page 48. Sandra Tanamachi describes her family’s connection to Nisei veterans, including her uncle Saburo Tanamachi who died rescuing the “Lost Battalion” in France, and her involvement in campaigns to rename roads with racist “Jap” names. She recounts a pilgrimage to France retracing the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s WWII battles and meeting numerous decorated Nisei veterans.
• Traveling With Willy Kai, Travel Guide Extraordinaire, by George Wakiji, page 62. George Wakiji profiles Willy Kai, a longtime Japan tour operator with nearly 50 years of experience leading Nikkei travelers, describing a 10-day Uranihon (Sea of Japan side) tour group. The article traces Kai’s personal history from internment camp through military service in Japan to founding his successful travel business.
• Passion… Artists Share Their Insight, by Maya Hata Lemmon, page 66. Maya Hata Lemmon profiles three creative artists with Idaho ties: novelist Ruthanne Lum McCunn, painter Roger Shimomura, and woodworker Mira Nakashima, each sharing reflections on their creative passions. The artists discuss themes of injustice, racism, and Zen-inspired non-attachment as driving forces in their work.

Sports

• Hockey Still the Ultimate Escape, by Gerald Kato, page 55. Gerald Kato recounts a serious knee injury sustained during an inline hockey game and his determined recovery and return to the sport that has been his passion since childhood. Despite ongoing physical challenges, he continues playing hockey as an escape and hopes to end his playing career on his own terms.

Obituaries

• America’s Japanese Hostages: Book Review, by Ike Hatchimonji, page 90. Ike Hatchimonji reviews Thomas Connell’s book detailing the little-known history of Japanese Latin Americans deported to the U.S. and used as hostages in prisoner exchanges with Japan during World War II. The review traces the U.S. government’s role in orchestrating deportations from eleven Latin American countries and the decades-long struggle for redress that followed.
• Death Notice: Nobuo Renge, by P.C. Staff, page 116. Nobuo Renge, 84, of Fresno passed away November 11, having been interned at Jerome, Arkansas and serving as a U.S. Army veteran in World War II. He operated Renge Pharmacy for 48 years and is survived by his wife Nancy, children, and grandchildren.

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