“Nima” are members of the Discover Nikkei online community. Hailing from all around the world, they each bring unique experiences and perspectives to the site’s rich archive of stories. We are thrilled to present Nima Voices, a series where we uplift our Nima through brief, but enlightening, interviews.

Episode 19—Christopher Sean

Released: November 24, 2025

[Language: English]

In the nineteenth episode, actor Christopher Sean was interviewed by guest host Tamlyn Tomita at Outside In Theatre. Christopher is best known for his roles on Days of Our Lives, Star Wars Resistance, and Ultraman: Rising. Actor Tamlyn Tomita is best know for her roles in The Karate Kid II, The Joy Luck Club, and worked with Christopher in Ultraman: Rising. They chatted about Chris’s personal/family background, his acting experience, and involvement with the Japanese American community.

Connecting Our Global Community: Panel Discussion and Book Talk

July 12, 2025 • Burnaby, British Columbia

The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC), Past Wrongs, Future Choices, JANM on the Go, and Discover Nikkei presented an afternoon of programming on Japanese Canadian history and remembrance. The event was held in Burnaby, British Columbia, with a book talk, reception, and panel discussion. For those outside of British Columbia, the panel discussion was live-streamed via Zoom. Read Ava Sakura's reaction to the event here.

Learn more about the program

12th Annual Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest Awards Ceremony

Each year, the Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest challenges writers to capture the spirit of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood. In this celebration, emceed by Christopher Sean, the winning stories in the three contest categories—Adult, Youth, and Japanese Language—were showcased through dramatic readings by special guests Ji-young Yoo, Rosie Narasaki, and Toshiji Takeshima. Each category winner received a cash prize, and their stories were made available on Discover Nikkei. You can read the stories here and watch the ceremony below

First Time in Little Tokyo: Japanese Language Writing Workshop

[Language: Japanese]

The 12th annual Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest held an online workshop in Japanese to introduce Japanese writers to Los Angeles’s Little Tokyo and provide tips for placing fictional characters in real-life settings. Bradley Hammond, a member of the Little Tokyo Historical Society, introduced similarities between Little Tokyo and Tokyo’s Tsukudajima area. Then, participants took part in writing exercises developed by Naomi Hirahara, mystery writer and co-chair of it contest and provided tips on how to write a short contest story for submission.

The Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest is presented by Little Tokyo Historical Society in partnership with the Discover Nikkei project and the deadline for entries is February 28, 2025. For more information and guidelines, visit the Little Tokyo Historical Society’s website at littletokyohs.org/imagine-2024.

Nikkei Uncovered IV: a poetry reading

We held our fourth virtual poetry reading with a powerful lineup of poets previously featured in Discover Nikkei’s Nikkei Uncovered: a poetry column: Christine Kitano, strong>Mia Ayumi Malholtra, and Matthew Mejia. traci kato-kiriyama (author of Navigating With(out) Instruments) hosted this special evening.

Christine Kitano is a poet, associate professor of creative writing and literature at Stony Brook University, and author of Sky Country and Birds of Paradise. Her father was incarcerated at Topaz concentration camp and helped found UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center. Her mother immigrated from Korea as a teenager. Kitano’s poetry and scholarship explore these familial legacies.

Matthew Mejia is an American poet and an award-winning professor. He is driven and inspired by his Japanese, Mexican, and Indigenous ancestry. Through art, he heals generations of violence and abuse to unify his communities. In the classroom, he advocates for student success and believes that students are the foundation on which academia stands.

Mia Ayumi Malhotra is the author of Mothersalt and Isako Isako, a California Book Award finalist and winner of the Nautilus Gold Award, Alice James Award, National Indie Excellence Award, and Maine Literary Award. Her work has been recognized internationally with the Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry and the Singapore Poetry Prize. She is a founding member of The Ruby SF, a gathering space for women and nonbinary artists.

Virtual Book Launch: In Search of Hiroshi with Gene Oishi

Discover Nikkei and Kaya Press presented a conversation between author Gene Oishi, his daughter Eve Oishi, and scholar Koji Lau-Ozawa to celebrate Oishi’s newly revised 1988 work, In Search of Hiroshi—a powerful memoir about his lifelong struggle to claim both his Japanese and American identities in the aftermath of World War II.

Read excerpts from In Search of Hiroshi on Discover Nikkei.

This program is a partnership between Discover Nikkei, a project of JANM, and Kaya Press.

11th Annual Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest Awards Ceremony

Marvel at the amazing ways writers expand the fictional boundaries of Little Tokyo and the Japanese American experience! In this celebration of the 11th Annual Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest on June 1, 2024, actors Ayumi Ito, Kurt Kanazawa, and Chloe Madriaga performed dramatic readings of the winning short stories in the Japanese Language, Adult, and Youth categories.

Writer, producer, and organizer Sean Miura emceed the ceremony, while representatives from the judges' panels presented remarks and introduced the winning stories—“New Otani Wedding” by DC and Satsuki Palter (Japanese); “Little Things” by Madeline Thach (Youth); and “When Next We Meet” by Brandon Tadashi Chung (Adult). 2024 marks the 140th anniversary of Little Tokyo, and this year’s event was a vibrant celebration of its history and culture by those who love it.

Each category winner receives a cash prize and their story will be published in The Rafu Shimpo, on Discover Nikkei, and on the Little Tokyo Historical Society website.

Read all of the winning stories here.

 Featured guests:

To read the past winning stories: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

The contest was presented by Little Tokyo Historical Society in partnership with JANM’s Discover Nikkei project.

Yeisaa nu Chimu-Don-Don: Exploring Cultural Identity through Okinawan Drumming

[Language: English, Español, Português]

Eisa is a traditional Okinawan folk dance and musical performance to honor the spirit of Okinawan ancestors. As Okinawans migrated and settled all over the world, their music and dance traditions traveled with them.

Discover Nikkei presented a conversation (presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with simultaneous translation) moderated by Shari Y. Tamashiro with members of contemporary eisa groups—Lisa Tamashiro Maumalanga (Chinagu Eisa Hawaii), Rentaro Suzuki (Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Los Angeles Branch), John Azama (Ryukyu Damashii), Cecilia Nué (Seiryu Eisa Kai), and Toshiyuki Yamauchi (Yuriki no Kizuna Eisá Daiko). They discussed how eisa connects them to their cultural heritage and identity, followed by the interative beginners tutorials. 

*This program was presented with simultaneous translation in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

MODERATOR / EMCEE
	Shari Y. Tamashiro is a third generation Okinawan and fourth generation Japanese Cybrarian at Kapiʻolani Community College, University of Hawaiʻi (UH). She often serves as a bridge between UH and the local Okinawan community to connect university resources and expertise and to enhance community archivism and projects. She is passionate about storytelling (especially Hawaiʻi Japanese and Okinawan stories) and documenting primary source materials in her community. She curated the Looking Like the Enemy exhibit at the Pearl Harbor National Monument, as well as the Battle of Okinawa and 100th, 442nd RCT, MIS, and 1399 exhibits. She is the first foreign and female World Eisa Ambassador.
PARTICIPATING GROUPS
Chinagu Eisa Hawaii (Honolulu, HI, USA) Established in 2008, Chinagu Eisa Hawaii is a contemporary and multigenerational Okinawan eisa drumming group that cultivates the Okinawan culture for local communities and younger generations. Members range from ten to eighty years old, with cousins, siblings, parents, grandparents, and grandchildren performing together. In the Okinawan language, Chinagu means “to connect.” Chinagu Eisa Hawaii encourages reflection on the connection between group members’ generations, Okinawa and Hawaiʻi, and one’s culture and one’s own self.
	Lisa Tamashiro Maumalanga is a Nisei. Her parents are from Haneji, Okinawa, and their family are members of Haneji Club. She is the founder, past president, and current advisor for Shinka, a club of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA). She started her cultural journey by learning koto with Toma Toyoko Sokyokukai. She then devoted herself to eisa and is the founder and past president of Chinagu Eisa Hawaii. She is the director of Operations and Special Programs at Adult Friends for Youth and is committed to helping the Okinawan Community.
Ryukyu Damashii (Dallas, TX, USA) Ryukyu Damashii was founded by Yukimi Iha and Ritsuko Shibayama in 2015. Through eisa, Ryukyu Damashii enhances relationships among parents and children, and develops their interest in Okinawa. The group provides the opportunity for everyone to experience and share Okinawa’s culture while teaching Okinawa’s culture to the next generation.
	John Azama joined Ryukyu Damashii in 2018. After he moved to Dallas, Texas, in 2017 he was invited to join the group. When he attended their practice, they were rehearsing the folk songs “Asadoya Yunta,” “Miruku Munari,” and “Ashibina” which he was familiar with and was able to dance in their upcoming event. Since then he has taught other dances and has simplified some of the dance routines so that everyone can have a good time.
Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Los Angeles Branch (Los Angeles, CA, USA) Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko (Ryukyu Kingdom Festival Drums) is modeled on the traditional Okinawan obon festival drum dancing called eisa where performers dance and drum to an exciting blend of traditional and contemporary Okinawan and Japanese music. Founded in Okinawa in 1982, Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko has chapters in Japan, South America, and the US. The Los Angeles branch was established in 1995 and will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary in 2025.
	Rentaro Suzuki (panelist) has been a member of Matsuri Daiko for eight years. Hailing from Culver City, California, He is a senior at Culver City High School. He found eisa through a third grade performance activity and after being invited to watch the Los Angeles chapter’s twentieth anniversary, he was fascinated by the performance and decided to join the group.
	Stephanie Ajifu (tutorial instructor) is the current leader for the Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Los Angeles branch. Hailing from Torrance, California, she is a senior at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She joined the Los Angeles chapter when she was ten years old through Gardena’s Okinawa community and after eleven years of drumming, she became the leader of the Los Angeles chapter in 2023.
Seiryu Eisa Kai (Lima, Peru)   Seiryu Eisa Kai is a modern eisa group created in 2017 to promote Okinawan culture through dance with taiko, shime, and paranku—traditional percussion instruments used in matsuri or festivals held throughout Japan. Seiryu Eisa Kai formed to develop choreographies and perform dances collaboratively with other groups. Their goal is to express the fusion of cultures through dance.
	Since childhood, Cecilia Nué has had a strong interest in Japanese culture. Thanks to her friends, she immersed herself in the dances and events organized by the Peruvian Japanese community. In 2010, she discovered eisa and over the years learned the captivating drum dance. In 2017, she founded Seiryu Eisa Kai. By blending musical genres and collaborating with talented artists to create new choreographies she has strengthened her connection with Japan and enriched her love for its culture.
Yuriki no Kizuna Eisá Daiko (São Paulo, Brazil) Founded in 2022, Yuriki no Kizuna Eisá Daiko promotes Okinawa culture through eisa, emphasizing values such as friendship and tradition.
	Toshiyuki Yamauchi began his activities in Okinawan culture at the age of three through eisa. He participated in the group Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Brasil from 2007–2017 and founded Yuriki no Kizuna Eisá Daiko to spread and disseminate Okinawan culture through eisa.
PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS
	Okinawa Association of America, Inc. Founded in 1909, the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) promotes, preserves, and perpetuates Okinawan culture. In addition to cultural awareness and education, OAA also engages in local and international cultural exchanges. Fourteen clubs, classes, and committees support OAA’s mission including the Fujin-bu Women’s Club and the Young Okinawans of Southern California. As a member-supported nonprofit, OAA currently has 700 Family, Individual and Student level memberships totaling over 1,000 members in Southern California, the US, and overseas.
	Hawaii United Okinawa Association The Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving as the umbrella organization for fifty member clubs statewide, representing over 40,000 Okinawa immigrants and descendants in Hawai‘i. HUOA’s mission is to promote, perpetuate, and preserve the Okinawan culture in Hawai‘i. HUOA hosts the annual Okinawan Festival, the biggest ethnic event in the state traditionally held on the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The HUOA is also a charter member of the United Japanese Society of Hawaii.
	Peru Okinawa Association The biggest number of Japanese immigrants that arrived in Peru came from Okinawa. It is estimated that 70% of Okinawan descendants constitute the Peruvian nikkei community. Immigration from Okinawa began in 1906, when thirty-six men arrived in Peru. In 1910, Sentei Yaki founded the Peru Okinawa Association (Asociación Okinawense del Perú). Its mission is to look out for the Uchinanchu community in Peru and organize cultural, social and sports activities.
	Okinawa Kenjin Association of Brazil / Okinawa Cultural Center of Brazil Okinawa Kenjin Association of Brazil (AOKB - Associação Okinawa Kenjin do Brasil) and the Okinawa Cultural Center of Brazil (CCOB - Centro Cultural Okinawa do Brasil) promote and encourage exchanges between Brazil and Japan, especially with the province of Okinawa, to strengthen friendships and contribute to the appreciation and preservation of the history, culture, and contributions of Japanese immigration in Brazil. The association’s goal has always been one of fraternization and mutual assistance among Okinawans as expressed in the sayings “Ichariba choodee” (“When we meet, we become brothers”) and “Yuimaaru” (“mutual assistance”). The association has always represented Brazil’s Uchinanchu community to the government of Okinawa, serving as a bridge to maintain the ties between the mother province and its descendants on the other side of the world.

Interactive Tutorials (*not recorded)
The tutorials will be presented concurrently, so you will need to select one. Some translations will be available for the tutorials. 

Yubibue—Eisa Whistling with John Azama of Ryukyu Damashii
Join John Azama for an easy lesson in Yubibue (指笛), the Okinawan finger whistle used in Okinawan music. [Spanish | Translation - English]

Heishi with Stephanie Ajifu of Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Los Angeles Branch
Join Stephanie Ajifu for a lesson in heishi, Okinawan chants that eisa performers say as they simultaneously dance and hit their drums. [English | Translation - Portuguese] 

Eisa Dance Steps with Cecilia Nué of Seiryu Eisa Kai
Learn about basic steps of eisa through a brief online class with Seiryu Eisa Kai. [Spanish | Translation - English]

Kachashii and Uchinaaguchi Lessons with Lisa Tamashiro Maumalanga of Chinagu Eisa Hawaii 
Discover kachashii, a fun dance performed during the closing of Okinawan festivities, and learn how to speak Uchinaaguchi, the language of the Ryukyu kingdom. [English | Translation - Portuguese]

Taiko 101 with Toshiyuki Yamauchi of Yuriki no Kizuna Eisá Daiko
Experience the power of taiko with Toshiyuki Yamauchi. [Portuguese | Simultaneous translation - English & Spanish]

*This program is presented by the Japanese American National Museum’s Discover Nikkei project. Community Partners: Okinawan Association of America, Inc.; Hawaii United Okinawa Association; Peru Okinawa Association; Associação Okinawa Kenjin do Brasil / Centro Cultural Okinawa do Brasil. Supported by The Nippon Foundation.

Imagine Little Tokyo Writing Workshop with Susan Ito and Naomi Hirahara

Award-winning authors Susan Kiyo Ito and Naomi Hirahara presented an interactive writing workshop. Participants learned tips and received advice for writing short stories that they can submit to the eleventh annual Imagine Little Tokyo short story contest.

Presented by Little Tokyo Historic Society in partnership with Discover Nikkei, the purpose of the Imagine Little Tokyo short story contest is to raise awareness of Little Tokyo through a creative story that takes place in the historic neighborhood. The story must be fictional and set in a current, past, or future Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. The short story committee will be looking for stories that capture the spirit and sense of Little Tokyo.