Nima-kai
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Volunteer for Discover Nikkei. Content creator on Twitch [twitch.tv/juniepat] & YouTube [youtube.com/c/JuniepatTV].
Discover Nikkei Community Engagement Specialist. I am currently working on a master's degree in History at Cal State Los Angeles with a focus on cultural geography of colonial Latin America. I'm fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and excited to use my language skills to support Discover Nikkei. Outside of work, I volunteer as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth and dabble in music, visual arts and poetry. I'm also a proud fourth-generation Angeleno.
Okinawa Association of America (OAA) | Gardena, CaliforniaPreserving, promoting, and perpetuating Okinawan culture Sign up for our email list:https://tinyurl.com/oaa-email-list The Okinawa Association of America, Inc. (OAA) is an award-winning 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and perpetuating Okinawan culture in the greater Los Angeles area. Formed by first generation immigrants (issei) over a century ago, the OAA has grown into a multi-generational organization that hosts numerous events throughout the year including cultural presentations, performances, and senior-focused activities.The OAA's decades of service have garnered accolades including the 2025 Community Organization Recognition Award (Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California), 2023 California Nonprofit of the Year (nominated by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, 66th District) and 2019 Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award (Nisei Week Foundation). OAA leaders have also been recognized by the Okinawa Prefectural Government as Overseas Goodwill Ambassadors and Next Generation Representatives. ANNUAL EVENTS:• January – New Year's Party• February/March – Women's Club New Year Gathering• February/March – Sanshin Day• April/May – Okinawan Craft Fair• May – Kajimayaa Seniors Club Luncheon• June – Irei no Hi: Remembering the Battle of Okinawa• July – Picnic and Okinawa Bon Dance• September/October – Senior Appreciation Day• October – World Uchinaanchu Day Celebration• Special events include cultural workshops and performances, family- and senior-focused activities, screenings, and more!MONTHLY ACTIVITIES:• 2nd Fridays – Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan Language) Class (Members Only)• 3rd Saturdays – Women's Club Gathering• 3rd Saturdays – Karaoke Club (Members Only)• Last Saturdays – Nuchaashii Potluck Gathering
4th generation Asian American, Ryūkyū (Okinawa) x Japan (Fukuoka) roots
A Japanese who lives in Los Angeles. Project manager for the Discover Nikkei Web site at the Japanese American National Museum.
The largest museum in the United States dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry as an integral part of U.S. history. Visit janm.org to learn more about our exhibitions, public programs, and projects.
Jane Shohara Matsumoto is currently the Culinary Cultural Arts Program Curator at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC). She has worked in the public sector for 25 years, primarily in public transporation implementing the TAP smart card, but her passion is in food—its history, science, and the preparation of many different types of cuisnes, especially Japanese foods. When she is not working, she is buried in food blogs, cookbooks, or simply cooking in her kitchen. She is an avid traveler and also loves to hike.
I’m a Yonsei, occasional artist and writer, and full-time Digital Program Manager at the Japanese American National Museum. I was born in Los Angeles and have lived in Southern California almost my entire life. I am fluent in English, can understand about 80% of conversational Japanese, and don’t know any Spanish or Portuguese (although after having worked on Discover Nikkei for so long, would like to learn someday). I love working in Little Tokyo and living in Gardena. Both areas give me wonderful access to Japanese/Nikkei food, community, and culture. I bowl in a Nikkei league once a week, and spend my free time eating, sleeping, playing on my phone and computer, rooting for the Dodgers, watching TV and reading, spending time with family and friends, and traveling. I love working on Discover Nikkei and learning about so many different Nikkei experiences around the world!
Discover Nikkei’s administrator account. We share Discover Nikkei programs, events, and important site updates. If you have questions or are interested in becoming more involved, please reach out to us at Editor@DiscoverNikkei.org.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Retired from both the U.S Air Force and local government. A Sansei whose parents were incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Wyoming (father) and Rohwer, Arkansas (mother).
Kristopher Kato was born in Saitama, Japan and currently resides in Los Angeles' historic Little Tokyo neighborhood. Since 2023, he has volunteered for Discover Nikkei, writing articles, assisting them with their data analytics, and volunteering at JANM events. He is a cum laude graduate from California State University of Fullerton, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and a Master of Business Administration degree in Management.
Akina Nishi is a second-generation Japanese American. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, and plans to continue living in the sunny west coast. She is passionate about education equity and language learning, and is working towards getting a teaching credential in Japanese.
OUR MISSION私達の使命 A space to engage, share, and embrace the Nikkei experience and culture.日系の経験と文化に関わり、共有し、受け入れる空間 OUR VISION私たちのビジョン The GVJCI envisions a vibrant network and a welcoming space for all persons interested in Japanese heritage and culture where history and tradition are honored, people are inspired to create action and change, and cultural pride and respect for all humanity are promoted.ガーデナバレーJCIは歴史と伝統が尊重され、日本文化と伝統に興味のある全ての人々のために活気に満ちたネットワークと親しみやすい空間を理想としており、そして歴史と伝統が讃えられ、人々が行動と変化を起こすよう鼓舞され、全人類に対する文化的誇りと尊敬が促進されることを理想としています。 Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (GVJCI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community center providing various classes, services and programs for seniors, non-senior adults and youth in the South Bay of Los Angeles County for over 50 years. Our mission is to create a space to engage, share, and embrace the Nikkei experience and culture. We are a hidden gem located on the border of the cities of Gardena and Torrance, and the beautiful Southern California beach cities.ガーデナバレーJCIは50年以上に渡って住宅、多種のクラス、サービス、シニアから子供達までいろいろな年齢の方々のためのプログラムをサポートする非営利団体です。私達の使命は日系コミュニティのニーズに応えることです。教育、文化、社会プログラムを通して、日本文化そして日系社会の文化を分かち合うことです。私たちはガーデナ市とトーランス市、そして南カリフォルニアの美しいビーチ街との境界に位置する隠れた名所です。
My name is Mitch Homma. I’m a sansei who grew up and still resides in Southern California. In addition to working as a software and aerospace engineer for a small Chantilly, Virginia based company, my interests include Japanese history and Christianity in Japan. In my spare time, I work on publishing some family items that I believe are important to history and hope it inspires other to do the same. I contribute to three different Discover Nikkei albums which are based on my family’s photo albums, documents, and stories. My current albums contain items from Amache and Heart Mountain Internment Camps as well as Gardena Valley Baptist Church, which 4 generations of family attended. The Amache and Heart Mountain albums are being updated as I come across related photos while still searching through hundreds of photos in boxes. I am also working on two other albums which may be published in the future. Both albums are based on recently uncovered photos and documents. One collection is based on Christianity in Japan (1890-1930) and the pre-WWII Southern California Japanese Christian Federation of churches. The second documents my 2008 trip back to Japan and Amache to see my family history first hand. This album includes pre-WWII and today’s photos of my family’s sites, Japan relatives, and finally my father and his sibling’s emotional closure when visiting Amache during JANM’s Enduring Communities Conference field trip.
Fourth generation Nikkei, fluent in both English and Japanese after living in Tokyo for about 6 years. Living in Japan was an amazing experience, but it's definitely too hot during the summer. Glad to be back in CA. Now happily married to my wife that I met in Tokyo, working as an interpreter/designer, and addicted to coffee.
Chris Komai is a freelance writer who has been involved in Little Tokyo for five decades. He was the Public Information Officer of the Japanese American National Museum for over 21 years, where he handled publicity for the organization’s special events, exhibitions and public programs. Prior to that, Komai worked for the Japanese-English newspaper The Rafu Shimpo for 18 years as a sports writer, sports editor and English editor. Komai also serves on the Little Tokyo Community Council Board, the Little Tokyo Public Safety Association Board and the Keiro Foundation Board. He has been a member of the Southern California Nisei Athletic Union Board for basketball and baseball for 40 years. Komai is one of the founders of the Nikkei Basketball Heritage Association (NBHA), which seeks to connect JA basketball history to the current players and their families. He earned a B.A. degree in English from the University of California at Riverside.
The Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) is a participating organization in Discover Nikkei to preserve and share Japanese American heritage and educate others about the Japanese American experience and its relevance to today. Museum exhibits (permanent and rotating) include: early community life in San Jose’s Japantown, World War II incarceration including a replica of a barracks room, contributions to the war effort, post-camp resettlement, and a unique agricultural exhibit including vintage agricultural equipment.
At Nippon Energy, our mission is to provide high-performing, cost-effective, environmentally responsible solutions to address the energy needs of our customers. We want to spread solar power to the roofs across America as more and more people around the country are ready to take a bigger step in addressing rising electricity costs and reducing their carbon footprints.
I write and currently live in the Los Angeles area with my husband. My mother was from Kamakura, my father is a New Englander of French Canadian ancestry, and I was born in Kobe and raised in SoCal, Guam, and Japan. You can read more about my writing at www.marilesperance.com. よろしくお願いします!
I'm a multimedia producer, specializing in photojournalism, reporting and research, graphic design, maps, videography and exhibit displays. For the past 25 years I've been producing Japanese American history in northern California J communities including Palo Alto, Alameda, San Jose, San Francisco, Walnut Grove, Fresno, Biola, Fowler and others. In 2023 I was the project director for the Alameda JA History Project, a three year JACS grant. Much of my material is available at Densho. In 2009 I authored "The Street That Dreams Are Made Of," the 100 year history of a Japanese American church in Palo Alto, CA. You can find book excerpts on this website at discovernikkei.org/en/nikkeialbum/items/8036/ - My pro photo site is at shiragraphy.com.
Cai is a Yonsei decended from two LA native Japanese folks. One was in Rowher, the other was in the US Army in WWII. LA social clubs, the whole thing. Proud as hell JA Los Angelean.
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