@TKA
I am a sansei with an unusual surname from the Imperial Valley in the southeastern corner of California. I have always been a history buff so I became the coordinator of a permanent Japanese American exhibition in the Imperial Valley Pioneers Museum. Consequently,the Nikkei history of the Imperial Valley is my area of focus. My grandparents emigrated from Kagoshima Prefecture so I am also interested in the history of Kagoshima and the experiences of Kagoshima immigrants around the world, but particularly in the United States.
Nikkei Interests
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Happy Holidays in the Imperial Valley
Ask any Nisei from the south end of the Imperial Valley about their childhood Christmas experiences…
Dec. 23, 2016
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Nikkei and the Way of the Warrior: Samurai Heritage from Issei to Yonsei
During my college days I once wrote an essay on the three ideals that I thought best epitomized the…
Nov. 11, 2016
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Samurai Armor in the Imperial Valley Pioneers Museum
Were there samurai in the Imperial Valley? The answer is yes, but that’s not why a suit of samurai …
Oct. 12, 2016
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FBI Searches and Arrests: Imperial Valley, 1941–1942
Thirteen-year-old Tatsuo Asamen did not yet have a driver’s license but he nonetheless drove an old…
Sept. 1, 2016
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1940s
1942
ABC list
arrests (detention)
California
communities
enemy aliens
generations
immigrants
immigration
Imperial Valley
imprisonment
Issei
Japan
leadership
migration
Nisei
noncitizens
persons
searches and seizures
Southern California
Tujunga
Tuna Canyon Detention Station
United States
World War II
World War II camps
1940s
1942
ABC list
arrests (detention)
California
communities
enemy aliens
generations
immigrants
immigration
Imperial Valley
imprisonment
Issei
Japan
leadership
migration
Nisei
noncitizens
persons
searches and seizures
Southern California
Tujunga
Tuna Canyon Detention Station
United States
World War II
World War II camps
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Nikkei Chronicles #5—Nikkei-go: The Language of Family, Community, and Culture
Grasping Grandma’s Japanese Accent—My First Step in Discovering Nikkei-go
I live on a farm in the Imperial Valley, which is located in the southeastern corner of California.…
July 6, 2016
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Masashi Shimotsusa (1885–1959): The Samurai Photographer of San Diego
A note on names: The names of the Issei photographers, including Shimotsusa even though he returned…
May 19, 2016
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California
exhibitions
generations
Honshu
immigrants
immigration
Issei
Japan
Japanese American National Museum
Japanese American National Museum (organization)
Japantowns
Kagoshima Prefecture
Making Waves (exhibition)
Masashi Shimotsusa
migration
Nihonmachi
photographers
photographs
photography
San Diego
United States
California
exhibitions
generations
Honshu
immigrants
immigration
Issei
Japan
Japanese American National Museum
Japanese American National Museum (organization)
Japantowns
Kagoshima Prefecture
Making Waves (exhibition)
Masashi Shimotsusa
migration
Nihonmachi
photographers
photographs
photography
San Diego
United States
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George – The Iconic Name of the Second Generation
7. You have Nisei relatives named Tak, Tad, George, Harry or Shig.
— From 101 Ways To Tell If Yo…
April 20, 2016
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Nisei Greatness on the Imperial Valley Gridiron
During the cooler months of fall in the Imperial Valley before the war, only one thing was as imp…
March 7, 2016
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athletes
Brawley
Brawley News (newspaper)
Calexico
California
Dick Kunishima
El Centro
Fat’s Café (restaurant)
football
generations
George Kita
Golden Tornadoes (football team)
Hank Sasaki
Imperial Valley
Joe Kokubun
Mitsuo Henry Sasaki
Nisei
prewar
restaurants
Southern California
sports
United States
athletes
Brawley
Brawley News (newspaper)
Calexico
California
Dick Kunishima
El Centro
Fat’s Café (restaurant)
football
generations
George Kita
Golden Tornadoes (football team)
Hank Sasaki
Imperial Valley
Joe Kokubun
Mitsuo Henry Sasaki
Nisei
prewar
restaurants
Southern California
sports
United States
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Japanese Section Beautification Project at Brawley Cemetery
Shake & Bake—that is how we characterize the Imperial Valley. The temperature was almost 110 degree…
March 12, 2015
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Brawley
Brawley Buddhist Church
Buddhism
buildings
California
cemeteries
churches
communities
earthquakes
generations
historic sites
history
immigrants
immigration
Imperial Valley
Issei
Japan
memorials
migration
Niland
religions
religious architecture
religious institutions
Riverview Cemetery
Southern California
temples
United States
Westmorland
World War II
Brawley
Brawley Buddhist Church
Buddhism
buildings
California
cemeteries
churches
communities
earthquakes
generations
historic sites
history
immigrants
immigration
Imperial Valley
Issei
Japan
memorials
migration
Niland
religions
religious architecture
religious institutions
Riverview Cemetery
Southern California
temples
United States
Westmorland
World War II
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The Ledger – An Account of Serendipity and Otagaisama
In early February 2014, just as The Rafu Shimpo was beginning to mark the third anniversary of the …
Feb. 26, 2015
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