日本語のお知らせはこちらから To you, our loyal readers, we cannot thank you enough for your support throughout the years. For more than a century, The Rafu Shimpo has reported on news and events that have shaped the Japanese American community. Today we are at a crisis point. For the last three years, The Rafu has been losing […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Little Tokyo’s Viral Rising Chefs Series Returns for Its 3rd Year
This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) hosts the return of its celebrated Rising Chefs Series, a dinner pop-up series convening emerging Asian American chefs as a celebration of food, culture and the spirit of innovation. Taking place within the JACCC’s Toshizo Watanabe Culinary Cultural Center (TWCCC), previously […]
Posted inOrganization
Valley JCC Celebrates 70th Anniversary
By GWEN MURANAKA, RAFU SENIOR EDITOR More than 120 gathered Saturday to celebrate the Valley Japanese Community Center with song, dance, and a tribute to seven decades of achievement. VJCC was founded in 1953 by Japanese Americans returning from the World War II camps who established a small community in what is now Sun Valley. […]
Posted inTorrance
Kennedy Hayashi Selected as Cooke Foundation Semifinalist
Kennedy Hayashi is among four students from El Camino College who have been selected as semifinalists for the highly selective Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship program. ECC students Frankee Granados, Pintack Gualotuna, and Emily Hidalgo were also announced as semifinalists. “Congratulations to El Camino’s four Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship semifinalists,” said El Camino […]
Posted inLittle Tokyo
Delicious Little Tokyo to Focus on Cuisine & Culture
The ninth annual Delicious Little Tokyo, a one-day festival that celebrates the culinary heritage and rich cultural character of the neighborhood, will be presented on Saturday, May 4, by Go Little Tokyo. This year’s event features a wide array of activities, from food tours that explore Little Tokyo’s hidden gems to immersive, hands-on work-shops conducted […]
Posted inObituaries
Hisako Terasaki
Private family service for Hisako Terasaki, 95, a Los Angeles-born Nisei and resident of Beverly Hills who passed away peacefully on April 15, was held on Tuesday, April 23, at the WLA United Methodist Church. A public service will be held at a later date. She is survived by her sons, Mark (Rindy), Dr. Keith […]
Posted inObituaries
James Y. Kawamoto
A graveside funeral service for James Y. Kawamoto, 98-year-old, Reedley, Calif.-born Nisei, who passed away on April 2, 2024, in Gardena, will be held on Friday, April 26, 2024, at 10 a.m. at Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 E. Florence Ave., Inglewood, with Rev. Becky Hirata from Faith United Methodist Church officiating. He is survived by […]
Posted inObituaries
Paul H. Okamura
February 5, 1929 — March 20, 2024 Paul Hitomi Okamura, 95, born on February 5, 1929, in Boyle Heights, and a long-time resident of Montebello, passed away peacefully at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center on March 20, 2024. A Nisei, his early childhood was in Boyle Heights and his parents operated Toyo Florist & Nursery […]
Posted inSports
Takuma Sato Joins Driving Legends at Long Beach
By TIM YUJI YAMAMOTO, RAFU CONTRIBUTOR To kick-start the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach week-end, IndyCar drivers Takuma Sato and Katherine Legge were inducted to the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame, located in front of the Long Beach Convention Center on Pine Avenue, on April 18.They are the 38th and 39th inductees […]
Posted inPeople
Rep. Takano Honors Life of Sakaye Aratani on House Floor
WASHINGTON – Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside), the second vice chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and a congressional leader on U.S.-Japan relations, honored the life of philanthropist Sakaye Aratani on April 18. Remarks as prepared for delivery: Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a profound loss in the Japanese American community: the […]
Posted inPeople
Ron Wakabayashi to Receive Sue Kunitomi Embrey Legacy Award at 55th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage
Ron Wakabayashi, former regional director, U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service, has been named as the 2024 recipient of the Sue Kunitomi Embrey Legacy Award. The award, named after the late chair of the Manzanar Committee who was one of the founders of the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage and was the driving force behind the […]
Posted inVeterans
Bringing ‘Defining Courage’ to USC
By MATTHEW ASADA On April 30, USC will host “Defining Courage,” the live-action, theatrical experience telling the story of the Nisei soldiers of World War II. This will be the first university performance of “Defining Courage” and the finale of USC’s celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Since premiering in Honolulu in […]
Posted inColumnists
O.J. Simpson: A Fallen Hero
There are two iconic celebrities who would be great characters in a Shakespearean tragedy… America’s Dad, Bill Cosby, and O.J. Simpson! Both fell from grace. Since the recent passing of O.J. Simpson, I reflected on my “connections” with the “Juice,” a childhood hero. Growing up in San Francisco, I looked up to Simpson, the kid […]