Akiko Kusunose
Akiko Kusunose was born in Fukuoka, Japan. She has been living in the United States since 1976. She retired as the Editor-in-chief of the North American Post in 1999.
Updated January 2019
Stories from This Author
A Half Century of Preaching the Washoku Gospel
Feb. 1, 2024 • Akiko Kusunose
The celebrated chef Takeyuki Suetsugu recently spoke with former North American Post Editor Akiko Kusunose about his half century spreading the good word about Japanese cuisine in the United States. Over those 50 years, he’s received many accolades for his work, including a commendation from the Consul General in Seattle in 2009, a Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador Commendation from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2016, and the 15th Japanese Food Overseas Dissemination Achievement Award from the same …
Mary Ohno, Director of the Kabuki Academy - Part 2
June 30, 2021 • Akiko Kusunose
Read Part 1 >> The youngest, Mary, loves dancing. In the Hirakawa household, children called their parents Daddy and Mama, and each of the four children was given an English name. The eldest son, Sumio, was called Victor, and the youngest, Mariko, was called Mary. "So, I've been Mary since I was born. Even now, my students call me Mary-sensei." English was a very familiar language in the Hirakawa household. The broadcast of Come Come English took an entire day, …
Mary Ohno, founder of the Kabuki Academy - Part 1
June 29, 2021 • Akiko Kusunose
It has been announced that the NHK morning drama series starting this fall will be " Come Come Everybody, " a drama about three generations of a grandmother, mother, and daughter spanning the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras. "Come Come Everybody" is the title of the opening song for NHK's radio English course, commonly known as "Come Come English," which swept across Japan just after the end of the war. The family of the late Hirakawa Tadaichi, a lecturer on …
Masaru Tahara, Japanese Community Service of Seattle Former Co-Chairman - Part 2
Sept. 9, 2020 • Akiko Kusunose
Read Part 1 >> Long-time community caretaker “It might be because I spent such a long time in microbiology research, but I am always quick to take notes,” Tahara says. When he joined the Tengu Club in 1963, he quickly volunteered to take over as secretary. Beginning with the 18th derby (1962-63), he has been recording the club’s activities ever since. But he is not just the chronicler of the Tengu Club’s history; he has also taken on the role …
Masaru Tahara, Japanese Community Service of Seattle Former Co-Chairman - Part 1
Sept. 8, 2020 • Akiko Kusunose
Masaru Tahara arrived in Seattle after World War II as a young man and sank roots into the Japanese American community, working actively with the Issei and Nisei, first- and second-generation residents. Later, he made a point to educate the third- and fourth-generation Japanese Americans about their forebearers, writing about their history and culture in English. Tahara worked passionately to bridge the gap between the English- and Japanese-speaking communities and is known well among those who like to fish. He …
Taking Root in Communities - Eighty-five Years of History at Rainier Ginsha
Jan. 14, 2019 • Akiko Kusunose
A haiku association in Seattle, Rainier Ginsha will begin its 85th year in 2019. Nineteen members of the association bring their haiku once a month, expressing seasonal scenes and feelings in a seventeen-syllable poem. “I’ve been making haiku for seventy years now, sometimes with joy and at other times with pain, but still with love” says one member Shoshi Takamura. Despite haiku being loved by many, Rainier Ginsha had to walk some rough roads to get to where they are …
