John Sammon

Yoshinori H.T. Himel, called “Toso” for his middle name by his many friends, would like to see the word “internment” stricken from common usage. He said it distorts history.

“I’d like to see it (internment) used correctly,” Himel said. “It’s been used as a euphemism for a race-based incarceration of Japanese Americans.” 

On Oct. 29 Himel was honored by the Sacramento Bar Association as “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year,” an attorney who takes cases without a fee for reasons of idealism and the pursuit of justice. 

Internment, the word for the imprisonment of mostly American citizens ...

Blake Sasaki has been involved in sports almost his entire life, and if you ask him what has been the biggest joy, he will tell you watching athletes develop.

“It (sports) has been my life,” Sasaki said. “It’s my career, my family. If I wasn’t working in sports I don’t know what I would do. The end result is the game, but my greatest joy is seeing a freshman student athlete come into our program still a bit like a child, and then see them graduate as an adult. It’s like watching your own kids grow ...

SAN JOSE — It’s a brand new form of Japanese dance in the U.S. that its members describe as like a whirlpool, although it could also be likened to a colorful undulating cloud, accompanied by the sounds of flutes and drums.

It’s gaining in popularity in San Jose.

“We’re not very well known here in the states but we’re catching on,” said Uzumaru dance member Sarah Chan.

“There are five (Yosakoi) teams in the U.S., in San Jose, San Francisco, Kansas, New York and Colorado.”

A one-year-old dance ensemble, the “San Jose Uzumaru” performs dancing ...

A new book titled American Sutra will take a unique and different look at the experiences of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II; showing how their Buddhist faith gave them strength and courage, and brought them through suffering with their dignity intact.

“The book will show there were people who found something in their faith to create a different reality,” said Duncan Ryuken Williams, author of American Sutra. “There are books out there about the injustice of the camps. What was missing was the way the incarcerated when they were removed from their homes and experienced loss; drew on ...

SAN FRANCISCO — One of the reasons San Francisco remains a cultural hub is the work of Miki Novitski, whose volunteerism as emcee of the city’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival Grand Parade and as program director for the festival’s Cherry Blossom Queen and Her Royal Court Program has been a delight to thousands of tourists and residents.

This is only one of many San Francisco events Novitski participates in. Asked how she manages to maintain such a frenetic schedule, she said she loves what she does. “Passion for what you are doing is key,” she said. “Otherwise it doesn ...