John Sammon

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 ...

Ann Kiyomura-Hayashi, one of the first Japanese American tennis stars to popularize the sport for women worldwide, is also partly responsible for the mega million dollar prize winnings today’s female stars enjoy.

She was asked if she regrets playing before the days of the big money in tennis for women.

“No,” Hayashi said. “I thought it (tennis) was fun. I enjoyed traveling around the world and meeting people from all walks of life. I got to do things for myself; I booked my own flights, trained when I decided to and made my own hotel reservations.”

Hayashi along with ...

Emeryville — Bryn Imagire has the rare opportunity and artistic ability to transform what begins simply as an idea, a conception, into an animation art form bringing characters to life that delight millions of children worldwide.

“When you finally get to see all that work put together into the finished product (animated film) with music and voices put in, it’s like you’re getting a Christmas present,” Imagire said.

Imagire works at Pixar, a computer animation film studio that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios.

Based in Emeryville on San Francisco Bay just north of Oakland, Pixar started as ...