Stuff contributed by ednaih
Nikkei Chronicles #7—Nikkei Roots: Digging into Our Cultural Heritage
Meeting the Kumamoto Relatives
Edna Horiuchi
My first trip to Japan was in the summer of 2016. I was very nervous about meeting my recently-discovered Minami relatives, on my dad's mother's side. What if I didn't like them or if they didn't like us? I brought a whole suitcase of gifts or omiyage, carefully selected from …
Nikkei Chronicles #7—Nikkei Roots: Digging into Our Cultural Heritage
Visiting the Former Family Temple
Edna Horiuchi
I had not expected to ever touch the temple entrance gate from the 1939 photo of my great-grandfather and his family. But here I was in Yamaguchi, Japan, reverently stroking and leaning against the weathered wood pillars and admiring the “Saikoji” sign. I was visiting my son, Kenzo, who did …
Nikkei Chronicles #6—Itadakimasu 2! Another Taste of Nikkei Culture
Restaurant Memory
Edna Horiuchi
My favorite restaurant in Little Tokyo is called Suehiro’s. It is a small Japanese restaurant on First Street between San Pedro and Alameda. It used to resemble a little mom and pop restaurant, but was recently remodeled to keep up with the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. It is now more elegant …