Interviews

1. Rediscovery of Japanese culture through taiko (Japanese)

2. Identifies as Japanese, but home is San Francisco

Akiyama,Nosuke

Shishimai (Lion dance) and Taiko player with San Francisco Taiko Dojo.

Identifies as Japanese, but home is San Francisco

I’m still Japanese. Yeah, I am…I am Japanese. I can’t run away from that. I can’t. I am Japanese, just like a Issei no hitorachi to onaji nine. (same as Issei people)…I feel very different [from Japanese in Japan]. When I go to there, two weeks is a maximum. I missed here. I really missed. I don’t wanna be there anymore. So, when I come back here, I feel so safety. Oh…good. This is my country. Just like that. And the spirit of Japanese is different. You know. I feel it something who…where I live. I belong to San Francisco now already.

Date: January 26, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Ann Kaneko, Sojin Kim

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.

Interviewee Bio

Nosuke Akiyama, a shin-issei, was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan. He came to the United States the same year that this country revised its immigration policy—abolishing the national origins quota system-- with the Immigration Act of 1965.

He has performed with San Francisco Taiko Dojo since its first public appearance at the 1968 Aki Matsuri. Initially participating on taiko, he is especially well known for his performance of shi-shi mai (lion dance). He currently works as a sales manager for Japan Food Corporation (JFC) International, but he continues to perform with S.F. Taiko Dojo and to teach shi-shi mai. (January 26, 2005)