Edward Moreno
@o2gawaraAt 94, Ed Moreno has accumulated nearly seventy years of service in media- broadcast, newsprint, and magazines. Ed has received a number of accolades for his work, as writer, editor and translator. His torrid love affair with Japanese culture began in 1951 and it seems it will never cool off. He is currently writing a column on Japanese-Nikkei cultural and historical topics for the “Newsette,” the monthly organ of the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center, in West Covina, CA. Before its demise, The East magazine (Tokyo) published some of his original works. He also writes for “Transactions, the Journal of the prestigious Asiatic Society of Japan”
Updated May 2015
Stories from This Author
Dialogue With an Old Friend
Feb. 23, 2012 • Edward Moreno
Pretending I had to search for a book, I wormed myself in to take a last look at my dying old friend. I sat there a few minutes all miserable, and muttered: “Dear friend, why do you have to go?”The answer came fast: “Stop bawling! It bothers me.” “How can anyone be so insensitive?” I said. “Insensitive, huh? I served you very well for over fifty-six years. Think of all our beautiful moments together. I’ve already heard so many comforting prayers inside …
Frank’s Bequest
Feb. 10, 2012 • Edward Moreno
The on-shore winds have danced all night up and down over Rose Hills. They have then come down full speed, however humble, and with their innards laden with ocean moisture; now they are crawling eastward, along Puente Avenue. By six and even seven AM, the dew is gratefully absorbed by the unnatural vegetation that the residents have forced on this arid bend of California’s soil. In one of your early morning runs or walks, deliberately stop for a moment in …
Go-Getter Extraordinaire
March 11, 2011 • Edward Moreno
Yo Maeda called from her cell phone letting us know she was thoroughly lost. “You’re not too far away,” I told her. “Back track, I’ll lead you.” In a couple of minutes, she was here, safely. She had brought a lot of things for us to price, for our coming Hanamatsuri. Carton after carton full of dolls, jewelry, toy, fans, etc. kept coming out of her little Prius. I asked, “Gosh, where did you get all this? “From my friends,” …
New Year's Lore
Dec. 31, 2010 • Edward Moreno
It was the middle of the night, literally; I was sound asleep recovering from the hassles of the New Year. My shoulder began to shake strongly, and I woke up fearing an earthquake. I saw two enormous sticks holding something dark at the end, and pointing at my mouth, and wondered whether I was experiencing a vivid dream. Then I heard the wife’s command: “Open your mouth! It is Oshogatsu, and we forgot to eat this. We want to stick …
Kokeshi
Nov. 22, 2010 • Edward Moreno
Everybody has a favorite Japanese doll, but the luxurious kimekomi seem the most popular, with the Hakata not far behind. My passion is kokeshi, substantiated by a hoard of over four-hundred pieces. Oh, that’s nothing! In Dallas, Texas, two wonderful friends have already exceeded the TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED count, and they just keep acquiring. One of their latest finds is a doll, tall as a seven-year old child, and twice as heavy. As if that weren’t enough, my friends are now …
Ningyo II – The Poetry of Dolls
Oct. 12, 2010 • Edward Moreno
Read Part 1 >>Three years after it happened, I am still grieving about the demise of Ningyo Journal, an ambitious periodical that J.A.D.E. (Japanese Asian Doll Enthusiasts) published from 1993 to 2004. It cost only eighteen dollars per year, but it always packed a wallop as an instrument for learning about Japanese dolls. Its earlier issues were valiant attempts at desk-top publishing, which the editors kept constantly improving. By the time it disappeared, it was being printed on first-rate coated …
Ningyo I – Divine Shape and Human Form
Oct. 5, 2010 • Edward Moreno
At Centenary Church’s annual bazaar1, I stopped at a table full of discards, and asked the saleslady how much for “THAT?”…a pair of old paper dolls inside a flimsy cardboard box. She dawdled; her eyes swept me from top to bottom, and she left to confer with her associates. While their chat was inaudible, their raised eyebrows, nods, and shoulder-shrugging were raucous. The woman came back, and trying to hide a smirk, she hinted: “A…dollar?” Quickly, I handed her the …
Sushi in Los Angeles - Part 2
Aug. 10, 2010 • Edward Moreno
>> Part 1The initial target for Mr. Nakajima’s new sushi venture was Japanese immigrants, particularly businessmen. Quite impressed with the fare, they began bringing their American clients to try something novel and extraordinary. After their first experience with sushi,most novices becameaddicts. Kawafuku’s sushi bar had only seven seats, and it was always packed. Kawafuku’s Chef Saito became the first sushi chef in America. Mrs. Saito was his waitress. In just four years, the couple saved $30,000, quite a fortune then, …
Sushi in Los Angeles - Part 1
Aug. 3, 2010 • Edward Moreno
In one of our weekly powwows at Maryknoll, I asked my friends whether anyone knew how and when sushi came to Los Angeles. Kō Hoshizaki said that the right person to answer my questions was Mr. Noritoshi Kanai, the President of Mutual Trading Company (MTC) in downtown Los Angeles.1 “He has even written a book about it,” Kō said. So I lost no time in asking him for an introduction, something he promptly arranged, and I was thus able to …
Ohhh, sushi!
July 20, 2010 • Edward Moreno
Sushi and I made our acquaintance nearly sixty years ago on a train ride from Iwanuma to Sendai. In those days, the government wasn’t as particular as now about “sanitation,” and food vendors were allowed to course the railroad cars offering their wares without anyone batting an eye. As we left Iwanuma, a soft call filled the car: “Sun-bun, suzubentooo…Ocha…ochaaa….” A food vendor was promoting her wares. Muffled giggles followed her call. “Hi, banchan,” a customer called and, with a …
