Makiko Nakasone
@monakasoneMakiko Nakasone is an Issei journalist from Yamanashi, Japan. She was a staff writer of Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei)/Nikkei America, the world largest financial newspaper. Her articles have appeared in Asahi Shimbun, Japan Times, Sydney Morning Herald, and others. She lives with her Sansei husband, Steve, and two sons in La Canada. She is also the charter president of the Rotary Club of Little Tokyo.
Updated March 2019
Stories from This Author
Grassroots “9066 Meetings”
April 8, 2020 • Makiko Nakasone
On a past Thursday afternoon, about 20 people from all walks of life gathered for an early dinner at the lovely home of Akimi Ching in Pasadena, CA. Ching (76) is a Sansei retired physician from Santa Barbara married to a Chinese American husband of 52 years, Clifford. She has been feeling a sense of urgency to hold such a meeting, particularly for young people who do not know much about what had happened to the Japanese Americans during WWII. …
Just Being There Represents “Nikkei”: Wade Nomura of Carpinteria, CA
Sept. 6, 2019 • Makiko Nakasone
While there are many Nikkei who belong to Nikkei organizations in Little Tokyo to promote the rights and status of Nikkei, there are many others who are rooted in the “American” community and represent “Nikkei” by just being there. In fact, the latter is probably the overwhelming majority. Wade Nomura (65) of Carpinteria is one of them, a powerful one. Nomura is the new Mayor of Carpinteria, which sits just south of Santa Barbara, about 90 miles north of Los …
King of “Ikejime”—Seiichi Yokota
May 15, 2019 • Makiko Nakasone
“To spread ‘Ikejime’ not only in the States, but throughout the world is my big dream,” says Shin-Issei Seiichi Yokota. The 43-year-old from Toyama prefecture is proud to promote this ancient Japanese technique to keep the fish fresh much longer than the conventional method used in the States. He has decided Los Angeles, California is his adopted “Furusato,” new home. Yokota’s clients are all high-end restaurants in and around L.A., including Spago in Beverly Hills, “Asanebo” in Sawtelle Japantown, and Giorgio …
Dawn I Frazier’s Hidden Place to Relax her Soul: Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden in Pasadena
March 20, 2019 • Makiko Nakasone
Every Thursday morning, Dawn Ishimaru Frazier (82) looks forward to driving down the street of Pasadena to Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden. Within five minutes, she is in the world of tranquility and relaxation. “I like the quiet time the garden provides for my soul to relax,” she says. The “Nisei-han” Japanese American widow found this “hidden gem” several years ago, when she came to the garden with her Fujinkai for the first time. The beauty and serenity impressed her, and …
