Koji Steven Sakai
@ksakaiKoji Steven Sakai has written four feature films that have been produced, Haunted Highway (2006), The People I’ve Slept With (2009), Monster & Me (2012), and #1 Serial Killer (2012). He also served as a producer on The People I’ve Slept With and #1 Serial Killer. His feature length screenplay, Romeo, Juliet & Rosaline, was optioned by Amazon Studios. Koji’s debut novel, Romeo & Juliet Vs. Zombies, was released by Luthando Coeur, the fantasy imprint of Zharmae Publishing Press in February of 2015.
Updated March 2015
Stories from This Author
Gina Hiraizumi, Actress/Singer
June 8, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
Gina Hiraizumi is one of the hardest working people in Hollywood. I’ve been a big fan of her from afar but recently we were both invited to Japan for a conference and I found out that not only is she a super talented actor/singer, but also one of the most down to earth and funny people I know. Gina has been in countless television shows, sung the national anthem all around the country, and is currently working on her first …
Bill Watanabe, Executive Director of the Little Tokyo Service Center
May 27, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
Bill Watanabe, for the past 30 years, has been the Executive Director of the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), a multipurpose social welfare agency in the Little Tokyo district in downtown Los Angeles. Starting as a one-person office, Bill, together with the Board of Directors, has developed a comprehensive program of social services, housing and community development activities, with a combined staff of over 150 employees and hundreds of volunteers. Bill received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cal …
My Mother, My Anchor
May 8, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
My father died in my early twenties. His death devastated me in ways that I am still dealing with today—more than 13 years later. At his funeral, I read his eulogy and told him how much I loved/admired him but the hardest part of it all was that he would never get to hear my letter. I don’t want to make that same mistake with my mother, so this is my attempt to write her eulogy while she can still …
Interview with Jamie Ford, Author of "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"
April 5, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
As public programs manager at the Japanese American National Museum, I receive a lot of books about the Japanese American experience. But my favorite book that I have received so far was Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. The book is about a budding relationship between a Japanese American girl and a Chinese American boy in Seattle that spans from the tumultuous times of World War II to present day. As of this writing, …
Akira Uchimura of the Nikkei Youth Network
March 15, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
One of the people I met on my recent trip to Japan was Akira Uchimura, the Executive Director of the Nikkei Youth Network. He brought together a whole bunch of Nikkei (people of Japanese descent) from all over the world for a conference about Nikkei issues. Being one of the most interesting people I know, I sat down with Akira for a few minutes and got to know him better. These are the eight questions I decided to ask him: …
Tom Ikeda, Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project
March 1, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
Tom Ikeda is the founding Executive Director of Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project. Using web technology, Densho provides access to over 400 video testimonies, 10,000 historical photos and documents, and in-depth teacher resources to explore principles of democracy by examining the World War II experiences of Japanese Americans. Densho—a Japanese term meaning “to pass on to the next generation,” or to leave a legacy—seeks to educate young people and inspire them to act in defense of liberty and the …
Athena Mari Asklipiadis, Mixed Marrow
Feb. 15, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
Athena Mari Asklipiadis, who is of Japanese, Greek, Armenian, Italian, and Egyptian descent, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is a graduate of Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting. In 2002, Athena first stepped onto the multiracial/multiethnic scene by writing for Eurasian Nation and in 2004 she was an intern for the podcast and website, Addicted to Race. After college, Athena worked in radio production and promotions for CBS and Clear Channel in Los Angeles. She simultaneously worked as …
Rick Shiomi, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts
Feb. 8, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
Rick Shiomi has been one of the leaders of the Asian American theater movement for over twenty-five years. He is a co-founder of Mu Performing Arts (based in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and has been the Artistic Director since 1993. As a playwright, his plays include the award winning Yellow Fever which played Off Broadway, in Japan and around North America, and many others such as Play Ball, Rosie’s Cafe, Mask Dance and Journey of the Drum. As a director he has …
Ken Tanabe, Loving Day
Jan. 28, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
Ken Tanabe is the founder and president of Loving Day. Loving Day is an educational community project that fights racial prejudice through education and builds multicultural community. Loving Day Celebrations commemorate the legalization of interracial couples in America. In 2009, there were Loving Day Celebrations in 31 cities in 3 countries. The celebrations and the LovingDay.org website have been featured in Time, the Washington Post, NPR, BBC World, and many other major national/international media outlets. Ken Tanabe has been an …
Chris Aihara, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
Jan. 3, 2011 • Koji Steven Sakai
Chris Aihara is the Executive Director of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC), one of the largest ethnic cultural centers of its kind in the U.S. She was the former Chair of the Little Tokyo Community Council, a member of the Mayor’s Little Tokyo Community Advisory Committee, and member of the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council. She has written several publications on Japanese American culture and has served as a member of the City of Torrance Cultural …
