Keiko Fukuda
@fukudaKeiko Fukuda was born in Oita, Japan. After graduating from International Christian University, she worked for a publishing company. Fukuda moved to the United States in 1992 where she became the chief editor of a Japanese community magazine. In 2003, Fukuda started working as a freelance writer. She currently writes articles for both Japanese and U.S. magazines with a focus on interviews. Fukuda is the co-author of Nihon ni umarete (“Born in Japan”) published by Hankyu Communications. Website: https://angeleno.net
Updated July 2020
Stories from This Author
Takaaki Koyama, who moved to the US in 1988 and started the ramen boom
July 26, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
The taste that customers want When the restaurant opened along First Street in Little Tokyo, it caused quite a stir. The year was 2002, and the name of the restaurant was "Daikokuya." As a restaurant serving tonkotsu ramen, it became popular not only among Japanese people but also among Asians. Before long, the line of people under the yellow and black sign hanging in front of the restaurant had become a familiar sight. The owner of this restaurant is Takaaki …
Junko Quest, who moved to the U.S. in 2006 and lives near Sacramento, California
June 18, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
A chance encounter at Yokota Air Base Junko, who was born and raised in Hachioji, Tokyo, recalls, "Even when I was in kindergarten, I would cry loudly, and my teachers would say, 'You're a child who speaks your mind.'" She vaguely dreamed of becoming an anime voice actor or a police dog trainer in the future. Wanting to get out into society as soon as possible, Junko dropped out of high school and started working at Yokota Air Base in …
Akiko Matsumoto, a hair and makeup artist who moved to the US in 1990 and is active in Hollywood
May 21, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
"Gaining experience in Japan before moving to the US" was the right decision Hair and makeup artist Akiko Matsumoto, who participated in the Japanese-American co-production film "Oh Lucy!", which was released in the United States in March 2018 and in Japan in April, has a 34-year career and has lived in the United States for 27 years. Akiko was good at basketball and track and field, but due to a knee injury she had been suffering from, she gave up …
Music to connect the Nikkei Community—Yuko Nakasone
May 2, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
The Pure Nikkei Society There is a music event where Nikkei musicians deal with the concept, “Enrich the world with Latin and Okinawan fusion”, and it is called Okinawa Latina. The founder is the lead vocalist of the Latin rock band Diamantes, who is also a Sansei (third generation) Japanese Peruvian, Alberto Shiroma. We asked Yuko Nakasone, who has been the producer of Okinawa Latina since 2016, about the event’s history and her relationship with the Nikkei society. Yuko received …
Kaoru Holiday, who moved to the U.S. in 1996 and currently lives in Yorktown, Virginia
April 4, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Became a dental hygienist at Yokota Air Base and eloped with her husband Kaoru, who currently works as an esthetician in Virginia, was born in Tachikawa, a suburb of Tokyo, in 1964, the year of the last Tokyo Olympics. "Every morning, I would watch travel programs on TV before going to school. In my elementary school graduation album, I wrote that I wanted to become a journalist. I dreamed of traveling the world and making a name for myself." After …
Lecture held to learn from Taro Higa, leader of the postwar Okinawa relief movement ~ Documentary filmmaker Tetsuro Shimojima
March 28, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Their activities transcend race, country and religion. Immediately after the war, the late Taro Higa, a second-generation Okinawan born in Hawaii, called on Uchinanchu from around the world to send supplies to Okinawa, which had been reduced to ashes by the ground war. The activities led by the late Taro Higa were turned into a book by documentary filmmaker Tetsuro Shimojima titled "Pigs from the Sea Came!" In July 2018, at the suggestion of Tamiko Uehara, an Okinawa private ambassador …
"Communicating the charm of Japanese clay pots in America" - Naoko Takei, Owner of TOIRO
March 12, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
To the mixed culture of Los Angeles The clay pot shop is located along La Brea in West Hollywood. If you drive south from Hollywood, a large sign bearing the shop's name, "TOIRO," catches your eye. "We named the shop after the words 'toiro', which means 'ten people, ten colors,'" says Naoko Takei More, owner of TOIRO. When I first heard from an acquaintance that there was a clay pot specialty store in Los Angeles, I didn't quite understand what …
Sansei Japanese American Educator and Community Activist — Kitty Sanke
Jan. 22, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Transfer to a school in a poor area was a turning point in my career as a teacher Kitty Sanki is a third-generation Japanese American. She was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays in the fall of 2017. Kitty and I have a mutual acquaintance. I had often heard rumors about her, but I wanted to take this opportunity to ask her why she is so dedicated to community activities and what her thoughts are …
Reasons for living in America — Yasuo Niiro
Jan. 11, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Throw away your pride as a college graduate and start from scratch We often hear of Shin-Issei returning to Japan after retirement these days. Some say the reason is that medical costs are so high in America that they cannot spend their retirement years in peace. Even among people who have lived their lives using English, some say, "Japanese is better for medical and technical terms. In Japan, there is no need to worry about language," while others say, "After …
North American Okinawan Association Uchināguchi Lecture Series: Preserving the Cultural Heritage of the Ryukyu Kingdom
Dec. 12, 2017 • Keiko Fukuda
"Katayabira Okinawan" The North American Okinawan Association (Gardena, a suburb of Los Angeles), known for its active activities, has opened a course on Uchināguchi. Uchināguchi is a language originally spoken in the Ryukyu Kingdom. Even for people from Okinawa Prefecture, it is difficult for the younger generation to understand Uchināguchi, which is far from standard Japanese. The course celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2017. Higa Chogi, the founder and current instructor of the course, said, "I have always felt that …
