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
Bringing authentic takoyaki culture to America — Takeo Shibatani of TaNoTa
April 5, 2019 • Keiko Fukuda
Frozen takoyaki production for izakayas and ramen shops When talking about "home cooking" with people from Kansai, I often hear them say, "We had a takoyaki maker at home since we were kids." As someone from Kyushu, I have the image that takoyaki is not something you eat at home, but something you buy at a food stall. Whether you eat it at home or buy it at a food stall, there is surely no Japanese person who doesn't know …
Teruko Weinberg, who runs a human resources company and is dedicated to promoting ties between her hometown and Los Angeles
March 1, 2019 • Keiko Fukuda
Moved to the US for marriage, lost her husband, and rose from a temporary worker to the position of company president Anyone from Los Angeles may remember the TV commercial that ends with the phrase, "Teruko loves people." Teruko Weinberg, who appeared in the commercial, is not only the manager of a human resources company, but is also known for her work in volunteer organizations, such as chairing the Los Angeles-Nagoya Sister City Committee and serving on the board of …
Takafumi Omitsu, a former expatriate who connects the Japanese community with the local Detroit community
Jan. 28, 2019 • Keiko Fukuda
In the Detroit area of Michigan, the heart of the American automobile industry, a large Japanese community has formed, mainly consisting of expatriates. There is a former expatriate here who is engaged in activities to introduce Japanese culture in order to connect the Japanese community with the local community. His name is Takafumi Omitsu. Taiko, originally from Aisin Seiki, was assigned to Detroit in 1979 and was mainly involved in technology development and research center operations. After retiring in June …
Mayumi Vargas, who moved to the United States in 1990 and runs an Okinawan restaurant
Dec. 31, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Married a US soldier at age 20 Breaking the jinx that Okinawan restaurants do not succeed as a business, Okinawa Shokudo Habuya, located in Tustin, Orange County, a suburb of Los Angeles, is continuing to thrive, having celebrated its eighth anniversary in December 2018. Three months after opening, it was featured in the Los Angeles Times as a "hidden gem of a Japanese restaurant," and has since become a popular spot with many regular customers of all races. The interior …
Remembering Takeo Kinjo, who dedicated his life to building a network of people from Okinawa
Dec. 7, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
In an era without the Internet On October 20, 2018, Takeo Kinjo, publisher of the magazine "Go Daizu" and president of the Okinawan Association of North America, passed away at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 96. I had the opportunity to interview Kinjo twice. The first time was when I was interviewing him for a feature article called "Okinawa in America" for the Japanese magazine Frontline in the US. When I was selecting several people of …
Katsuya Uechi, who moved to the US in 1984 and heads a restaurant group
Nov. 23, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Katsuya Uechi is a Japanese chef and entrepreneur who currently operates 25 restaurants across the U.S., including those he co-manages with partner companies. His name has now become well-known throughout the U.S. through his Katsuya brand of restaurants, not to mention to industry insiders. In October 2018, he was selected as the headline chef for the Las Vegas Food and Wine Festival, which brings together famous chefs. Katsuya produced a tuna cutting show at the festival. He appeared on stage …
A book about a kindergarten that was published with the sole purpose of "not letting this existence be forgotten"
Oct. 26, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
A former "children's garden" in Los Angeles In September 2017, the Southern California Oita Kenjinkai, to which I belong, held a grand 100th anniversary ceremony in the suburbs of Los Angeles, bringing together nearly 100 participants. One of the special guests at the ceremony was a woman named Miko Henson. She is not from Oita Prefecture. She was the woman who worked hard to turn the book "Rokuichi and Yasuko's Children's Garden," which had just been published in Japan that …
Kimiaki Sato, owner of the Hawaiian restaurant Bob's, who came to the United States in 1974
Oct. 5, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Inside the base is the America I long for Even though I've only been to Hawaii a few times as a tourist, there's a restaurant in Gardena, a suburb of Los Angeles, that brings back memories. The restaurant's name is Bob's Hawaiian Style Restaurant. As the name suggests, it serves Bob's Hawaiian cuisine. The current owner is Sato Kimiaki (hereafter Kimi), who took over from the previous owner, Bob. Even under Kimi's leadership, a new generation of Japanese, the restaurant …
David Schlosser of Shibumi, a Japanese restaurant highly praised by Jonathan Gold in LA
Sept. 10, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
A stop in Japan changed my life Nowadays, the number of Japanese restaurants is increasing not only in Los Angeles but also on a global scale. However, the problem is the chefs. The number of Japanese chefs who have trained in Japan is limited. So, about 20 years ago, educational institutions that train Japanese chefs, mainly sushi chefs, began to be established in the United States. Since then, many graduates have gone on to work in the industry, but it …
Thoughts on "Respect for the Aged" in the past and "KEIRO" in the present
Aug. 29, 2018 • Keiko Fukuda
Where people meet There is surely no Japanese or Japanese-American in the Los Angeles area who has not heard of Respect for the Aged Day. In the 1960s, eight Japanese-American community leaders, led by the late Fred Wada, opened a retirement home for the elderly on a hill overlooking downtown Los Angeles. With a full range of Japanese-language services and Japanese food, it was extremely popular with Japanese and Japanese-Americans, who thought it would be a comfortable place to spend …
