and Layout by Nathan Clemente and Mhikie
All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. API.ARY ISSUE 10 © 2022, API AJET Published by API AJET www.apiajet.wordpress.com
API . ARY Cover
Manzanares
API ARY is a lifestyle and art magazine dedicated to showcasing the talent of Asian-Pacific Islanders during their time in Japan and on the JET Programme API ARY is always looking for contributors. Please email submissions to apiajet@gmail.com with your name and files of your submission F O R E W O R D About
CONTENTS
PAGE 5
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
PAGE 7
WATTA NUU FUA FUJINU CHIKARA
PAGE 10
BODY
PAGE 13
AN ESSAY
PAGE 20
MEET THE TEAM
4 / A P I A R Y P h o t o g r a p h y b y N a t h a n C l e m e n t e
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Sometimes, I forget I live in Japan. Not necessarily in a literal sense, but more in a “getting lost in a routine” type of way As life is, it is easy to get lost in the moment Sometimes, I have to remind myself to pause and take a breather to appreciate everything around me For me, this magazine is a way to take a step back and appreciate what we have, what we can do, and what we can accomplish.
For the past six years, this magazine has fallen into disuse We hope now it will be a staple within the Asian-Pacific Islander community in the JET Programme To commemorate this fresh start, we thought it would be appropriate to rename the magazine We thought of the name API.ARY would be appropriate as this magazine is meant to be a sort of “diary” for Asian-Pacific Islanders during their time on the JET Programme. To document and express our lives across Japan’s forty-seven prefectures through our art and writings
API ARY is also a play on words of the word apiary Like humans, bees are social animals, working together for the community. For us, API AJET is a community separated only by distance. We aspire for this magazine to be a way to connect the Asian-Pacific Islander community, celebrate our talent, and share our stories
This magazine is made by us, for us
NATHAN CLEMENTE CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND EDITOR
5 / A P I A R Y
J . P . C . 6 / A P I A R Y P h o t o g r a p h y b y N a t h a n C l e m e n t e
Unfriendly accrue before a man, red leaves float enjoying the sky
W A T T A N U U F U A
F U J I N U C H I K A R A
Through colonization, Okinawa has lost many traditions However, culture is always changing and adapting to modernity Words like indigenous are not synonymous with extinct My hope is that my people can continue to honor our culture, language, and ancestors by adapting to today’s culture. The title of this piece, わった ぬう ふぁ ふじぬ⼒, means ‘The Power of Our Ancestors’
7 / A P I A R Y A r t w o r k b y K y l e Y u k a w a
A r t w o r k b y K y l e Y u k a w a 8 / A P I A R Y
SERENE SOLITUDE THE CONCRETE ECHOES SOFTLY SCATTERED IN THE DARK YUKA AMY
9 / A P I A R Y P h o t o g r a p h y b y N a t h a n C l e m e n t e
VOGENTHALER
O D Y
Herbodyisposed
Toesarepointedandlegssheen
Hersweatrivulets
Ah,hermouthopensinsong
Ican’tbeartolookaway
Herfingerspointout
Armsraisedandheadfallenback
Botherhereyesareclosed
Herbackisarchedlikeabow
Tautmusclesdimplesherback
BHertearsarelikepearls
IthinkIhearthecrowscaw
Theysoundouthername
Springtimeisinfullseason
Butshefeelsmorelikewinter
Shemouthsstrawberries
Rightinbetweenherteeththere
Istheflashofbright
Persimmonfruitteasingme
Whoisshe,wearingthatskin?
Hervelvetfeelsmore
Likecottonweighingmedown
Shesayssheissilk
Sheismymothersdaughter
Stopstaringinthemirror
1 0 / A P I A R Y P o e t r y b y T r i n i t y C a r l b o m P h o t o g r a p h y b y S h e r r y O b a n d o
1 1 / A P I A R Y P h o t o g r a p h y b y Y u u k i I t o
1 2 / A P I A R Y P h o t o g r a p h y b y Y u u k i I t o
Words and photo by James Bowen
Reflecting on the past four months, my experience so far has felt surreal On any given day, the range of emotions I experience is broad and confusing and sometimes overpowering Excitement, fear, wonder, confusion, happiness, sadness, hope, grief Living in a different country in a different cultural context will always have its trials, but one that I always face no matter the place is helplessness
For context, I am from the United States of America, and the news cycle for the US these past three months has been horrendous In just November, there were over 40 mass shootings in the US, some of which specifically targeted already marginalized members of society on the basis that they are different Those same people who are being murdered en masse are also having their rights (abortion access, housing, voting, etc ) stripped away piece by piece at alarming speed
The US is a uniquely terrifying entity It promotes itself as a beacon of hope for its people and the rest of the world, while simultaneously placing a thousand shallow cuts into every person’s heart regardless of what country they come from Helplessness comes with being an American citizen, and while some people are capable of steeling their heart to it or turning away from it
T h e U S i s a u n i q u e l y
t e r r i f y i n g e n t i t y I t
p r o m o t e s i t s e l f a s a b e a c o n
o f h o p e f o r i t s p e o p l e a n d
t h e r e s t o f t h e w o r l d , w h i l e
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y p l a c i n g a
t h o u s a n d s h a l l o w c u t s i n t o
e v e r y p e r s o n ’ s h e a r t
r e g a r d l e s s o f w h a t c o u n t r y
t h e y c o m e f r o m
1 3 / A P I A R Y
I am not one of those people Being here, while wonderful in so many ways, has also been a conflicting experience I see the news of another mass shooting or another conservative policy victory (read: failure), and I’m plunged back into that sense of numbness, knowing there’s nothing I personally can do other than check in with my friends and family
For me, dealing with these emotions is complex and exhausting I’ve been finding myself trying to keep as busy as possible, and saying yes to literally anything someone suggests, instead of confronting my grief, anger, sadness, helplessness, what have you I’m probably not alone in doing that either, even among the other JETS I live close to I came to Japan to explore the culture, to share my experiences, and to learn about myself And clearly I still have a lot to learn, but I know there are others thinking the same things and feeling the same things So as the year closes out, I will continue to feel helpless at times, but I will also continue to have hope for myself and everyone else going through it So to whoever reads
g o . e n j o y . l e a v e . i t w a s a l l a b o u t y o u , a n y w a y
“
. ”
1 4 / A P I A R Y
James Bowen is a first year ALT from Kamagaya City Chiba
1 5 / A P I A R Y
1 6 / A P I A R Y P h o t o g r a p h y b y M h i k i e M a n z a n a r e s
1 7 / A P I A R Y A r t w o r k b y N a j e e b a h K a r e e m
1 8 / A P I A R Y A r t w o r k b y N a j e e b a h K a r e e m
1 9 / A P I A R Y P h o t o g r a p h y b y R y a n M o r a g a
meet the team
noelleuba
After spending my entire life in the Bay Area, I moved to Japan in the summer of 2019 Moving abroad was really the push I needed to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone This new found motivation is what led me to apply to become an API AJET Block Rep at the start of my second year Now, over two years later, I am so thankful to continue being a part of this community!
nathanclemente
Hey! My name is Nathan Clemente and I’m one of two National Representatives for API AJET’s 2022-2023 cycle! I’m a first generation Filipino-Canadian from Toronto, Ontario This is currently my second year in the JET Programme, and I am looking forward to connecting with you all this year!
jessebordallo
Hello, こ ん に ち は 、 and Hafa Adai! My name is Jesse, and I’m a firstyear JET in Shiranuka, Hokkaido I’m from the tropical island of Guam, but I attended college in Indiana, so (hopefully) I’ll survive this year’s winter up north. I am passionate about expanding my worldview through food and media While living in Japan, I am looking forward to improving my understanding of the Japanese language.
Hello everyone I'm Kevin Lor. I am currently residing in Higashikagura-cho, Hokkaido, ordinally from a small town in central California called, Merced As a Californian I do not survive well in the snow, but I do love Hokkaido, it is very unique to the rest of Japan, and it well be my forever 2nd home I look forward meeting every single one of you
kevinlor 2 0 / A P I A R Y
I am Miki and I like yakiniku so much I am interested in a lot of things like politics and history I have fascination about anything that is ancient and old and this is why Japan is like a wonderland to me
charlottetse
I'm Hong Kong born, but a Kiwi through and through! Growing up I only knew HK through TVB lol! I connected more with my Chinese heritage through school clubs, friends, and of course, food!
rachelvillanueva
Hi! My name is Rachel I’m a fifth year Tokyo private school JET from the United States with family roots in the Philippines In my spare time, I like traveling around the country (and posting about it on Instagram @rachlvillanueva) and exploring the city
spencerstevens
안 녀 하 세 요 ! I'm a Korean adoptee who grew up in the US Midwest. I t many years reconnecting with my roots, but decided to h out a little and explore more of Asia That brought me pan through the JET Program. My passion is in language, hanging language through teaching is like a dream come true! I really miss toasted ravioli, though
hiroedeza
I'm a 2nd generation Japanese American and 3rd generation Mexican American from Southern California Before coming to Japan, I used to work in AAPI museums and became really involved in my local AAPI community as a result I grew to understand the importance of community building and I can't imagine what my life would be like without communities like the one we have here with API AJET!
lilynguyen
Hello! I am a proud first-generation Vietnamese American hailing from Kansas. I was lucky enough to grow up in a diverse city with a flourishing Vietnamese population and traditional events to celebrate our culture, and I continued to participate in API interest groups in college and beyond I love learning about different cultures and languages. I currently live on a small, subtropical, rural island in Kumamoto prefecture and love its ocean views, lush mountains, and starry night sky
mhikiemanzanares
2 1 / A P I A R Y
API . ARY
THANK YOU TO ALL THE CONTRIBUTORS WHO TOOK THE TIME TO SEND IN THEIR WORK.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE API AJET TEAM FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON THIS PROJECT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE ISSUES.
