January 1, 2021 Vol. 75, Issue 24
Published Every 2nd and 4th Friday
Your Link to SEATTLE’S JAPANESE COMMUNITY Since 1902
Quiet Warriors Edy Horikawa
Interview series with Nisei veterans (p. 6)
SANSEI JOURNAL Inland Sea Roots
"Year of the Ox" by Aki Sogabe
New Year's Day Special Bilingual Edition HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021 新年特別号 HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY 2021!
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Review the history of the Seto Inland Sea, where many readers' ancestors came from. Photo: The Angel Road of Shōdo Island, Kagawa (p. 8).
HAPPY NEW NEAR The North American Post Vol. 75, Issue 24 - January 1st
Happy Holidays to Our Valued Readers and Advertisers:
Tomio Moriguchi
To say that 2020 has been a pretty chaotic year is an understatement. With recent surges in the coronavirus around the world, racial tensions in our communities, and a tenuous economy with many out of work, it has been a real challenge to maintain any sense of normalcy. Included in these struggles was also the ongoing effort to retain the concept of a free press. Throughout all of this turmoil, the North American Publishing Company and its newspapers still managed to educate the wider community about our Japanese culture. And, we did so in a society where freedom of the press still remains both revered and cherished.
Looking back over the past twelve months, we are grateful for the hard work of the combined staffs of the North American Post and Soy Source, who worked tirelessly to bridge the Nikkei and Japanese-expat communities in the Pacific Northwest. Working remotely, staff members were able to produce all of our publications and maintain our online platform without missing a step. Although the economic environment is currently uncertain, we were fortunate to have a number of advertisers who still chose to promote their products and services in our papers. For their steadfast commitment, we are grateful. As one of the few Japanese bilingual newspapers that are still published in the U.S., everyone’s ongoing efforts are much appreciated to ensure our future success. One of the important goals of our newspapers is to meet the increased interest in Japanese culture. As a result, we have sponsored unique and well-planned tours to Japan for the last several years. Because of COVID-19, no tours were scheduled in 2020. This year, if the virus subsides and it is safe to travel, a new tour is being planned. If you, your friends, or family members have been wanting to plan a dream trip to Japan, please visit us at https://napost.com/japantour or contact us at japantour@napost.com for an update on when/if the tour will take place.
Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Editor: Editorial Staff: Proofreader: Accounting: Contributors:
Cover Art: Calligraphy:
New Year Calligraphy by Aiko Fujii, Beikoku Shodo Kenkyukai 揮毫 = 米国書道研究会シアトル支部 藤井藹子
Sincerely,
Tomio Moriguchi - Chairman Misa Murohashi - General Manager Yohji Kameoka / Tetsuden Kashima / Mick Matsuzawa/ Randy Tada - Board Members January 1, 2021
Published by North American Post Publishing, Inc. 519 6th Ave. So. Suite 200, Seattle WA 98104
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To our readers, we hope that you will let us know how we can make our papers even more relevant to your life in the coming year. We look forward to what will be our 119th year of providing relevant news and lifestyle information in a protected and welcoming free press environment. With new vaccines soon available and political changes in front of us, we are hopefully optimistic that better times are ahead. On behalf of the management, staff, and board members of the North American Post, Soy Source, and the Hokubei Hochi Foundation, thank you for your continued support. Wishing you good health and prosperity in 2021 - The “Year of the Ox.”
Tomio Moriguchi Misa Murohashi David Yamaguchi Noriko Huntsinger Ryoko Kato Geraldine Shu Keiko Tsukamoto Mikiko Amagai Dee Goto Lori Matsukawa Shihou Sasaki Aki Sogabe Aiko Fujii
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Year of the Ox Drawings
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佐々木タズエ 山本一郎 シアトル支部書道教室 毎週水曜日午後 12 時－ 2 時 日蓮仏教会：1042 S.Weller St., Seattle, WA 問い合わせ 加柴 (206) 232-9675 藤井 (206) 230-0765
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新年特別号
3
レニア吟社 新年一人一句 ２０２1 年 仏前に先ずは感謝の老の春
葉牡丹の色付きそめし年初め
凶多き寺の大吉初みくじ
丹精の節振舞と良き酒と
ふるさとへ終の住処や初御空
幼子のはや眠りたる去年今年
年酒酌む父の上座は空いたまま
高村笙子
久間照子
茂木ひさを
中田美津子
根岸幸子
秋吉美幸
酒井光代
コロナ禍を蹴つて飛ばそう丑の年
汀泉信子
ミラーこうし
吉原クリステイ光風
恵方巻この方角と当たりつけ
新年を戴くめぐみ手を合わし
阿賀嶺泰子
スティーブンス多喜子
吉迫まありい
渡辺菜穂
岡田攝津
癸洲
ラインウェバー友子
卜丸
ハントシンガー典子
キルシュ絵梨子
細野やすい
バクマスター絵美
手作りの祝の料理去年今年
初日の出湯気立つ紅茶にあんこ餅
其処此処に希望の兆し福寿草
願はくば全てリセット初日の出
大晦日衣擦れ響く社かな
四方の春皆んな違つて皆んな良い
昇日に山立ち上がり年明くる
素蕎麦にて余りある哉去年今年
あらたまの春来り吾爪を切り
子を連れて古里の初景色見む
年新た小鳥のような子の歩み
初空や子の手で温もる鈴守り
シアトル短歌会詠草 ２０２１年新年 御題 炊き上ぐる新米の香よ部屋内を
ゆき渡らせし実りの夕べ
四年目に初めて実る完熟の
プラムは隣家に「お裾分け」する
実直が夫の取柄と思ひしに
頑固な翁となりて久しき
青空を控えて輝く柿の実を
配りたき人思いつつ見上げる
重い足はげまし歩む散歩みち
椎の実まばら枯葉のうえに
ＺＯＯＭでの初の歌会実を結ぶ
平均年齢七十五歳の
故国より届きし便りの柿の実の
写真見ているお茶を飲みつつ
にじゅうななとせ
退職後の人生ふたたび実りたり
書道学びて二十七年 「あ、そうか」ごろんと実柘榴地におちて
こころさだまる眺めの雨に
木の実など餌を探して熊が来る
既にコロナに怯えいる街へ
しま
要終へし小さな象牙の実印を
愛しみ蔵ふ朱の沁みるまま
貝塚信子
キャンプレーン久美子
楠見房子
田中美登里
田中幸子
田宮愛子
津田俊子
土居万亀子
リーあふひ
神田美鈴
帆足敏子
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
トンネルの出口 文 ： 佐々木 志峰
新型コロナウイルスのワク チン接種が始まり、トンネル の出口が見え始めた年末。改 めて振り返れば、人の動きが 極 めて 制 限され た 2020 年 だった。 日本の観 光局が発表する 訪日外国人旅行者数の推計 値によると、最 新の 11 月は ５万 6700 人。 感 染 症 危 険 情報のレベルが緩和されたこ とで実数は増加傾向にあると いう。５月の 1663 人を底に ４月から８月は１万人以下が 続いた。新型コロナウイルス のパンデミックによる渡航制 限が出されて以降の数字を見 ると、頭で状況を理解できて いても愕然とさせられる。 観 光事 業に力を入れてき たことで 着実に数 字を伸ば し、 訪 日 数 は 2018 年 に 初 の 3000 万人 超 え。 昨 年 は 約 3188 万人だった。五輪開 催年として期待された 2020 年は、昨年比マイナスとなっ た１月でも約 266 万人が訪れ た。米国からは 11 万人以上、 前年比で 13.7％増と快調な滑 り出しを見せていた。 ２月途 中からすべてが 停 滞。11 月までの訪日外国人 数は 405 万人強という。出国
日本人数もこの数年伸びを見 せ、2019 年 は 2000 万人の 大台に乗せていた。当然なが ら激減の 2020 年は 11 月段 階で約 314 万人という。 さて迎える 2021 年。節目 という部分で探ると、岩倉使 節団が米国へ向けて出発した 1871 年 か ら 150 年 となる。 使節団の中には留学生も含ま れ、この中に第一回海外女子 留学生として津田梅子、山川 捨松、永井繁子ら若い女性５ 人が参加した。 オンラインでのアクティビ ティなど社会はニューノーマ ルへと進む。それでも日米の 橋渡しに寄与してきた、いわ ゆる草の根の文化交流は実 際に人が動くことで育まれて きた。パンデミックを乗り越 えすべてが通常通りに戻るの はまだ先だが、その日が来る まで、築かれてきた 「橋」をしっ かりと支えたいところだ。 五輪、パラリンピック大会 の延期も記憶の彼方となって しまった 2020 年。開催の是 非はともかく、150 年前と同 じく、今後の社会に明かりを 灯すことになる１年になってほ しい。 （佐々木 志峰 )
Wishing You Another Great Year
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4
Vol. 75, issue 24 January 1st, 2021
NAPOST.COM
JCCCW Omoide Stories
Green Truck
Peace at Christmas
by Dee Goto, for The North American Post
by Lori Matsukawa, for The North American Post
In the span of eleven months, I bid goodbye to both my parents. Mom lef t us f ir s t . We planne d to gather all the children and grandchildren around her and Dad at Christmas for a family photo. She had other plans. On December 11, 2019, I called her on the phone as I usually did and told her how excited we were to see her at Christmas. I sang a couple of her favorite old Hawaiian tunes. From what her caregivers told me, that usually got a smile out of her. That night, her breathing got slower. And slower. Before dawn, with her caregiver Nayda holding her hand, she took her last breath. Calm. Soft. Peace. Christmas Day came. By then, all the family had arrived from Hawaii for our family photo the next day. Except I had to tell Dad that Mom would not be joining us. I arrived at Dad’s bedside and held his hand. I told him, “Dad, I have some sad news. Mom died.” He blinked his eyes, which were sightless due to macular degeneration. He calmly asked, “Where?” I told him she was sleeping peacefully in her own bed: “She just slowly stopped breathing.” He didn’t say a word. After I left him, I learned my sister had seen him earlier that morning, but hadn’t mentioned Mom. She had
wanted to see him in case he had a heart attack on hearing the news. The months passed. COVID-19 befell the world. Nayda locked down her care home. No visitors were allowed. All we could do was talk to Dad on the phone. I joked with him about how COVID-19 was forcing us to live just like him. “We just stay in the house and don’t go anywhere!” He chuckled. The weekend after Veterans Day, Dad was taken to the hospital with a fever. While he was there, he refused to eat or drink. He suffered a heart attack, then came back. The doctors saw the DNR notice above his bed (Do Not Resuscitate, which is a patient’s care option ). “It’s time for him to go home,” they told my sister. I called Dad at the hospital and joked about how he was causing my sister and me “too much excitement.” I told him I was so glad he was leaving the hospital and would sleep in his own bed. On November 18, he was discharged and taken to Nayda’s care home. The staff made a fuss over him, giving him a sponge bath, a shave and a fresh shirt. He was looking pretty spiffy. “Uncle Joe,” called out Nayda, “Are you okay?” (In Hawaii, people use continued on page 14
I am Sam Goto’s 1951 Chevrolet pickup. What makes me special is that I have two corner back windows, making me the “5-window” model. I remember when Sam first picked me up in 1974, off his Dad and brother Fred’s farm in Quincy, Washington. Fred said he bought me used, in Wenatchee around 1954, as a utility truck for the farm hands to do their work and run errands. Sam and his wife, Dee, remember their frozen feet as we made the trip over Snoqualmie Pass, on the way to their home on Mercer Island, because my heater wasn’t working. When we got to the house, Sam asked his girls, “Look what I got! How about going for a ride?” Sam’s girls, seven and ten, were intrigued and were excited to take a ride. But when we were going along West Mercer Way, they saw someone they knew. They bent their heads down and hid because they were embarrassed to be seen with
me. It only took them a week or so to discover that I was a classic that everyone wanted. Then, we started giving everyone rides to Baskin-nRobbins for ice cream in the back. They always saved a few licks for Nadia, the dog. Two or three times, I was a swimming pool for hot summer days. Lynette used me as her transportation for a lot of her summer jobs. When Kelly got to Mercer Island High School, I really became the center of attention because I was dr e s s e d up a s th e H o m e co min g parade float a couple times. All piled up in the backyard of the West Seattle rental house was an old iron furnace, old metal stove, boards, junk, and stacks of newspapers and magazines. It took four trips to the dump and Seattle Iron & Metal this time. When we took the 1000-pound load, we were too late at the continued on page 14
明けましておめでとう！ BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR! We commend the North America Post for connecting and promoting our vibrant Nikkei community for the past century. We look forward to working with you and your readers in 2021 and for many years to come.
Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos
Senator Bob Hasegawa
Email: SharonTomiko.Santos@leg.wa.gov Email: bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov
SINCE 1902
P. O. Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504-0600 (360) 786-7944
223 John A. Cherberg Bldg. P.O. Box 40411 Olympia, WA 98504-0411 (360) 786-7616
Website: housedemocrats.wa.gov/santos/
Website: sdc.wastateleg.org/hasegawa
5
FEATURE 静かな戦士たち 3
エディー ( 英義 )・堀川さん
筆者：天海幹子 1942 年２月、日本軍が真珠湾を攻撃した２ヶ月後、故ルーズベルト大統領の発令 9066 のもと、シアトル市近辺の 11 万人の日本人、日 系人が収容所に送られた。その３分の２はアメリカ生まれの二世達。彼らの生き様は２つに分かれた。 「アメリカに忠誠を誓いますか」の問 いに「NO」と答えた「NO-NO-BOYS」と、志願兵「442 部隊（日系人のみで編成された部隊）」。高齢になりようやく閉ざしていた口を開い た二世の戦士達。戦争を、体を張って通り抜けて来た彼らだからこそ平和を願う気持ちは大きい。その声を毎月シリーズでお届けする。 「大戦後のヨーロッパで子供たちが食べ物
キー州の健康診断では無事通 過し、1944
をせびりに来るんですよ。なべを持ってね。 年６月、442 部隊に入隊。ミシシッピー州キャ 白人の兵士たちは（子供たちを）邪険に扱っ ンプ・シェルビーでは炎天下日陰でも 118 度 たり、目の前でわざと残り物をゴミ箱に捨て （摂氏 48 度）にもなる。トレーニングの 25 たりしていたけれど、僕たち二世兵士は１人 マイル・ハイクはきつかった。自分の体重と １人に少しづつ分けてあげました。アメリカ の収容所にいる（日系の）子供たちだと思っ
堀川さんの自宅に飾られる、兵役時の写真
同じ重さの荷物を背負い歩くが達成する人は
長崎に原爆が落とされた情報が入った。 終戦と伴に日本 語の分かる二世兵士に MIS（軍情報機関）の勧誘が始まり、日本 語のレベルが高いと評 判のあった、 「イシ イ・ガッコウ」出身の堀川さんも誘われた
が断る。1946 年 4 月、ワシントン州フォー 殆どいない。堀川さんは 20 マイルで倒れた。 ト・ ル イ ス か ら 名 誉 除 隊（Honorable
てね」と堀川（エディー）英義さんは語る。
「前に志願した時は目が悪く落とされたの
入隊前パインデールの仮収容所で 200 人の
に、ここでは射撃の訓練をさせられました」。
Discharge）する。
GI ビル（退役軍人手当て）で大学に戻っ 子供たちにアートを教えていた堀川さんは、 十中八九の割合で、命中率が良かったため、 た堀川さんはワシントン州立大（プルマン 戦争が子供たちに及ぼす影響を目の当たり ライフルマンとして K カンパニー部署の所属 市）、バーンリー・アート・スクール（シアト に見ている。 「子供たちが悪さをするのを防 が決まった。 ル市キャピタルヒル）、ワシントン大学と続 ぐのが目的だったんですがね、僕自身とても 堀川さんの部隊は 44 年 11 月、スコット け、61 年にワシントン大学から芸術修士号 充実した時期でした」と回顧する。
ランドのグラスゴーからヨーロッパ入りした。 を受ける。ボーイング社でグラフィック関係 堀川さんはシアトルの旧日本町生まれ。 最初の任務はフランスの東部で夜のガード の仕事をしていたが、59 年に結婚した妻、 父親は 8 人姉妹の家計を助ける為に 1890 だった。雨の中見張りをしていた時ドイツ兵 徳禧久さんと共に翻訳関係の学校で教える 年代、関西地方からカリフォルニア州サクラ の声がしたと思ったら、すぐ付近のトラック ため、69 年から 10 年間日本に移 住した。
100歳を迎えられた堀川さん Photo by Nisei Veterans Committee
雄生流池坊の生け花を日本で学び、生 け花インターナショナルのメンバーとして 夫婦でシアトル地域での華道普及に努 めてきた堀川さん。2020 年 8 月 14 日に 100 歳を迎えられ、二世退役軍人会と 妻の徳禧久さんが、自宅前でドライブス ルー形式の誕生会を開催しました。現在 は、読書をしたり、テレビを観たり自宅 で静かな毎日を過ごされています。
E d y H o r i k a w a c e l e b r a te d h i s 100th birthday on August 14, 2020. The Nisei Veterans Committee and his wife, Norigiku, hosted a drivethrough and sidewalk viewing party at his house. When the Horikawas lived in Japan, from 1964 to 1972, Edy studied Japanese flower arranging from Norigiku’s father, and received a teaching certificate in it. As members of Ikebana International, Edy and Norigiku have been teaching Ryusei School flower arrangement in the Seattle area for years. Today, Edy spend most of his time at home, reading and watching TV.
メント付近の農場に出稼ぎに来る。一時帰
が爆破し足に激痛が走った。血が流れてい
翻訳の傍ら浄土宗に興味を持ち、また池の
国し結婚してからはシアトルに移り、一流ホ
るのを感じたがその場を離れるわけにも行
坊家元の妻の影響もあり、活け花に没頭す
テルのコックとして勤める一方、当時のフジ・
かず、司令官に報告した後、前線応急手当
る。 「活け花はもともと仏様に供えるお花とし
ホテルの 1 階、現在のブッシュ・ホテル南側
所に向かった。この時の負傷は名誉として
て活けたかった」とは堀川さんの言葉。72
ヒンヘイ公園にホリカワ・ハードウェアー・
パープル・ハート勲章に結びついたが、現在
年には池の坊雄生流北米支部長となる。同
カンパニーを開く。 「６番街とキング街あたり
も杖に頼る。
時に浄土宗の住職の位も受けたがアメリカ
のシバタ・アイスクリーム屋の地下には餅工 場があってね。アイスクリームや餅を食べた り、向かいの映画館ではカーボーイの映画 にタダで入れてもらったりしました。たまに 切符切りのおばさんに『バッド・ムービー（成
12 月の戦場は寒く、戦場の所々に凍死し たドイツ兵が見られた。 「冬物のコートとか
79 年にボーイング社に戻り、87 年に引退
ブーツが遅れていて、足に凍傷を追うものが
してからは活け花に情熱を注ぐ。活け花は
続出」したが南下を続け、１月にはイタリア
集中力、規則正しさを養うと共に自己の内
で第１、２部隊と合流。ハイウェイ 65 沿い 人向き）』と言って、追い出されたりしてね」 のドイツ軍を攻め続け、フローレンス、ピサ と幼少の頃は楽しい思い出が一杯だ。 など小都市を次々と解放した。 17 才の誕生日の前日、父親が心臓麻痺 で急死、３年後には母親も肺炎で死亡。店 はパートナーのタシロさんに渡った。
に帰ることになった。
堀川さんは以前の負傷で片足を引きずっ ていたが、再度ライフル隊の軍曹に任命さ れ一団を引き連れ丘を登る途中にドイツ軍
太平洋戦争勃発でカリフォルニア州パイン
に攻撃され、失神してしまう。 「放り投げら
デール収容所に送られ、その後ツーリ・レー
れて残骸の下敷きになっていたようで、引き
ク収 容 所に 移る。 アメリカ軍入 隊 に関し
千切られたドッグ・タッグ（兵士が首から下
NO-NO（否定派）と YES-YES（肯定派）に
げる ID タグ）だけがみつかったんです。皆
分かれ大論争の中で YES を選び志願したの
私が死んだものと思って、荷物を処分しよう
側の静けさを呼ぶところを好むと言う。 「昔、 戦国時代の日本の武士は戦場に向かう前に 花を活けたと言います」と語る堀川さん。 だが、ヨーロッパの戦場には子供たちもい た。敵と戦っている子供たち。飢えと戦って いるフランスの子供たち。そして故郷のアメ リカでは収容所で差別と戦っている日系の 子供たち。10 代で両親を亡くした堀川さん には、子供たちに対する慈愛の気持ちが人 一倍強いのかもしれない。堀川さんの、心 を振るわせるほどの美しいものを求める姿
忠誠を誓い、大統領に従いなさい」という
としていたそうです」。後で白人に助けられ、 勢は、この戦争を通して強まった。美とはアー ボローニャの病院に運ばれたが二世部隊に トの世界だけに留まらない。
遺志を尊重したからだ。ところがソルトレー
再会するまでは、軽い記憶喪失のため自分
は父親の「アメリカ人なんだからアメリカに
クの徴兵センターでの健康診断で落ちてし
でも誰か分からなかった。これが２つ目の まう。近眼という理由だ。収容所に戻るが、 パープル・ハート勲章の所以だ。 NO-NO との衝突を考慮した軍は、堀川さん 終戦が近づくに連れドイツ兵が降参する をワイオミング州のハート・マウンテン収容 所に送る。そこで石炭の配布係としてトラッ クを運転し、時には歩けない老人の家の前 に内緒で石炭を置いていったりもした。
機会が多くなり、捕虜と接すると 13、14 才 の子供だったりする。 「私たち二世兵士はジュ ネーブ条約（戦争犠牲者の保護を目的として 1864 年ジュネーブで締結した条約）のルー
その後シカゴの某技術系学校に通い始め
ルに従い、捕虜には思い遣りを持って人道
ると、そこで徴兵にあう。管轄のミルウォー
的に対処しようとしました」。夏には広島と
シリーズについて 同シリーズは、2003 年に本紙で発行 された記事を転載したものです。当時は 二世退役軍人の方々の多くがご健在で、 本紙編集長を務めていた筆者が、その 声を残すためにインタビューしました。 当時の生の声を伝えるために、過去の 記事に編集を入れずに転載しています。
1301 Second Avenue, Suite 2140 Seattle, WA 98101 Tel (206)682-0744 Fax (206)682-2188
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Vol. 75, issue 24 January 1st, 2021
NAPOST.COM
Quiet Warriors Edie Horikawa By Mikiko Hatch-Amagai, for The North American Post
“At the field camp (in Europe), kids came to us begging for food, with pans in their hands. Hakujin soldiers kicked them or dumped their leftovers in the garbage in front of them, but us Nisei soldiers, we put our leftovers in each of their pans, thinking that they were like our (Nikkei) kids at home (in the camps) in America…,” Edie Horikawa recalls. He witnessed how war affects children more. Edie had taught art classes to about 200 children at Pinedale relocation center in California before he joined the army. “The classes were meant to keep them out of mischief, but it was the most enjoyable time,” he remembers with a smile. Edie was born in Nihon-machi in Seattle. His father, Komakichi, came to the US to farm near Sacramento from Kansai to help his own mother and eight sisters after his father’s death in 1890’s. The father went back to Japan to marry his high school sweetheart and together, they came back to the US, and settled in Seattle. Komakichi, having studied English and how to cook during his previous stay in California, worked as a cook in a prestigious hotel in downtown Seattle and started Horikawa Hardware Company with a Nikkei partner. It was in the heart of Nihon-machi, on the ground floor of Fuji Hotel (now the location of Hing Hay Park) on the south side of the present Bush Hotel. Edie’s childhood is filled with good memories. “I used to eat ice cream or mochi. There was mochi factory in the basement of Shibata ice creamery at the corner of Maynard and South King. At the movie theater across the street, they let us go in and we watched cowboy movies or space movies. Sometimes, the ticket lady would say, ‘hey, it’s a bad movie’ for adult-type ones and she would kick us out…” Edie’s father suddenly had a heart attack and passed away a day before Edie’s 17th birthday. His mother followed her husband with pneumonia a couple of years later. The Horikawa Hardware Company was taken over by the partner. The war broke out and Edie was sent to Pinedale, California, where he was asked to help set up the camp and he taught kids the art classes. He was 19 years old. Then, he was sent to the Tule Lake internment camp. There, the big argument started about loyalty to the United States and willingness to serve in the US military (“No No” and “Yes Yes”). Edie chose Yes-Yes because he remembered his late father’s words. “My father always said to me ‘you were born in America and you have to be loyal to America. You have to obey your president.’ That was my father’s philosophy.” And he respected it. Edie went to Army Recruitment Center in Salt Lake City for the physical examination but didn’t pass it. He was listed for limited service because his
SINCE 1902
eyesight was not good enough. Edie was sent to Heart Mountain instead of going back to Tule Lake because of concerns about his safety as “Yes-Yes” boy back there. At the new camp he became a truck driver delivering coal. “I used to drop coal in front of older people’s doors because it was hard for them to carry it. But I wasn’t really supposed to.” He decided to go to an engineering college to study electronics in Chicago. However, the war and the manpower situation became more severe and he was drafted. At the Milwaukee recruitment center, he passed the exams and finally joined the JapaneseAmerican 442nd infantry battalion in June 1944. It reached 118o F in the shade at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. As a basic trainee, he went on the famous 25-mile hike, which very few completed. Carrying the same weight pack as the others, he did 20 miles and collapsed. “Last time I was listed for limited service because of my eyesight. This time, I had a training as sniper rifleman. I was pretty good, nine out of ten (bulls eyes),” says Edie. He was assigned as a rifleman to K Company, 3rd Battalion. In November 1944, Horikawa landed in Glasgow, Scotland, sailed to Le Havre, France, and marched to Epinal, in eastern France. “My first duty was guard duty because for some reason, I could see well at night.” But he was hurt there. “It was raining hard and I heard Germans shouting, then I felt a sharp pain in my leg.” The Germans blew up a truck nearby. “I felt blood running but I wasn’t supposed to leave the position.” He reported to the captain, then went to the aid station. The incident led to his first Purple Heart, but the wound also made him dependent on a cane. The battlefield in December was indescribably cold without winter clothes. “I saw frozen German soldiers here and there.” The clothing shipment was late arriving and many soldiers got frostbite. They still marched south along Highway 65, northern Italy, and in January, they joined the 442nd First and Second Battalions in liberating Florence, Pisa, and other small cities. Edie limped a little but was assigned as a sergeant of the riflemen, marching up a hill when he heard a big blast. He was thrown down and covered with debris and dirt and his men could only find his dog tag. “I was listed as Sergeant Hideyoshi Horikawa, missing in action. They divided my belongings and sent the remainder home.” A non-442nd soldier found him and took him to the hospital in Bologna. “I was knocked out and I didn’t remember who I was.” He wasn’t sure about himself until he joined the Nisei soldiers in the Japanese section of the hospital.
Edie and Nori Horikawa with decorations from his WWII army service. Photo taken in 2003 by Mikiko Amagai.
He received his second Purple Heart. The end of the war was near when he ran into German soldiers surrendering. Many of them appeared to be 13 or 14 years of age. “We Nisei soldiers treated them with respect to the Geneva Treaty.” The soldiers learned about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the summer. With the end of the war, the Military Intelligence Service came to recruit Japanese Americans who understood Japanese to send to Japan. As he had graduated from Ishii Gakko, which had a reputation for a high level in Japanese, he was asked but declined to go. In April 1946, Horikawa received an Honorable Discharge at Fort Lewis, Washington. After the war, Edie went back to school with the GI Bill. He studied at Washington State University in Pullman, at the University of Washington, Seattle, and at Burnley School for Art, on Capitol Hill in Seattle (today’s Art Institute of Seattle). He received a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from the UW in 1961. Edie got a job at the Boeing Company but left it to go to Japan with his wife, Norigiku. They stayed there for ten years teaching at a translation school. Edie became interested in Buddhism and was ordained as a Jodoshu priest. He was also influenced by his wife, who is from an Ikenobo Ikebana flower arrangement family. “I wanted to learn flower arrangement to present to Buddha.” Eventually, he mastered and received the highest degree of ikebana professorship. Edie and Norigiku came back to the US and Edie returned to Boeing. Since his retirement in 1987, he continued on page 15 Mikiko Amagai was Managing Editor of the Post from 2001 to 2005. Of her tenure, Mikiko feels that the most memorable articles she wrote were her interviews of the Seattle Nisei veterans—all but Edie Horikawa now deceased. She obtained their stories by “just letting them talk.” She published the accounts in Japanese and English. In November, Mikiko returned to Tokyo after 44 years in Seattle.
Editor’s note. This article, the third in the 13-article series, is reprinted from The North American PostNorthwest Nikkei, December 6, 2003. The remaining interviews will appear monthly across 2021.
7
VOICES
SANSEI JOURNAL Inland Sea Roots
by David Yamaguchi, the North American Post It is nearly impossible to begin reading about Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, and to not start tripping over the “Roots” stories of Seattle Japanese Americans, for many of us descend from southern Japan country stock along these shores. Our ancestors came from rural households that were poor enough to spawn American Dreamers, yet were just wealthy enough able to purchase passage on steamships. In my October 9 column, I quoted from Donald Richie’s “The Inland Sea.” There, I focused on destinations that will be visited by pilgrims on the postponed, upcoming North American Post trip to the region. Yet, one of the sea islands that those travelers will pass near is Shodoshima, near the eastern end of the complex of islands that dot it. Shodo Island, as Richie reminds us, is where the novel, “Twenty-Four Eyes” [Niju-shi no hitomi] comes from (available in English in paperback and on Kindle). It is the well-known semiautobiographical story of an elementary school teacher. Her happy pupils from 1928 are later engulfed by World War II. Two film versions of it are available online, the classic 1954 black-andwhite version (IMDB 8.0) and an excellent, color TV remake. I believe the latter is the 2013 Asahi version, as a commercial appears in it for the 2012 film “Emperor,” on General MacArthur, starring Tommy Lee Jones. Alas, the TV version is not subtitled, and can only be found by entering the title in Japanese. I raise these films here because the original semi-autobiographical story was written by a Sakae Tsuboi. She was the sister-in-law of the Seattle immigrant Kakichi Tsuboi, who also hailed from Shodo-shima, according to his biographical entry in Kazuo Ito’s (1973) “Issei.” For years, I have been impressed by Mr. Tsuboi’s account of lowering himself on a rope from a steamship into icy Smith Cove on a February night. After losing his shoes in the swim to shore, he nonetheless ran and walked 5.6 miles to north Beacon Hill,
where a Christian Black family helped him. Today, grasping that he was a Shodo boy with a limited future helps make clear why he was so motivated to try his luck in the US. While not spelled out in “TwentyFour Eyes,” an interesting question to ponder is to what extent did the author having close relatives in the US influence her anti-war viewpoint? The Inland Sea landscape is also connected to Seattle JA’s through the Genpei War (1180-1185), a Japanese civil war that determined which of two large clans would rule Japan. The most famous telling of this history is the “Tale of the Heike,” which has been described as the Japanese “Iliad.” Woodblock prints of this saga stand out in that their settings tend to be seascapes. The battles ranged from Kyoto, near the sea’s eastern end, to the Strait of Shimonoseki, at its western end. It closes with a sea battle fought between boats, with the last of the Heike sinking beneath the waves. The Genji go on to found the shogunate at Kamakura, one of the series of governments that led to the Tokugawa shogunate. The latter would rule the country until relinquishing it to the Meiji government, one generation before the birth of Seattle Issei. After one of the Genpei battles, on the beach at Suma, near Kobe, a Genji samurai calls out to a Heike warrior swimming away toward a ship to come back and fight him in a duel. When the challenged samurai returns, the Genji man realizes that he is a boy the same age as his own son, and considers asking him to flee again. But by then, it is too late, for other Genji soldiers are coming onto the scene. At the end of the men’s duel, the older man takes the boy’s head, which was the practice of the day when an opponent was prized (the boy’s clothing marked him as a prince). But after doing so, he finds a flute in the boy’s pack, and the Genji soldier realizes what he has done. He has killed the flutist whose skill he had admired before the battle, wafting
School photo from “Twenty Four Eyes.”
Kumagai Naozane and Taira no Atsumori.
The Battle of Akama Strait, at Dan no Ura, in Choshu in 1185, by Utagawa Sadahide (aka Gountei Sadahide, 五雲亭 貞秀 ), Touken World Ukiyoe, https://www.touken-world-ukiyoe.jp/ mushae/art7900055/
from the opposing camp. Thereafter sickened by war, he quits to become a Buddhist monk. For this, the former soldier, Kumagai Naozane (1141-1208), is remembered to this day. I have known the story of the Kumagai duel since I was a boy, when I first heard it through my family oral history. My dad’s Seattle cousins were Kumagais through marriage. However, I did not grasp the tale’s geographic and historical context until re-reading Richie, and following up on the limited content therein. The Issei Kumagai father was a descendant of that conscious-stricken samurai of centuries ago. His eldest son Frank would serve in the 442nd infantry, and become a schoolteacher after the war. The lineage of that branch of the family was researched by my aunt, a teacher in Fukui-ken, Japan. Its later US history was told during the Seattle Redress Hearings by the outspoken eldest sister, Theresa [Yamaguchi]
Takayoshi. It is unusual for its time because the family is hapa IrishJapanese. Today, it is in the book, “And Justice for All” (John Tateishi, 1984) and on the Densho website. Most recently, Theresa Takayoshi’s family is among those remembered on the wall of the Bainbridge Exclusion Memorial. Undoubtedly, there are many other Seattle Nikkei connections to the Inland Sea. Like the stories here, they are remembered today mainly by individual families. I learned of the Seattle Tsuboi connection to “ Twenty-Four Eyes” through attending the 2019 celebration of life service for Louise Kashino Takisaki. There, two of her Shodo relatives made the long journey to attend from their present homes in Osaka and Kyoto, near the eastern end of the Inland Sea. In 2020, the NAP Spring Japan Tour to Shikoku and the Seto Inland Sea was canceled due to COVID-19. It will be rescheduled after the pandemic. Updated tour information is at:
www.napost.com/japantour
Happy New Year
Washin Kai Friends of Classical Japanese at UW www.washinkai.info
8
Vol. 75, issue 24 January 1st, 2021
NAPOST.COM
Ho o no nor ring the Pa st H o n o ring & Ca arry ing Ed d u c at i n g the Futu Futur re on the L e gacy
Wishing You Good Health & Prosperity in the Year of the Ox - 2021 Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu 1212 S. King Street • Seattle, WA 98144 • 206.322.1122 • www.NVCFoundation.org
Happy New Year with Your Favorite Sake Sake is made from rice, which is the staple food in Japan. From ancient times, it has been a special drink that can only be brewed after a good harvest. Therefore, sake has been closely related to the Shinto rituals of praying for a good harvest and for the safety of the people. That is why sake is left as offering at shrines, and why people drink sake on New Year’s Day. At Gekkeikan, we pray for your family’s health and safety, and for the world’s recovery from the pandemic, while providing sake made with northern California rice. Best Wishes for a Happy New Year. Kengo Matumura President of Gekkeikan Sake (USA), Inc Kengo Matsumura President of Gekkeikan Sake (USA), Inc
Yosuke Kawase Gekkeikan Brewmaster
In 2020, Gekkeikan Black & Gold sake won a gold medal, in the Kura Master Award competition, France, and a Fine Sake Award and Kan Sake Award, Japan. Enjoy our Junmai Sake chilled, warmed, or at room temperature. This versatile food sake complements duck, grilled chicken, and all other holiday flavors.
www.gekkeikan-sake.com
Drink Responsibly
NEW YEAR GREETINGS
赤坂御所にて 【写真提供：宮内庁】
皇室御一家（赤坂御所にて） 【写真提供：宮内庁】
２０２１年の年頭に当たり、米国にお住まいの日本人、日系人の皆 様に、謹んで新年のご挨拶を申し上げます。 昨年は、新型コロナウイルス感染症が世界的に拡大し、国際社会 が大きな困難に直面する一年でした。また、様々な国際イベント、会 議等も中止、延期となってしまいました。そんな中でも、昨年１０月 に海外日系人大会オンラインフォーラム２０２０「コロナの時代を乗 り越える世界の日系人」が開催され、世界各地の日系社会の絆と力強 さが再確認されたことを、喜ばしく思っております。
米国にお住まいの邦人、日系人の皆様、令和３（２０２１）年の年 頭に当たり、謹んで新年のお慶びを申し上げます。 新型コロナウイルスの感染が続き、経済状況も依然厳しい中にあっ て、我が国は、国民の皆様一人ひとりのお力により、着実に歩みを進 めております。昨年初来のウイルスとの闘いに、医療、保健所、介護 の現場で昼夜を問わず御尽力いただいている全ての皆様に、心より感 謝を申し上げます。 菅内閣は、国民の皆様の命と暮らしを守り抜くことを固くお誓い し、感染拡大防止と経済回復に、引き続き総力を挙げて取り組んでま いります。皆様と共に、この未曾有の危機を乗り越え、ポストコロナ の新しい社会をつくり上げてまいります。
提供：内閣広報室
１４０万人以上の在留邦人の方々、３８０万人以上の日系人の方々 が、世界各地で暮らしています。これまで様々な困難を乗り越え、誠実で勤勉な御努力により地域 の発展に貢献された皆様の歩みに改めて思いを馳せ、日系社会が地域の発展に貢献し高く評価され ていることを、大変誇りに思います。 そして、今年の夏、世界の団結の象徴となる東京オリンピック・パラリンピック競技大会を開催 いたします。安全・安心な大会を実現すべく、しっかりと準備を進めてまいります。２０２５年大 阪・関西万博についても、ポストコロナを見据え、日本の魅力を世界に発信するものとして準備を 進めてまいります。
日本と米国の絆は、幾多の苦難を乗り越え、様々な分野において御 活躍されてきた日本人、日系人の皆様に支えられているものです。新 提供：外務省 型コロナウイルス感染症の拡大という未曾有の困難に直面する中で も、新しい世代の方々も含め、皆様が日本との絆をより強固なものと し、自らのルーツである日本と、現在お暮らしの国々との間の「架け橋」として一層御活躍いただ けるよう、引き続き外務省としても、「在米・在加日系人リーダー招へい」プログラムや中南米の 「次世代日系人指導者会議」の招へいなど、各種事業の着実な実施を全力でバックアップしていく 考えです。 最後に、皆様の御多幸と一層の御繁栄を心から祈念し、新年のご挨拶といたします。 令和３年元旦
皆様には、引き続き日本と米国を結びつける絆として、日米関係の更なる発展、世界における日 本の魅力の一層の発信に向け、引き続きお力添えいただきますよう、宜しくお願い申し上げます。
外務大臣 茂木 敏充
皆様の御健勝と御多幸、そして一層の御活躍を心から祈念いたしまして、新年の御挨拶とさせて いただきます。 令和３（２０２１）年 元旦 内閣総理大臣 菅 義偉
Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle
Hisao Inagaki
Consul-General of Seattle
Happy New Year! Four months have passed since I assumed the position as Consul General here in Seattle. During this period, I was able to interact with the extensive Japanese American history here, through dedication of a flower wreath at the Nisei War Memorial at Lake View Cemetery and visits to old Japantown including the Panama Hotel and NVC Memorial Hall. In addition, on October 5, I joined the Seattle Japanese Garden for a ginkgo biloba tree planting ceremony. The day marked the 60th anniversary of the handplanting of a cherry tree and a Betula pendula by Their Imperial Highness Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko (now Their Majesties the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita) who were visiting Seattle in 1960 for the 100th anniversary of the Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Commerce. Considering that one hundred and eighty-seven years have passed since the first Japanese came to this region, history has been weaving a complicated fabric that continues to stretch towards the present.
situation will improve this year. Instead of considering the pandemic as a temporary traumatic incident, I believe that we have to make this crisis an “accelerator” for change. We have already seen dramatic changes, also known as the “new normal,” such as the rise of e-commerce/online shopping, and use of video conferencing. It is my belief that this trend will continue even after effective treatments and vaccines become available. Today, the world is much more connected than ever before. Pandemics and many other problems we are facing are borderless and require a multilateral approach. We will never forget that the U.S. helped Japan through Operation Tomodachi and many countries aided Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake almost 10 years ago. In the face of this current crisis, it is important for us to adapt responses to infectious disease control and economic impact with international cooperation with each country including the United States. While the world adapts to this new normal, it is the consulate’s mission to maintain and further develop the friendships between Washington, Montana State, and Japan. I would like to give it my all in 2021. I look forward to working with you in the New Year.
The past year focused on measures regarding COVID-19. I would like to express my deepest sympathy to those and their families who have been affected by the pandemic. I would also like to extend my appreciation and respect to all essential workers and medical professionals on the frontline fighting this virus. I hope the
Inagaki Hisao Consul General of Japan in Seattle January 1, 2021
Happy New Year 58
兵庫県ワシントン州事務所 1001 4th Ave. Suite 4310 Seattle, WA 98154 (206) 728-0610 www.hyogobcc.org
12
3010 77th Ave SE, Suite 102 Mercer Island, WA 98040 Phone: 206-374-0180 Website: www.jassw.org Email: jassw@jassw.org
Vol. 75, issue 24 January 1st, 2021
NAPOST.COM
Washington State Legislature
Nisei Veterans Committee NVC Foundation
Olympia, Legislative Building WA 98504-0482
Dear Friends,
NVC Memorial Hall 1212 S King Street Seattle, WA 98144 (206) 322-1122
Dear Nikkei Community and Friends,
Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu! Happy New Year greetings to all! On this auspicious occasion, we offer our heartfelt wishes for good health and happiness to the faithful readers and the dedicated staff at the North American Post (Hokubei Hochi). As the voice of the Nikkei Community in the Pacific Northwest since 1902, the North American Post is a vital institution that keeps us informed about the news and issues affecting us locally, nationally or internationally. This critical service helps to knit a strong bond among the different generations of Nikkei, whether born in Japan like our parents or grandparents, or born in the United States. This offers each of us the opportunity to appreciate the breadth and the richness of our collective perspectives as well as of our common cultural heritage. We are proud to recognize the North American Post (Hokubei Hochi) as a treasured community resource that continues a long and venerable tradition of strengthening and unifying Nikkei throughout the Greater Northwest. May this spirit of community be the hallmark of the New Year and may the North American Post (Hokubei Hochi) serve as its beacon throughout 2021! Sincerely,
Season’s Greetings from the Nisei Veterans Committee (NVC) and NVC Foundation! 2020 was a tumultuous year but we can take pride in all we have accomplished under the circumstances that are restrictive and adverse to gatherings. The NVC and NVC Foundation are surviving COVID-19 with your help and the community’s support, and we wish to share our goodwill and spirits with the community, our partners, and friends. Our success is due in large part to the men and women Nisei Veterans on whose shoulders we stand. Their courage, their service, and their support for our country during WWII established the foundation that enables the follow-on generations to be so successful today. Thank you to our veteran members and families. Thank you also to our community partners and friends who have supported the NVC and NVC Foundation from our beginnings in 1946! We also want to thank first responders and military service members for keeping us safe and for defending freedom around the world. Happy Holiday Season! With the warm appreciation of our association, we extend our very best wishes for the season and our sincere thanks for your loyalty and goodwill throughout the year! Best Regards, Walter T. Tanimoto, David Fukuhara
Bob Hasegawa
Commander, Nisei Veterans Committee
Washington State Senator 11th Legislative District
President, NVC Foundation
3010 77th Ave SE, Suite 102 Mercer Island, WA 98040 (206) 374-0180 jassw@jassw.org
Sharon Tomiko Santos
Washington State Representative 37th Legislative District
Dear Members and Friends, Happy New Year from the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington (JASSW)!
Japanese Cultural & Community Center of WA ワシントン州日本文化会館
1414 S Weller St. Seattle, WA 98144 www.jcccw.org
Dear Family and Friends of the “J”, Last year I spoke of the Issei having 20/20 vision for the community by starting the Japanese Language School (JLS). I doubt anyone could have foreseen the year we have endured – a global pandemic, civil unrest, and economic uncertainty.
Though restrictions halted most of the activity at the JCCCW, work behind the Kurt Tokita scenes continued. We completed our $500,000 breezeway renovation and elevator Board President project; launched the JCCCW virtual tours of a few of our permanent exhibits – Hunt Hotel and Genji Mihara; and Bunko no Hi went virtual with a series of videos throughout the month of November. Throughout it all, our staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to keep the “J” moving. While they continue their efforts, we could use your help finishing the year. Please consider making a year-end, tax deductible donation to the JCCCW. As a “thank you”, for donations of $250 or more, we will send you a copy of “Unsettled / Resettled: Seattle’s Hunt Hotel - The Secret History of the Japanese Language School, 1945 – 1959,” illustrated by local artist Aki Sogabe. Secure donations can be made online by visiting our website: www.jcccw.org/donate, or you send a check made payable to NHAW. Happy Holidays, stay safe, and thank you for your continued support! Sincerely,
We previously celebrated the twenty-fifth year of Japan in the Schools (JIS) and the fifth year of America in the Schools (AIS). Since 1994, JIS staff and volunteers visit schools across Washington State every year to provide free lessons on Japanese culture and language. JIS has served more than 70,000 students in Washington. Now, virtual JIS has taken the place of in-person visits and we have started building video programs to teach and to share the culture of Japan in a new way. We made online presentations available every other Monday. AIS is our sister program, which teaches students in Japan about life and diversity in a typical Washington elementary school. It is through programs such as AIS and JIS that we work to promote friendship and mutual understanding between the children of Washington State and Japan. Again, Happy New Year, and thank you for your support of the U.S.-Japan relationship. I send sincere thanks to our members, donors and sponsors who continue to support us during this tough time. We continue the important work of “Bringing Community Together” and nurturing our robust U.S.-Japan relations here in Washington State. I would like to invite you to visit our YouTube channel (JASSW) and our website (https://jassw.org) to enjoy the videos from our recent events. I hope to see you in 2021 at one of our programs whether that be online or in-person when it is safe to gather again. Toshi Kawachi, 2020-2021 Chair
Kurt Tokita Board President
Japan Business Association of Seattle (Shunju Club)
Densho
The Japanese American Legacy Project
As we look ahead to a new year and new challenges, I know that together we can continue to preserve the stories of our past and stay engaged in the present moment. Be well, stay warm, and I hope to see you in 2021. Happy New Year from all of us at Densho!
明けましておめでとうございます。皆さまにおかれましては、幸多 き新春をお迎えのこととお喜び申し上げます。 旧年中はシアトル日本商工会の活動にご支援、ご協力を賜りまして 誠にありがとうございました。厚く御礼申し上げます。
There’s no question that this has been a difficult year — but seeing the many ways that our community has come together to meet these unprecedented challenges has given me some much-needed hope. Thanks to the support of friends near and far, Densho was able to quickly pivot to online programming like teach-ins on the history of xenophobia and racism in the U.S., genealogy workshops to help families explore their Nikkei roots, and a virtual gala that showcased how the descendants of WWII incarceration are breathing new life into how we remember the past. Despite all the hardships and digital divides, we’ve found ways to remain grounded in community.
919 124th Ave. NE, #207, Bellevue, WA 98005 (425) 679-5120
シアトル日本商工会（春秋会） 1416 S. Jackson St. Seattle, WA 98144 https://densho.org/
Dear Friends,
Tom Ikeda Executive Director
Toshi Kawachi, 2020-2021 Chair
Since its foundation in 1923, JASSW has survived many difficult times in 97 years, thanks to the support of your friendship and cooperation to this day. I believe that trustful relationship, which we have cultivated over many decades, will not fluctuate easily. It may be a difficult time, but I am confident that we can develop a robust relationship with even stronger ties.
It has been a year of struggles navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. In-person Japanese language classes converted to virtual online classes within a few weeks. Classrooms, conference rooms, Hosekibako (resale store), dojos, etc. all shut down since March.
Warm wishes,
Though 2020 has been a challenge, we have been diligently working to move all of our programs online starting with the Annual Meeting last April. We have launched the Virtual Speaker Series to provide interesting views on innovation, culture, economy and thriving business in the two countries and other topics especially relevant to the current world and local health situation. It was our great honor to have many wonderful speakers and I feel privileged to work with splendid staff and volunteers. I can’t thank everyone enough for their endeavors.
Tom Ikeda Executive Director
本年も暫く各種活動が制限される状況が続くかもしれませんが、引き 続き地域の皆さまと協力して多種多様な情報発信やウェビナー開催等、 地域社会に根付いた活動を行ってまいります。また、本年は当会が運営 支援を行っているシアトル日本語補習学校創立 50 周年にあたります。 当校は教育環境の国際化に対応し大変多くの子女の皆さまに教育機会を 提供しており、今後もより良い教育環境の実現に向け運営支援を行って まいります。
Kosei Yamada President
昨年は私たちがこれまで経験したことの無い厄災に見舞われつつ、多くの人々は環境に適合す べく創意工夫により努力を続け、力強く前を向いて状況を乗り切ろうと進んできました。ピンチ をチャンスに代える取り組みや、ニューノーマルという考え方も生まれました。当会としても、 会員および地域の皆さまと手を携えて、時代や環境の変化に対応してその活動を進化させ、伝統 と歴史は守りつつ、新しい時代に合わせて適切に変化していくことが大きな使命だと考えていま す。日本の今を知る企業会員で成り立っている当会には、日米関係ならびに地域社会の発展向け、 できることは色々あると思います。 シアトル日本商工会は会員の皆さまや地域社会の皆さまにとって魅力ある存在となり得るよう 一層努力してまいりますので、引き続きご支援、ご協力のほどお願い申し上げます。 本年が皆さま方にとって素晴らしい一年になりますよう心よりお祈り申し上げます。 令和 3 年（2021 年）元旦吉日 シアトル日本商工会（春秋会）会長 山田公正
SINCE 1902
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Peace at Christmas, from page 5
“Uncle” and “Auntie ” as terms of endearment and respect.) “Okay,” replied Dad, the first word he’d uttered in days! He took three deep breaths, and passed away. When I talked to Nayda, she said she was so sorry. “ H e w a s s u ch a k i n d m a n . We were glad that he came home to say
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goodbye.” I held her words in my heart. His earthly responsibilities were done. He had seen Mom through to a peaceful end. He had thanked the people who took good care of him. He was “showered and shaved.” He was ready to join Mom and my late sister Lisa in heaven for a holiday dinner. He was more than okay. Dad was at peace.
Green Truck, from page 5
Georgetown dump, so we took it all home to Mercer Island. Those hills were not easy. That was all before July 3, 1993, when Dee picked me up af ter an overnight at Muffler City on Rainier Avenue. “OOPS, the gears are stuck.” Oh well, Dee — who grew on a farm—knew how to open the hood
and even out the arms. Most of my vital parts have been replaced and are in good working order, but I could still use a lot of restoration work, especially my clutch. Sam gave me a paint job so I look pretty good. A s we head to the Fac toria Dump with GOK (God Only Knows) continued on page 15
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Green Truck, from page 14
basement-room clean out and yard waste, it helps to have appropriate 1950’s Western Classics in the tape deck to set the mood: “In 1814 we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississipp; You load sixteen tons and what have you got? Another day older and deeper in debt.”
SINCE 1902
It’s amazing how my values are determined by people’s attitudes. Update. It is 2020; Green Truck is on its way to a new home since Sam’s death three years ago. It is being rerestored for further adventures. Dee Goto founded the Omoide w r i t in g p r o gr a m , h o s te d by t h e Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington (JCCCW).
Edie Horikawa, from page 7
has devoted his life to ikebana. He likes its discipline, concentration, and contemplation, but most of all, because it calms. “Once upon a time, warriors (of the Sengoku period in Japan) had to learn ikebana before going to the battlefield.” Contrar y to those days, in the battlefields of Europe in more recent times, he saw children: German
children fighting with enemies, French children fighting for food, and at home in the US, our Nikkei children were fighting against racism. “You should have compassion for children. They are the most vulnerable,” says Edie, who lost both his parents when he was a teenager. The war confirmed his belief in goodness. For him, the beauty doesn’t stop within the world of art.
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NEW YEAR GREETINGS Seattle Japanese American Citizens League
P.O. Box 18558 Seattle Wa 98118 http://seattlejacl.org info@seattlejacl.org Membership: https://jacl.org/member/
Puyallup Valley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League
Akemashite Omedetō Gozaimasu!
Akemashite omedetou!
The Seattle Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) wishes you and all your readers a very Happy New Year. The year 2020 was like no other in living memory, encompassing a worldwide pandemic, the resultant economic and social chaos, and the massive Black Lives Matter uprising against police brutality. As we enter 2021, we look forward to new vaccines arriving, stable hands creating a more equitable economy, and multi-racial coalitions working to end racial injustice.
Puyallup Valley JACL reaches out to our community to hope all members are safe and healthy. This COVID-19 crisis has put a halt to many of our chapter activities which allow so many of us to interact with each other.
11415 SE 234th Place Kent, WA 98031 www.puyallupvalleyjacl. orgelamphere@live.com
The North American Post has chronicled the news, events, and passages within the Japanese American community for decades as a respected voice of and for Japanese Americans in Seattle, King County, and the State of Washington. We value and appreciate your continued coverage throughout the turbulent economic times of the past year. We know it’s been hard. Please know you have our continued support!
On March 1, just before the crisis and restrictions, the chapter partnered with the White River Buddhist Temple, the Greater Kent Historical Society, and the Kent Grand Organ group in bringing Lane Nishikawa to “A Gathering Place for the Arts” located inside the Kent Lutheran Church. Lane JACL Puallup Lane with survivors premiered his latest film, “The Lost Years”, for the Greater South Sound communities. This event drew over 200 people with a great number of survivors of the wartime concentration camp experience.
The Seattle Chapter JACL will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2021. Our organization was founded in 1921 as The Progressive League; we became a founding member of the national JACL when it formed in 1929. Given the uncertainties posed by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, our celebration will likely take new forms and innovative methods. Stay tuned!
Audience reaction reinforces the chapter’s focus on education; “Why is this not taught in schools?” “I am 70 years old from Kent, why haven’t I heard about this?”. These comments spur members to share their experiences while they can. The crisis has restricted in-person events, but chapter members have been invited to Zoom presentations. COVID-19 will not stop the sentiment of NEVER AGAIN or NEVER FORGET.
Seattle JACL adjusted to the COVID-19 environment during 2020, as it transitioned from in-person meetings to online ones. Work on student scholarships, civic engagement, youth leadership training, and anniversary planning continued. Our Multi-Racial Conference was cancelled in May but shifted to a series of online webinars and discussions on Multi-Racial identity in August and September. Our members (with masks and social distancing) supported Black Lives Matter protests and rallied outside the ICE Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma in support of immigrants and refugees detained within. Our Civil Rights Committee is currently hosting a series of four online workshops on Anti-Blackness in the Japanese American Community.
As we approach 2021, we are encouraged by the news of vaccines and possible treatment. In the meantime, we join you in staying safe and healthy.
Stanley N Shikuma
Have a happy New Year! Eileen Yamada Lamphere, President
As we enter the New Year, Seattle JACL will continue to work on issues of racism, identity and culture, history and legacy, civic engagement, student scholarships, youth leadership training, and social justice. We invite your readers to join us in 2021! Stanley N Shikuma, President Seattle JACL
SHINNEN OMEDETO GOZAIMASU
In 2021, join us in celebrating the
1 0 0 TH
A N N I V E R S A RY Of the Seattle Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League
HAPPY NEW YEAR w w w. s e at t l e j a c l. o rg
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White River Buddhist Temple 白河仏教会
3625 Auburn Way N, Auburn, WA 98002 (253) 833-1442
Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple シアトル別院
Greetings, With every New Year, there is a new set of energies with new possibilities. This was especially true at the start of the Year of the Rat 2020.
皆様、新年あけましておめでとうございます。2021 年もどうぞ宜し くお願い致します。
At the beginning of the year, forecasters predicted that it would be a variable year, once on top and once at the bottom. They said it would be a year of mental trouble, stress, disappointed expectations and lost opportunities. There would be potential for families to squabble and for words to be harsh and cutting. That it would be a year of somewhat secretive optimism, but a return to life in the family. With the New Year would come a change in the way business is done. It would also change the way we live our lives. Most of these predictions have Rev. Jim Warrick come true. No doubt, 2020 will go down as one of the most memorable in our lifetimes with a global pandemic, much social unrest and a contentious national election. It is time to say goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021 the Year of the Ox.
2020 年は記憶に残る年になりました。コロナウィルスの猛威、Black Lives Matter の運動、大規模な山火事、アメリカの大統領選挙、なにか 一年中騒がしく、落ち着かない日々を過ごしていたような気がします。 さらに、“Stay Home Stay Healthy” というこれまでに経験したことのない 状況下で生活することになりました。今まで、当たり前のように人に会 って仕事をし、食事をし、会話を楽しみ、遊んだりしていたのができな くなり、オンライン中心の生活になりました。シアトル別院でもバーチ ャルでのお参りが続いています。その中で新たな取り組みがなされるな ど、良い面もありますが、改めて、人と人とが直接出会うことのありが たさも学ばせていただいています。私の法友が教えてくれた一言です。
For 2021, it is predicted that no explosive or catastrophic events will occur. It will be a perfect time to focus on relationships, whether we are talking about friendships or love. This is going to be a year when we will fully feel the weight of our responsibilities, a year when it is necessary to double our efforts to accomplish anything at all. Whether predictions come true or not, we can hope that from the adversities we faced in 2020, there will be many opportunities in 2021 to improve our lives and the lives of others. Imagine for a moment the joy that came into the world when man made fire to overcome the adversity of dark and cold. My New Year wish is that you find Joy, Peace, Happiness and well-being every day during this New Year and all the years to come. And may you face all your adversities with a smile on your face and joy in your heart. Remember: “Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.” Thomas S. Monson Sincerely,
1427 S Main St, Seattle, WA 98144 (206) 329-0800
Rev. Katsuya Kusunoki
―「難有り」を逆さにすると「有難い」。 困難な生活を通して初めて、身近な日常の中に「有難い」ことがあったのだ気づかされます。 2021 年になります。皆様と元気にお会いできることを心より願っております。どうぞそれま でご無事にお過ごしください。 合掌 On behalf of Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, I wish each of you a happy, healthy, and meaningful 2021. There were many unforgettable events in 2020 such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, massive wildfires, and the presidential election. We lived in these turbulent and unsettled times last year. The “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order was issued in March. Since then, our lives have changed, and we all are experiencing difficult times. When I reflect upon myself, I realize that I have taken many “in-person” events for granted, for example working, having lunch, and enjoying time with my friends. After the start of the pandemic quarantine, I have met people virtually and was able to do most things online. I am saddened that the Seattle Betsuin’s doors remain closed. Due to the improvement of technology and the temple staff’s creativity, the temple has successfully been able to offer online services.
Reverend James Hozen Warrick, White River Buddhist Temple
On the other hand, I have reflected on how precious it is to be able to interact with each other in person. The Japanese term “ari-gatai” is usually translated as ‘grateful’. It consists of two words. “ari” means “there is”. “Gatai” means difficulty. “Ari-gatai” means “There is difficulty.” The feeling of “arigatai” rises up in my mind when I encounter difficulty. When I experience unusual and difficult times, I truly realize that there are many precious and grateful things in my daily life. I look forward to seeing you in person. Until then, please stay safe and healthy. With palms together,
Rev. Katsuya Kusunoki シアトル別院 輪番 楠 活也
HAPPY NEW YEAR
シアトル・タコマ 福岡県人会
Seattle-Tacoma Fukuoka Kenjinkai 会員一同
www.fukuokaseattle.jimdo.com Contact: info8Sea2Fuk@yahoo.com SINCE 1902
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NEW YEAR GREETINGS Seattle Koyasan Buddhist Temple シアトル高野山
1518 S Washington St Seattle, WA 98144 (206) 325-8811
新年あけましておめでとうございます。本年もよろしくお願い申し上げ ます。 今年は、「あけまして」というスッキリ感がないですよね。コロナが明け ないことには、スッキリできません。思えば昨年は、息ぐるしい年でした。 息ぐるしいは、生きぐるしい。息をすることは、生きることだと、これほ ど実感させられた年はなかったですね。
1713 South Main Street Seattle, WA 98144 (206) 325-4498
Konko Church of Seattle 金光教シアトル教会 Greetings, Congratulations on the completion of this unusual year. Over 160 years have elapsed since the Founder of Konkokyo, Bunjiro Kawate, received the Divine Call, a request from Tenchi Kane No Kami to Bunji to end his farming career and dedicate himself fully to sacred mediation to help people receive teachings and blessings. In North America, we have been blessed to offer this Way of sacred mediation since 1928 when the first Konko Church (Seattle) was established.
昨年３月には、ワシントン州の学校が次々に休校に入り、やがて散歩 での息抜きも許されない状況に発展していきました。５月には、「I can’ t Rev. Taijyo Imanaka breathe」という最後の一言を残して、ジョージ・フロイドさんが死に至ら しめられました。息を止められて絶命する。どれほど苦しかったことでし ょう。８月には山林火災が始まり、シアトルも 10 月頃まで有害な煙の中に閉じ込められ、屋内で息 をひそめての生活を余儀なくされました。そして年末からのコロナのぶり返しと、再度のロックダ ウン。用心していても、どこにウィルスが漂っているかわかりません。これだけ息を押し殺すよう な状況が長引きますと、心も酸欠になってきます。悲しいことに自ら命を断つ人々が増えています。
The Konkokyo Headquarters recently completed an English translation of the biography of the Founder of the Konko faith, Ikigami Konko Daijin. Learn Rev. Robert Giulietti about the origins of the Konko Faith and the evolution of the Way of Mediation of Ikigami Konko Daijin. The book is available at the Konko Church of Seattle. For more information, visit http://www.konkofaith.org/churches/konko-church-of-seattle/seattle-church-news-updates/ .
活きいきと息をすることが、生きることの根本です。１日に１回は、長くしっかりした息をする 時間を作りましょう。生命維持に一番大切なことなのに、多くの人たちは何かをしながらしか息を しません。仕事をしながら、携帯をさわりながら、しゃべりながら、食事をしながら、、。高野山に は、1200 年前より伝わる『阿息観（あそくかん） 』という息の瞑想がございます。最後に、それを 簡単にご紹介します。
Sincerely,
I would also like to wish everyone happiness, harmony and good health in 2021. HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL!
Rev. Robert Giulietti, Head Minister, Konko Church of Seattle
① 最初は口から息を吐きます。ゆるゆると、 できるだけ長い息を吐きます。「はぁ〜」と声に 出してかまいません。温泉の湯にどっぷりつかっ た時に、思わず出るような息です。 ② 息を吐き切ったら、今度は鼻からスーッと 吸います。レニア山からたなびいてくる清冽な空 気を吸い込んでいるつもりで。山の霊気が体を満 たして清めてくれます。 ③ 体内を掃除してくれた空気をまた、「はぁ〜 」と、ゆるゆると吐き切ります。 こんな長いあいだ息ぐるしいのが続くと、誰だ って心も体もくたびれてます。今、ご自分の生命 をいたわるのは大事です。だから、この呼吸法を 毎日寝る前に５分間続けてください。ずいぶんと ちがってきます。 皆様のご無事とご健康を、お祈りもうしあげて おります。 合掌
シアトル高野山 駐在住職 今中太定
迎 春 謹んで新春のお慶びを 申し上げます
シアトル
国誠流詩吟会 会長 汀泉 国信 会員 一同 詩吟に興味のある方は 気軽にご連絡ください
(425) 221-0617
Shumi no Kai
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Japanese Cultural & Community Center of WA ワシントン州日本文化会館
Year of the Ox Drawings by Seattle Japanese Language School Students More New Year's illustrations from Japanese Language School students will appear in the January 15th issue. ◀ By David Sancilio, 11 years old
◀ By Fumina Chu, 8 years old
▲ By Miye Yogi-Adams, 7 years old
By Steven Halasz, 9 years old ▶
◀ By Misaki Kato, 9 years old
By Viola Hui, 8 years old ▶
◀ By Rina Sancilio, 8 years old
▲ By Sena Chu, 11 years old
▲ By Maia Blackford, 14 years old
SINCE 1902
By Aya Halasz, 11 years old ▶
By Derek Liu, 15 years old ▶
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