Interview with Diamond Yukai
JAPANESE rock rebel Diamond Yukai, who was born Yutaka Tadokoro in 1962, continues to reinvent himself in a music, film, television and writing career that has spanned nearly three decades.
As a teen, his parents, who were civil servants in Saitama, wanted him to conform to the system. They to
Remembering Donald Richie: A Living Tribute
Donald Richie, a world authority on Japanese film, culture and the post-World War II lives of the Japanese, passed away in Tokyo on February 19, 2013. He was 88. Born in Lima, Ohio on April 17, 1924, Donald grew up with a love for cinema. He moved to Japan on December 31, 1946 as part of the U.S. O
The Man Who Brought Sushi to America
The Man Who Brought Sushi to America By Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie
This is the first in a series of interviews with Noritoshi Kanai, President of Mutual Trading, the man who coined the phrase “sushi bar”.
TJ: When did you become President of Mutual Trading? KANAI: 1976.
TJ: Who was the or
Samurai #1: Akio Morita
Article by Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie (continued)
A KIO Morita was born the eldest son of a sake brewer and was groomed from childhood to take over as the fifteenth head of what is now a 400-year-old sake brewery. Morita studied physics at Osaka Imperial University. After graduating in 1944, he joi
Samurai #2: Akira Kurosawa
Article by Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie (continued)
A kira Kurosawa was born in Tokyo and from a young age was inspired by art and reading. He began his film career as an assistant director for the renowned Japanese director Kajiro Yamamoto. Kurosawa was well read, and Yamamoto appreciated his vast k
Samurai #3: Soichiro Honda
Article by Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie (continued)
S OICHIRO Honda was born in Shizuoka, Japan. His father, a blacksmith, owned a bicycle repair shop and Honda spent his early childhood helping him fix bikes. As a child, he was fascinated by airplanes and it is said that after he viewed an airplane
Samurai #4: Kisho Kurokawa
Article by Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie (continued)
K ISHO Kurokawa was born the son of an architect in Aichi, Japan. During WWII he was sent to live with his grandparents in a Buddhist temple. He bunked in a teahouse there that later served as an inspiration for his creative works.
Samurai #5: Osamu Tezuka
Article by Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie (continued)
O samu Tezuka was a Japanese manga artist and animator, a producer, political activist and a medical doctor who never practiced medicine. He is often referred to as “Manga-no-Kami Sama” (the God of Manga), and is best known as the creator of “Astro
Samurai #6: Seiji Ozawa
Article by Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie (continued)
S EIJI Ozawa began his music career as a piano student only to sprain his finger playing rugby as a teenager. Unable to continue the piano, his teacher at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo brought Ozawa to a performance of Beethoven’s Symphon
Samurai #7: Ichiro Suzuki
Article by Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie (continued)
I CHIRO Suzuki likes to go simply by “Ichiro.” Since the age of 12, he has focused on building a career in baseball. His father mentored Ichiro with rigorous training from a young age, and it has been said that Ichiro built strength and stamina by h