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Tadahito Iguchi
San Diego Padres Infielder
Looking for a new start in San Diego, Tadahito Iguchi is ready to win
The ideal living environment for his family is the basis of his Major League life.
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Mitsuhiro Iwamoto
Former Teacher, School of Acupuncture and Manual Therapy for the Visually Impaired, University of Tsukuba
Former Board Member, Japan Blind Sailing Association
Mixed Teams of the Blind and the Sighted Compete in Yacht Racing
“ Those who cannot see ” and “ those who can see ” live harmoniously together, creating the epitome of an ideal society.
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Dr. Kazuo Inamori
Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Kyocera Corporation President,
the Inamori Foundation
Starting with only three million yen in capital and 28 employees, he has been devoting himself to the production of fine ceramics for half a century. The foremost factor in his success has been his continued “ strong desire.”
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Masayuki Imai
Actor, Film Director
The English version of the movie “The Winds of God – Kamikaze –” will be coming to the States!
Listen to the young souls’ screaming for life and death....
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Iris Yamashita
Academy Award-nominated screenwriter
Making her Hollywood debut as a screenwriter with “ Letters From Iwo Jima,” Iris Yamashita made her dream come true!
Her delighted parents asked, “ Who's Clint Eastwood anyway? ”
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Kuniaki Miura
President, Miura Education Center
The right brain has the power to awaken the infinite potential and possibilities of human beings. With the “ Image Brain ” development approach, I want to help children have prosperous lives.
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Jeff Orr
Director of Marketing WiMAX Forum
You can think of it as a recipe for a certain dish that assures customers that it will have the same quality each time it is made. The WiMAX Forum exists to define and to document what steps need to be taken and then to verify that they have been followed.
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George Nobuichi Ekita
Director-at-large Asian Business Association of San Diego Entrepre
This generation and being here, we have a lot more freedom and more opportunities to do whatever we want. We are in America, and whatever you dream, you can make it come true!
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Yuko Takahashi Severson
President, Kokusai Travel Chair, “ Build a Happy Japanese Retirement Home in San Diego” Project
Dreaming of building a senior home where people of Japanese descent can live at ease and enjoy their retirement in San Diego, “ America’s Finest City ”....
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Musashimaru Koyo (Fiamalu Penitani)
Oyakata and 67th Yokozuna, Musahigawa-beya
I think by the time I reached my late 20s I had that feeling...you know? That feeling that I could do what I wanted and whenever I walked into the ring I felt like, “I’m not losing today.”
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Brigitte Bélanger-Warner
Publicist, “ O ”, Cirque du Soleil
The big top was our home, because we were always traveling. So coming here (to Las Vegas) was the first time we ever had a fixed location or residence. It was a bit of a gamble on Steve Wynn’s part, but after all, this is Las Vegas!
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Michael Shanahan
Director of Marketing & Communications Maritime Museum of San Diego
While she wasn’t involved in any one historic event, she is directly tied toone of the most significant ongoing events in world history — the emigration of people across oceans. Nearly everyone one of us living in the United Sates can trace their ancestors back to someplace other than here.
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John Kaizan Neptune
Musician - Composer - Craftsman
The whole process is really remarkable and exacting, from selecting “ madake ” to crafting it. It requires a similar focus as composing a piece or a concert, but the general energy that is required is different.
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Lane Nishikawa
Writer - Actor - Director “ Only the Brave ”
So they were sending cops, helicopters, fire engines…we heard all of this noise and we were sitting there wondering, “What’s going on?” We thought it must be something big, and it turned out to be us.
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Chen SiTan aka the “ Chinese Prince of Taiji ”
Two-Time World Taiji Champion Director
Wushu Association of China
There were a bunch of us and we didn’t know who was going to succeed or who would fail, but I was determined. When our teacher asked us to do something 10 times…I’d do it 20!
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Tatsuo Sasaki Principal Timpanist, San Diego Symphony
Shigeko Sasaki Violinist, San Diego Symphony
Life is a symphony performed by two loved ones. A talented musician couple’s journey through life. Their passion led them to open a unique music school teaching the younger generations.
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Fumiko Ishii
Professor of Japanese Language and Culture,
Irvine Valley College Japanese-English Simultaneous Interpreter
An expert on English is being charmed by the stylishness of Japanese....
As a Japanese woman, she has chosen to live a unique life. Her lifelong career is to be a linguistic bridge between people.
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Masaru Emoto
N.Y. Times Best Selling Author
It’s like the chicken and the egg, which came first? If you have good water then of course it will have beneficial results for your body, soul and self. By the same token if we constantly ingest poor water it will have the opposite effect.
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Hiroko Suzuki
Professional Football Player The So Cal Scorpions
The irst Japanese player in women’s professional football is tackling life.
Sports are a starting point to educate people and create a future for children.
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Alan Pate
Antique Dealer - Curator - Author NINGYO: The Art of the Japanese Doll
In many respects this is not only an overlooked form in the west -- it’s an undervalued form in Japan too. Go to Kyoto or Tokyo, bastions of Japanese culture, and they allocate so few resources to ningyo.
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Tentsukuman (formerly Hiromitsu Noriyasu)
Former Yoshimoto Comedian Film Director, Street Poet
No matter how much we love somebody, our love does not reach our loved ones if we can’t save the Earth. Here comes Tentsukuman, promising us a paradise filled with hope and smiles!
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Steve Okino
Writer - Producer - Director “A Most Unlikely Hero”
To question or to dissent is unpatriotic in a lot of people’s minds these days and we’re saying that it is the ultimate form of patriotism — to stand up for the beliefs and values and the traditions that this country was founded on and to question those that would infringe upon them.
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Terry Kennedy
Manager, San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League
When I left it I swore that I’d never go back — that was 13 years ago! I took a year off, went back to school, then I had to get back in. I figured it was pretty selfish of me after what all those coaches and managers had done for me that I wouldn’t give something back.
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Saburo Koga
Sculptor
Saburo Koga is a multi-talented artist in quest of comprehensive arts. As a passionate sculptor depicting the close relationship between humans and trees, he promotes carrying their own chopsticks to conserve natural resources, linking people throughout the world by the “ chopsticks of love.”
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John“Mac”McLaughlin
President, CEO San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum
Tugboats were pulling her out and as they rounded Pt. Loma and began heading north…all of a sudden Midway started pulling west. Something like that should have been impossible, but she wanted to head out to deeper water… almost as if she was trying to head back to Japan one last time!
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Martin L. Ito
Pfc. 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Canon Co. Decorations: Purple Heart,
Bronze Star for Valor
It was awfully hard, and then there was a BAM, BAM, BAM and we started to run. The first thing you know my helmet dropped off my head and started rolling down the road with me chasin after it; I wanted that darned helmet so bad.
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Hideyuki “Andy” Hata
Committee Organizer Japan Fiesta in San Diego
Cross-cultural experience helped his dream come true eading to the birth of a Japan-US friendship event unique to San Diego! Hideyuki “ Andy ” Hata talks about the starting point and meaning of cultural exchange through sports.
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Chris Tashima
Actor, Filmmaker Cedar Grove Productions
My initial reaction was,“ Good idea! But where are we going to get the money to make a film? Come on.” Later though the light bulb went on, he was right, this was a perfect project for a short film and it had just fallen into my lap.
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Noritoshi Kanai
President, Mutual Trading Co., Inc.
Mr. Kanai talks about his half century as the initiator of the sushi boom in America. Turning his back on the system and the establishment, he decided to come to the US at age 41. He attributes the success of his food trading company to his experience in the military service and in student business, as well as, his meetings with people.
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Allan P. Judd
Chief Pilot, Sanyo Lightship
This is where I live; this is playtime. When I’m up here flying…its just wonderful. I love being at the interface between the land, the sea and the air. Right here, in the sky, over the water — this is as good as it gets.
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Yoko Inomata
Ballet Dancer, San Diego Ballet
Overcoming difficulties and inner conflicts, she made her dream come true.
The petite Japanese ballet dancer is a big performer in America.
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Kazuyuki Mizuno
Jewelry Designer
Gems, the gorgeous works of art from Mother Earth — his artisanship amplifies their beauty and style. “ I want to show the power and romance that a stone has. It’s my job to highlight the customer’s charm.”
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Mike W. Arms
President and Director Helen Woodward Animal Center
Here at the HWAC nobody has to fear watching the life drain out of one of their friends - here we find homes for our animals, we don’ need to euthanize them, we send them to loving homes. That’s what it’s all about.
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Akira Takahashi
Japanese Teacher, University of San Diego President
Japanese Language Class Founder, Mongol Education Fund
Teaching Japanese as a volunteer at a new high school in Mongolia, Mr. Takahashi spends a summer month when the teacher and students are connected by “ hope.” His passion for Japanese language education went beyond the US. He enjoys interacting with young people with big dreams who are the future of Mongolia.
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Yoshiko Ikezawa
Costume Designer
Free-spirited, original ideas keep appearing in America, the information hub of the world. “ I wish to inspire people and make them happy,” says the designer who animates her costumes.
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Lee Ann Kim
San Diego Asian Film Foundation, Executive Director & Founder
What Hollywood is saying is that these are really good films, but how are we going to market them because they're with Asian people! What are we going to do? I know, we’ll change the story, we’ll get non-Asian people to do it, we’ll change the title, and we’ll take out everything that made this film special.
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Stan Sakai
Cartoonist - Creator of Usagi Yojimbo
I was sketching in my sketch-book and I drew a rabbit with his ears tied-up.
I just loved the design — so instead of Miyamoto Musashi, he became Miyamoto Usagi, a masterless samurai-rabbit, wandering the land, fighting injustice and seeking enlightenment.
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The Yoshida Brothers (Ryoichiro and Kenichi Yoshida)
Tsugaru-Shamisen Players
Having pursued the refinement of their art since age five, the Yoshida Brothers are shooting to stardom in traditional Japanese music. Exploring for new lures of Tsugaru-shamisen, the duo performs on the world stage.
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Dr. Edwin McDan
Lecturer: Intercultural Communication San Diego State University
The three major factors for success are curiosity, action, and experience.
Living in Okinawa led me to communication studies. Life without adventure offers no prospects.
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Robert “Cita”Welch, Jr.
Vice President of Tribal Enterprise Business Development Viejas Enterprises
They estimate that there were about 25,000 of us when the first Europeans came here. By 1904 there were only 1,700 of us left, and in the 1850’s during the gold-rush times it was even legal to kill Indians.
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Sadami Imai
LPGA Teaching Professional
Wishing to enhance amateurs' skills to the maximum, Sadami Imai dreams of a “ Sadami Cup ” tournament. Fascinated by golf at age 45, she made up her mind to become a teaching professional and realize her potential.
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David Glanzer
Director of Marketing and Public Relations San Diego Comic-Con International
People don’t realize that even though we always have some big celebrities scheduled to appear like "Buffy" (Sarah Michele Geller) there’s no doubt that there will be other stars who will show up unannounced. Last year it was Halle Barry and Angelina Jolie who came at the last instant, before that it was Arnold Schwarzenegger...
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Dr. Kouzi Suzuki
Ph. D., Education, President, Institute for English Yomiagezan
Chairman of the Board, Institute for International Culture Exchange
While promoting international understanding through soroban for over 39 years," Mr. Soroban " has contributed to right-brain development that enhances creativity. His passion for encouraging the use of soroban worldwide never ends.
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Akinori Otsuka
Pitcher ･ San Diego Padres
Since meeting Trevor Hoffman five years ago, Akinori Otsuka felt it was his destiny to join the Padres. As San Diego’s first Japanese Major Leaguer, Aki, “ the eighth inning man,” talks about his endless dreams and lofty ambitions.
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Tim Murphy
President, CEO and Founder Elite Racing & Suzuki Rock‘n’ Roll Marathon
So I was running along one morning and I thought, “ If I lived in Cleveland, I would do a marathon that would start and finish at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and do a big concert afterwards.” Of course the next day I thought, “ Yeah, but who wants to go to Cleveland.”
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Darrel “Mouse” Davis
Head Coach, The San Diego Riptide Arena Football League 2
When I first started running it people used to tell me, “ You can’t do that! Can’t do what? Well you’ve got to have at least two backs in the backfield and you can’t have four wide receivers. Oh really! Why is that? Well that’s just the way it is.” Coaching was so conservative.
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Junko Yamamoto
Artist, President, J. K. Studios
In recreating images of her dream diary on canvas, she captures the vivid reality gushing from her visual memory. She wishes to uncover children’s potential through painting.
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Alexander Chuang Ph.D.
Executive Director San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
In Shanghai, there were areas controlled by the British, French and Japanese, that were off-limits to Chinese! Signs read “ Chinese and dogs not allowed ”. So a lot of people just wanted to get out and find a better life and make a living.
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Brian Remas
Founder, Bike for Brains
It wasn’t good news…when you can see the cyst on your x-ray from 12 feet away, you know it’s not a good thing, but I did feel kind of relieved. Finally, we knew what it was and everyone would believe me…now we needed to treat it.
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