Japanese Americans Can Be Bridge Between U.S. and Japan

Above, New Year's Day "Oshogatsu" celebration in Little Tokyo in 2013. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Irene Hirano Inouye, the widow of late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), has an interesting Op-Ed article in the Asahi Shimbun on "Japanese Americans can be bridge between U.S., Japan."

I thought it was a good Op-Ed piece and it prompted a reply by yours truly.

Inouye's article begins with:

The rise of China has led some to believe that the United States has begun to make light of Japan, but that is an overly simplified view. Japanese Americans can play a crucial role in bridging relations between the United States and Japan. As an American of Japanese descent born in the United States, I want to broaden the relationship of other Asian Americans and women to Japan, ensuring a broad mutual understanding. 

The mission of the U.S.-Japan Council is to create a strong and sustained people-to-people relationship at the government, business and civil society levels. We believe that, in the long term, leaders who know each other can not only work together on opportunities for new aspects of U.S.-Japan relations, but also support each other when there are difficulties in the relationship. 

When we founded the U.S.-Japan Council in 2008 and opened our office in Washington, D.C., in 2009, people talked about “Japan passing,” a phrase used to describe the rise of China and the ensuing loss of interest in Japan by the United States. Many of us believed that that was not the case. We knew that there were people who were very interested in Japan, and that it was just not that visible because there were other bilateral relationships that the United States had, with China, South Korea or other countries. We established the council with the belief that we had to be much more visible about the opportunities and importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship.

My response was that if there was a lack of interest in Japan in the United State, it was that Japanese-Americans have been lax in being a "bridge" to Japan for a long time, but all that seems to be changing in recent years. 

Above, a taiko drum performance at Little Tokyo's 2014 Oshogatsu celebration. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I wrote:

Interesting article. It is great that Japanese-Americans are (finally?) getting active to be that "bridge" to Japan. It seemed to me that they have been somewhat lax during the past few decades in being a bridge to Japan as well as Japanese culture. 

I worked for California State Assemblyman Paul T. Bannai, who was the first Japanese-American elected to the California legislature. It was in that position I was exposed to and came to appreciate the Japanese-Americans in Bannai's district (primarily Gardena, California) in the 1970s. The Japanese-Americans were vibrant and active in their community. Then, in later years, things seemed to go into the doldrums. The Japanese-American enclave, Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, appeared to be becoming neglected. Many wondered if it would even survive. Recently, it seems to be making a comeback with more culturally-oriented activists involved and events held.  

Unfortunately, the annual Japan Expo in Los Angeles seems to have died off. It was one of the most enjoyable annual shows. I don't know if it was the Great Recession or lack of interest that did it in, but it is a show that I miss going to. 

I would like to see more Japanese-Americans pick up the torch and get things moving again in the U.S. Ms. Inouye's group is a good start.

Above, former Assemblyman Paul Bannai and Armand in Little Tokyo, New Year's Day 2014.

To read Ms. Inouye's article, go here.