A Memoir of the Venice Gakuen Japan Trip |
By Bryan Maekawa
Growing up as a yonsei to parents who could neither speak Japanese nor cared to, I often felt disconnected from my heritage and culture. Nevertheless, I always had a deep interest in things Japanese, and I strived to learn more about the country of my ancestors. Japan, after all, home to such wonders as sushi, Pokemon, Godzilla, and other monstrosities (er, I mean creations), certainly has enough exoticness to intrigue anybody. So in a valiant effort to learn more about my culture and to improve my Japanese, I enrolled in the Venice Gakuen Japanese School.
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This year, I discovered that the Venice Gakuen would be having a first in its over 75 year history, as it would sponsor an excursion for its students and their families to journey to Japan. I would be given the opportunity of a lifetime to finally utilize the skills I had worked so hard to obtain and actually communicate with real Japanese in everyday situations. Also, this would be my first flight to Japan and my first outside the country. You can imagine my excitement at hearing the news!
As it turns out, the Japan trip that occurred this summer had been discussed before as a group trip for high school students, but nothing ever happened due to a lack of participants. However, this past school year, the trip was opened up to everyone, and several committees were formed for planning, finance, and fundraising. But it took Gakuen Principal Miri Park to really make it all happen. She worked tirelessly to make all the arrangements and to prepare the students and their families with tips about customs, foreign exchange, cell phone rental, purchasing train tickets, etc. As I had always longed for a visit to Japan, I felt blessed to have attended the Gakuen at such a monumental time. They made my dream come true.
Finally, everything was set, and the trip was ready to begin. From June 25 to July 3, a group of 25 including Gakuen students and their families and two students from Venice High School left for Japan.
We first arrived in Tokyo, and I instantly fell in love with the city. Maybe it was the towering skyscrapers, or the flash of neon signs wherever I looked, or just the hustle and bustle of the dense crowd, but Tokyo had an allure that no other place ever had for me. Now that was a city! Tokyo for me was like Las Vegas without all the sleaze, or New York without all the rudeness. Whether I was exploring the nightlife of Shinjuku, being dazzled by the latest technology in Akihabara, searching for the Pokemon Center Store (yes, I said Pokemon Center) in Nihonbashi, meeting the hip youth of Harajuku, or just shopping with the wealthy at department stores in Ginza, I felt at home for once in my life. I had never felt so exhilarated and alive. Nothing could impede me from exploring my surroundings, not even jetlag! In fact, the 16 hour time difference had the effect of making me wake up extra early each day!
The next stop on the trip was at the onsen (hot springs) of Hakone, near the foot of Mt. Fuji. It was difficult for me to transition to the almost village-like Hakone after spending time in the huge metropolis that was Tokyo, but I quickly cheered up at the traditional Japanese inn we stayed at. Well, I suppose it wasn’t the most traditional inn ever, as it had a full water park and spa attached, but it got points for effort with its half-tatami mat, half-western style rooms. After all the walking around I had done in Tokyo, it felt soothing to relax in the myriad of spas the inn offered (including pools filled with everything from green tea to curry). I literally soaked my troubles away. After properly rejuvenating, we all had a memorable karaoke night that drew laughs and pointing from passersby (and perhaps frowns, too).
The final stop for the Japan trip was in Kyoto. While Tokyo was exciting, and Hakone was relaxing, I found Kyoto to be serene and quiet. Seeing ancient Kyoto made me miss modern Tokyo a little. Nevertheless, it was very valuable experiencing an ancient part of Japan. In fact, three Gakuen students did just that when they were made up and dressed as maiko (apprentice geishas). Kyoto never ceased to surprise me; I had always imagined Japan to be a totally modern country, full of steel and concrete, yet here were verdant |
 Kathy Fukunaga, Taylor Wolk and Sarah Hobin in traditional Japanese Kimono. |
fields and placid rivers with temples at their shores, quietly tucked away from the rest of the world. It was a stunning and elegant sight; too exquisite to describe with words.
For me, the Japan trip was a life-changing experience, as it really renewed my determination to learn Japanese and revived my love of Japanese culture. I was fascinated by the juxtapositions and contradictions of the Japanese landscape such as ancient temples surrounded by modern skyscrapers. I was excited to have conversations with Japanese people and find practical uses for my knowledge. I also enjoyed learning about my heritage through various tours of castles and shrines. However, I felt the part of the adventure that truly affected me was the experience of bonding with my friends. I really got to know everyone better during the journey. Those adventures on our free time, without the parents, let me really get to know everyone much better. I remember how we all struggled to purchase train tickets and find our stations at first, but we all helped each other out and looked out for one another, and eventually made it to our destinations as a team.
All in all, the first ever Venice Gakuen Japan trip was a huge success, and I felt it had a major impact on the lives of all the participants. Traveling to Japan gave me a new sense of maturity and freedom as I navigated my way through a foreign country without my parents’ guidance. It was extremely difficult for me to leave at the end of the trip, but I am confident that I will return, and in the meantime, I will strive to work at my Japanese to communicate better next time. Finally, I would like to encourage others to challenge themselves, and set out on their own adventures to Japan. Who knows what you might discover there? With nothing to fear besides a 12 hour flight, what do you have to lose?
Exploring the History of the VJCC
By Tiffany Yoshikawa
 Tiffany Yoshikawa |
This summer, the Venice-Culver JACL is sponsoring the VJCC internship program through the Frances Kitagawa Leadership Development Fund. The Frances Kitagawa Leadership Development Fund was made in order to remember and acknowledge Mrs. Kitagawa's hard work and dedication as a leader as well as an activist in the Japanese American community. Mrs. Kitagawa did many things, including organizing a Nisei teenage girls' club, holding a position on the Venice-Culver JACL, and serving on committees of the Pacific Southwest District Council and National JACL. Mrs. Kitagawa seems to have been a remarkable person. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to meet her. |
My name is Tiffany Yoshikawa and I have the honor of being the VJCC intern. I am a student attending California State University, Long Beach, where I am majoring in Film and Electronic Art. As a member of the Center, I volunteer at Bingo Night and at the golf tournaments as part of the video crew. Besides that, each month, I help print out the Community News, the VJCC's newsletter.
As the intern, my job is to research the beginning of the VJCC through its recent expansions. In order to do that, I will be doing research and interviewing various people about the Center. Another part of the internship is attending an Executive Council meeting, Board of Directors meeting, Communications Committee meeting, Venice-Culver JACL meeting, and the Frances Kitagawa Luncheon. At these meetings, I will hear the latest news and meet the people who work hard to make the Center and the Venice-Culver JACL a success.
Once I get some of the research done, I will be writing four front page articles for the Community News as a way to culminate what I have learned. These articles will consist of the history of the start of the Center, the various expansion projects, the future of the Center and what the Center means to its members. If you have any information about the history of the Center, the expansion projects, the people involved in making the Center a success or know some interesting stories that you would like to share, I encourage you to please contact me at the VJCC Office at (310) 822-8885 or e-mail me at the VJCC newsletter's e-mail address: monthlynews@vjcc.com.
One of the reasons I applied for this internship is because I would like to learn other people's stories about the Center and how much the Center means to its members. It also would be great if I got the chance to meet new people. In the process, I would like to learn about my culture and heritage. So far, I have learned so much, but there is still a huge amount I still need to research. The few things I have learned include information about the people who belong to the Center, the Center being used as a hostel after World War II and the reasons for the building projects. Some of the people who have allowed me to interview them include Jim Akioka, Ken Amamoto, Jim Nakagiri, Dr. Richard Saiki, Hitoshi Shimizu, Jane Shintani and Tad Suzuki.
I really appreciate everyone who has taken time out of their busy schedules to talk to me. It means a lot to have the encouragement and help of the Center's members and the members of the Venice-Culver JACL. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed their stories. It is extremely important that people know the history of the Center and if we do not record the history now, it may be lost. One of the sad parts about this internship is hearing people say, “This person would be a great person to talk to, but unfortunately, he has passed away.” Sadly, we will never hear that person's story first hand. This is why it is very important to tell the Center's history to the younger generation…in hope that the members will continue to realize how valuable the Center truly is and will keep it viable for many years to come.
By Aileen Hongo
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Summer Sun for Seniors What a great time to kick off this new column, “Senior Moments!” - just in time for obon season, picnics and a variety of outdoor activities. The dog days of summer still lie ahead so I thought it would be a good chance to look at the dangers of heat stroke/exhaustion, especially for the older adult. Did you know that older people may not even feel hot when the temperature is dangerously high? They may not even feel thirsty when dehydration starts to set in. This is because as we age our bodies |
are slower in reacting to changes in heat so many seniors often don’t start to sweat until temperatures begin to soar. Medications can also slow down a person’s reaction to high temperature. Some tips to assure a safe and fun summer in extreme heat include:
Some warning signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke include: dizziness, heavy sweating or no sweating, muscle cramps, nausea, clammy skin, confusion or passing out. If you or someone you’re caring for starts to show these warning signs, call your doctor or 911. Cold compresses will help lower body temperature.
Also, make sure you check on your elderly family members, neighbors and friends during a heat wave! Social isolation is a main factor in heat related illnesses, especially if someone lives alone without air conditioning. Please feel free to email me at webmaster@vjcc.com for questions or comments. Have a great summer!
The information provided on this column is intended to provide helpful health and wellness information to the general public. The information is not rendered as a medical, health, psychological or other professional diagnosis, treatment or cure and should not be used in place of a call or visit to a medical professional, who should be consulted before adopting any suggestions in this column or drawing inferences from it.
