The One about the Asunaro Club (Japanese Club) in Lemoore, California – Part 1 – The Beginning

In a past blog post, I wrote about growing up in the town of Lemoore, California but how I got into Japanese culture and moving to Long Beach, California, which furthered my interest even more. Back in the late ’90s, at California State University, Fresno Read More …

The One about the Statue of Enehey

One of the statues featured at the Matsuoka Museum of Art is “The Statue of Enehey”.  Made of Limestone. Egypt. New Kingdom, late 18th dynasty (1300-1200 b.c.). Excavated from Saqqarah, a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, Saqqarah served as the necropolis for the Ancient Read More …

The One about Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard’s “African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan”

When Okazaki Takashi’s manga and anime series “Afro Samurai” came out, I know there were people who felt it was silly that there was a Black man as a samurai. In reality, there was actually a real Black man who was a samurai and his Read More …

The One about BEAMS AT HOME 4 and TOKYO CULTuART by BEAMS in Shibuya

When it comes to books on Japanese approach on designing their homes, some very small to some very big, there’s one thing that I really appreciate and that is how many are able to fit and organize their livelihood in such a small space, especially Read More …

The One about IZ*ONE’s “Suki to Iwasetai” Type A & B Singles

On February 6th, global pop group IZ*ONE released their debut Japanese single “Suki to Iwasetai” (I want to say I Like You). IZ*ONE (pronounced as “Eyez One”/IZ=12 and the meaning is 12 members coming together as ONE). The group features Jang Wonyoung, Miyawaki Sakura, Jo Read More …

The One about the “Relief of a King” sandstone from the 18th Dynasty, Egypt

A lot of the ancient artifacts from ancient Egyptian structure and art were made of stone. Limestone, Sandstone and different types of other stone, Egyptians at the time used what was available to them. Among the ones featured at the Matsuoka Museum of Art in Read More …

The One about Martina McBride’s “Martina’s Kitchen Mix: My Recipe Playlist for Real Life”

Country singer Martina McBride is known as a country singer with numerous hit songs and as she has entertained audiences with her music, she also is known for entertaining family and guests with her cooking. Having released her first cookbook “Around the Table” in 2014 Read More …

The One about John Huston’s “The Barbarian and the Geisha” (1958)

“The Barbarian and the Geisha” is a film that would attract audiences today. People with open minds. People who accept other cultures worldwide and those interested in traditional Japanese culture would enjoy the film. It’s not the best John Wayne film but I do give Read More …