Sushi Kimura

Tomoo Kimura, the Sushi Chef behind Singapore’s Michelin-starred Restaurant

Tomoo Kimura is an acclaimed Japanese sushi chef who runs the Michelin-starred restaurant Sushi Kimura. After graduating from Hattori Nutrition College in 1987, Kimura spent two decades mastering the art of sushi. He learned most of the craft working under a mentor at Tsukiji-Sushi Sei, an Edomae-style sushi restaurant in Tokyo founded in 1889. In 2012, he moved to Singapore to open Sushi Kimura, which became the only Japanese restaurant listed in the 2018 Michelin Guide for Singapore. At Sushi Kimura, the chef pays homage to his Japanese roots through the ingredients he uses, which he has shipped directly from Japan, from the rice and fi sh to the water used to wash and cook the rice. Tokyo Journal Editor-inChief Anthony Al-Jamie interviewed Chef Tomoo Kimura about his career and what it takes to open and run a successful sushi restaurant.

Shohei Ohtani

Japan’s Gift to America

When Shohei Ohtani entered Major League Baseball in 2017, America not only gained a unique and highly coveted player who can throw a fastball upward of 100 mph while hitting home run after home run, but America also gained a hero. Shohei Ohtani’s superiority on the mound, combined with his exceptional abilities at the plate, have not been seen in a century since the glory days of Babe Ruth and his multifaceted talents. The broad-shouldered Ohtani stands 6’4”, tall by Western standards, let alone Japanese, with superior speed, strength, and hand-eye coordination. He is not only a phenomenal pitcher and home-run hitter, but he is also a strong defensive player and an excellent base runner. He is a competitive yet courteous player who pays respect to others on the field, including his teammates, rivals, officials, and fans. He is a patient and unselfish player with exceptional sportsmanship and a charming and respectful demeanor. His conduct is outstanding, and he sets an example for young people by going out of his way to pick up any trash that blows on the field. The true gift that Japan gave America with Shohei Ohtani goes beyond his remarkable achievements as a pitcher and hitter with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It is the values he portrays in sportsmanship and diplomacy that will have the greatest impact on the game of baseball and America’s youth. To share with Tokyo Journal readers what the world of Major League Baseball has to say about Shohei Ohtani, I attended the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

The Queen of Kawaii Headlines Coachella

U.S. superstar Billie Eilish and Japanese pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu simultaneously headlined stages at the world-renowned Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, which was held over two weekends in May 2022. Kyary’s appearance at the festival gained her a new legion of fans, not only among Coachella concertgoers, but also among music lovers around the world who watched the live-streamed event. Kyary, known for her fusion of the kawaii (cute) and creepy-chic styles, became a Japanese cultural icon after her debut single in 2011. While in California, she performed a sold-out show at L.A.’s Fonda Theater and attended events to help promote local businesses in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. She even managed to sneak in an L.A. Angels of Anaheim baseball game to see Japan’s national treasure, Shohei Ohtani. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie sat down for his second interview with the J-pop star to talk about her trip to California and her career.

The World’s Greatest Athlete

How Olympic Decathlete’s Japanese Heritage Led Him to Gold

Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay is an Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist, three-time World Champion, and four-time U.S. National Champion in the decathlon, ultimately earning himself the title of “World’s Greatest Athlete” at the 2008 Olympics. Clay was born in Austin, Texas to a Japanese mother and an African-American father who divorced when he was in elementary school. Raised in Hawaii, he moved to California after high school and eventually became a standout athlete on the Azusa Pacific University track team. Clay discussed his entrepreneurial ventures and his African-American/Japanese heritage with Tokyo Journal’s Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie.

Yoshie Kris, Making Performance Accessible to All

Inclusion in Tokyo’s Olympic Games

Yoshie Kris is a director of Slow Label, an innovative company based in Japan that creates art and creative opportunities to help diversify the community. She is also one of seven creative directors in charge of organizing the opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Kris is responsible for facilitating engagement between the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and for ensuring that the opening and closing ceremonies for both events are accessible to all attendees. She has taken inspiration for these tasks from personal experience. She was diagnosed with malignant fibrous histiocytoma (a type of malignant tumor) in 2010, which has cost her the use of her right leg; she has to walk with a crutch. Her passion for the inclusion of all people in society has led her to travel the world to learn about diversity everywhere. Her education and experience brings an innovative and unique perspective to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and the ceremonies that will reflect Japanese culture on a worldwide stage. Kris was interviewed by Tokyo Journal’s Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie. Kris now waits with the rest of the world for the Olympics to commence.

Hiroshima Survivor Hideko Tamura Snider

Educating the World on the Consequences of Nuclear Weapons

Hideko Tamura Snider was a child when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima in 1945. She later moved to the United States to earn a B.A. in sociology and an M.A. in social work. She has written two books: When A Peace Tree Blooms, a children’s picture book about creating peace in the world, and One Sunny Day, a memoir of her life before the bomb, during the explosion, and afterward in both Japan and the United States. Tamura Snider runs the One Sunny Day Initiatives, an organization that educates the public about the consequences of nuclear weapons and seeks to plant seeds of peace, hope, and reconciliation. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie sat down with Hideko Tamura Snider to talk about her experience.

Life after Hiroshima

Mike Kawamura: A Survivor’s Dreams for World Peace

Ikunosuke “Mike” Kawamura is a survivor of the 1945 Hiroshima bombing. He joined the Kyocera Corporation of Kyoto, Japan in 1969. He is known as one of the “Five Samurai” who established Kyocera’s North American manufacturing operations in San Diego. Kawamura has also served as Kyocera’s president in Europe and Brazil, as well as general manager of education and planning at Kyocera International, Inc. Now retired, he promotes peace building through community organizations including Green Legacy Hiroshima and San Diego-WISH. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie sat down with Kawamura to talk about the Hiroshima bombing and the 2015 Peace Tree planting ceremony at San Diego’s Japanese Friendship Garden, which used saplings grown from trees that survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb 75 years ago.

Jim Press

A Driving Force in the Automotive World

Former Toyota North America and Chrysler President Discusses Working for a Japanese Company, the Automobile Industry, and Former Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn

In a League of His Own: Peter O’Malley

Former Owner of the L.A. Dodgers and Ambassador of U.S.-Japan Baseball

Peter O’Malley, a member of the Japan House steering committee, shared his views on Japan House and his love of Japan and baseball with Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie. As a former owner and president of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, O’Malley has long been involved not only with the sport, but also with international cooperation and the promotion of Japanese culture. He has visited Japan 80 times since 1956. In 2015, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon for promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States through baseball, and for helping in the development of Japanese baseball. The Decoration Bureau of the Office of the Prime Minister administers the awarding of the honor in the name of the Emperor of Japan. O’Malley has been widely praised for running the Dodgers as a highly respected, professional, and emulated organization. Indeed, Fortune magazine named the Dodgers as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” three times under his leadership, the only sports franchise to receive such an accolade. His innumerable achievements in baseball and intercultural relations include his role in introducing baseball as an Olympic sport, his contributions to the U.S. Little League program as the longtime chairman of the Little League Foundation, and his decades of promotion of baseball globally, especially in Japan, Latin America, and China. His funding led to the building of China’s first baseball stadium, named Dodger Stadium, in the city of Tianjin in 1986. Other investments have been in the O’Malley baseball fields in Managua, Nicaragua in 1992, and in Corkagh Park in Clondalkin, West Dublin, Ireland in 1998, regarded as the main home of Irish baseball.

Rempei Tsukamoto

Film Director and Screenwriter

Rempei Tsukamoto is a talented Japanese film director and screenwriter with years of experience under his belt. In Japan, his films have been successful with audiences and critics alike. Kazura won Best Asian Movie in 2010, while Prescription Police and Bento Harassment were both acclaimed. In 2019, Bento Harassment was screened at the Japan Cuts Hollywood film festival in Hollywood, introducing Tsukamoto’s work to the international film industry. Before the social distancing measures enforced after the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie spoke with Tsukamoto to discuss his recent trip to the U.S. for Japan Cuts Hollywood (renamed Japan Connects Hollywood) to find out about his film career and the production of Bento Harassment.