Dear Diary...

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Dear Diary...

9th Annual Nikkei Student UnionCulture Show

Saturday, March 6, 2010

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2NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Good Evening,

On behalf of UCSD's Nikkei Student Union, I am proud to present our 9th annual Culture Show. Culture Show today has evolved from humble beginnings and has incorporated performances of drama, drumming, dance and song. The first Culture Show in 2001 started off as a small showcase of Japanese American culture. In 2004, Asayake Taiko headed by Bobby Koga debuted their completed drums and have been an essential component of every show since. Various dance groups including UCSD's own Ascension and NSU's first dance troupe, Diversity have performed modern dance and hip-hop. Last year, a group of NSU members banned together to form a modern dance group, [N]Motion. In a short amount of time, [N]Motion has already solidified itself as an official modern dance group comprised of NSU members on UCSD's campus. In addition, traditional Japanese dance, Odori has been a constant aspect in past shows and continues this tradition today. In the past, singers and ensembles have showcased their singing talents. Last year NSU's first official singing group, NSU JIVE debuted as an independent entity from its roots performing at the end of the year banquet. Culture show is a way to bring our NSU members together to put on a show completely written, produced, and organized by us. This show is a culmination of hours of hard work and dedication from our directors, actors, stage crew, and performers to showcase a piece of JapaneseAmerican culture to UCSD and the greater San Diego community. It reminds us of the importance of Japanese American heritage and issues that concern the JA community today.

I would like to thank all the members of NSU who have contributed to the production of this year's show. In particular, I would like to give a big thanks to our director, Alan Nam and our producer, James Toy. Without you two, none of this would be possible. I would also like to thank the

generosity of sponsors, as well as the love and support of our family and friends. I also THANK YOU for coming tonight. Please, sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Megan SadakanePresident 2009-2010 Nikkei Student Union

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DIRECTOR’S MESSAGECulture Show has always had a special place in my heart. Two years ago, I was a kid with his house on fire screaming "LADY LADY!" A year ago, I ran for and won governorship of California, at the cost of everything I had stood for. This year found me zoning out, scratching my head, and throwing tantrums to answer one question. How was I to write for one of NSU's biggest events about JA culture when it became increasingly obvious I knew nothing of the matter?

With much support from friends, I tried to touch on as many aspects of JA culture possible, keeping it relevant to college students, while showing what I found interesting from an outsider's perspective. Whether or not I succeeded is up tointerpretation, but for certain, it would not be possible without the constant guidance of the exec-board, friends, and especially the cast itself.

Watching the actors help each other, joke around, and grow has been such an amazing experience in itself. Going into the show I can say with certainty, I am so proud of them, their drive, and their passion. I hope you all enjoy the show yourselves because I know we will.

Alan NamCulture Show Director 2009-2010Nikkei Student Union

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4STORY SYNOPSIS

Shig and Aiko, the writers of the titular diaries, pass on their experiences of post-Pearl Harbor to Heather and Cami, everyday UCSD JA students. Reading the stories helps them deal with their own struggles in the present time.

Heather deals with getting closer to her KoreanAmerican boyfriend Kyle, while Cami is caught up between her best friend and love interest Grant, and her new Japanese foreign exchange student roommate Keiko.

The show itself makes ample use of jumping back and forth between the time and present to show both the history and the modern age of JA culture.

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ACTS AND SCENES

Scene 1: Chance EncountersScene 2: Nerdsaywhat Scene 3: HajimemashiteScene 4: Party City JapanScene 5: Second GlanceScene 6: Final Offer

Performance: JIVE - "Sukiyaki"Performance: [N]MotionPerformance: Odori

Scene 1: Little ChickenScene 2: Enough is EnoughScene 3: BromanceScene 4: Last Entry

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Opening: Asayake TaikoAddress: NSU President

and Culture Show Director

Act I

Intermission

Act II

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Act 1 Scene 1:Butter mochi is a Hawaiian dessert. Because of its large JA population, much of Hawaiian culture draws its roots from Japan. Take butter mocha for example with its roots intraditional Japanese mochi, but flavored with butter and coconut. Little Tokyo is located near downtown Los Angeles, and is a historical site. More is explained in Act 1 Scene 3. "Nikkei" is the term for those of Japanese descent. "Nihongo" is Japanese for “Japanese language.” The government has given back to victims of Japanese Internment from WWII in the form of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. However, there is still much controversy surrounding the matter, partly because those awarded reparations received on average less than 30 cents on the dollar.

Act 1 Scene 2:December 7, 1941 was the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. This day coined “The day that will live in infamy” is an ironic statement considering its original implications.Little Tokyo had its roots before the war, though it was not named until later.

Act 1 Scene 3:Keiko's outfit exhibits elements of "harajuku" named after the area of Tokyo from where it originated. Young people gather there outfitted in a wide range of styles from cyber punk to "kawaii", meaning "cute". "Hajimemashite" is the term used for people who meet for the first time, similar to "nice to meet you". "Purikura" refers to photo booths that print very bright small photos.

Act 1 Scene 4:Star jars take a really, really long time. They are gifts bringing good luck to the recipient.

SCENE NOTES6

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Act 1 Scene 5:Obon originated as a Buddhist custom to honor one's dead ancestors. However, it has evolved into a family holiday with the focus of "bon odori" around a "yagura" or tower. Obon festivals take place during the summer, where participants may dress in traditional "yukata", very light kimonos.

Act 1 Scene 6:The scene takes place on February 2, 1942, 17 days before Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, authorizing the relocation of all Nikkei on the western coast and effectively legalizing internment. Buying from Japanese Americans at demeaning prices was a practice more associated with the days leading up to the physical removal of people into camps, meaning it would have most likely happened a few weeks later, but is shown here for a similar situation. Also historically, it may not have been possible for Japanese Americans to go back to Japan at all under those wartime conditions. Aiko mentions her father has already been taken away. The FBI abducted community leaders in an orchestrated fashion prior to internment.

Act 2 Scene 1:Contrary to popular belief, knowing karate, or any martial arts, does not allow one to defy the laws of gravity. "Obāchan" means grandma. The -chan ending indicates a more informal title, as opposed to "obāsan", which is more formal. "Daijōbu?" means "Are you ok?"Travel overseas usually was by boat and not airplane.

Act 2 Scene 2:Some people may not realize that nikkei are of any generation, whether it be second generation, third or fourth. Families with deeper roots in America less often speak Japanese at home, follow fewer Japanese customs, and do not necessarily associate themselves with Japan.

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Kenji Kawamura - “Kyle Lee” - is the proud family head of dOki dOki Dynamites! dOki dOki!!! In 2009, Kenji made his first Culture Show appearance as Jake Watanabe’s camera operator. A man of many talents, Kenji was a founding team member of [N]Motion and proudly continues as one of this year’s team captains. A fourth year student majoring in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Kenji plans to become a cancer researcher.

Takahiro Kuwayama - “Grant Yonemura” - is a third year student majoring in Computer Engineering. In 2008, Taka made his Culture Show debut as Jon Kuwayama and followed that performance in 2009 as Jake Watanabe. Taka loves Culture Show and everything about it! He is currently the Webmaster for NSU and in the TUBBY TOFU FAMILY! He plans to have a successful career as a computer programmer and go wherever life takes him in the future.

Junna Murakawa - “Shigeru ‘Shig’ Kawamura” - started his Culture Show career as an extra and member of Stage Crew for the past two years. Currently a third year student majoring in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution his NSU involvement includes serving as Communications Officer last year and family head of Miso Ninjas this year. YAY NINJAS! Junna plans to get into the field of marine science in the future and looks forward to living a life of happiness and fun.

Tammy Nguyen - “Aiko Yasukawa” - is making her second appearance in NSU Culture Show as Aiko Yasukawa. She is a fourth year student majoring in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and minoring in Studies of Religion. Since her first appearance in 2009 as Kasey Kaneshiro, her fan base had sky rocketed to 5,261 members. With no classical training in theater, she was n born with all this talent and awesomeness. Please, no flash photography during her performance. She may be awesome, but gets distracted easily. However, nothing can distract her from fulfilling her ambitious career in oncology and living a life full of love and happiness.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES8

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Erin Kikue Yasukawa - “Cami Yamakura” - is a fourth year student majoring in Chemical Engineering and currently serves as the Cultural Chairperson of NSU. She made her first Culture Show appearance in 2009 as Brenda Song, the no-nonsense campaign manager. Kiku enjoys singing in the car and musicals, and imagines herself on that stage herself. Next year, she will be moving to New Jersey as a Teach for America Corp member and if all else fails, plans on pursuing a career in hairstyling in the big New York City.

Lori Yonemura - “Keiko Nakagawa” - returns to the stage after last year’s performance as Connie Chung, the news reporter covering the gubernatorial race. On stage Jake Watanabe (Taka Kuwayama) and his camera operator (Kenji Kawamura) plagued Connie Chung, but off stage, they are great friends. Lori is proud to join Kenji as family head of dOki dOki Dynamites! Her past NSU commitments include planning last year’s banquet. Lori is a third year student majoring in Environmental Engineering.

Virginia Yu - “Heather Omori” - is a fourth year student majoring in International Studies-Economics. This is her first acting gig as Heather Omori. Many have asked her, “How are you keeping up with the veteran cast? Do you put in more hours than them to rehearse?” and she simply replies, “No, when I came out of the cocoon I was a butterfly, and butterflies don’t work.” Though she may be an amateur actress, she is no stranger to the stage. With three years of experience on hip-hop dance teams, Virginia is also proud to be a founding member of [N]Motion. She is undecided on her post-grad plans, but her youthful personality will definitely create a bright and fun future for her.

Gordie Ackerman as PopoChad Serber as Dish BuyerJoe Petri, Kensuke Taylor, Daiki Takekawa, Gordie Ackerman, Chad Serber, and Grace Lee as Party GoersAndrew Fujihara as ChairmanTake Kurosawa, Melissa Sathavipat, Lauren Tomosada as Committee MembersScarlett Vasquez, Madison Nagano, and Kieran Nagano as Kids

Note the difference between Japanese and Non-Japanese humor.

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CULTURE SHOW COMMITTEE

STAGE DESIGN

Director and Writer: Alan NamProducer: James ToyStage Design: Rendi NagataFinances: Chesa CoxMedia Design: Brandon ChuPhotography: Alex GaoFilm Editing: Johnathan NguyenMusic: Jeffrey WangPublicity: Take KurosawaHospitality: Ellyson Matsui and Jeffrey Wang

Coordinator: Rendi NagataChesa Cox

Andrew FujiharaTake Kurosawa

Michelle MitsudaLauren OkadaMichael Oshiro

Joe PetriMelissa Sathavipat

Daiki TakekawaLauren Tomosada

Quinn YenNick Yokoyama

Kim Young

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JIVEJIVE (Japanese Interest Vocal Ensemble) was established in 2009 by musically interested members of the Nikkei Student Union. This is JIVE's second appearance in NSU's annual Culture Show. The songs we are performing tonight reflect the message within the play.

"Sukiyaki" made famous by Kyu Sakamoto teaches listeners to keep their heads up high even when all else seems lost. The 4 P.M. cover of Sukiyaki is JIVE's first a cappella performance and was arranged by JIVE’s own member Jeffrey Wang. Besides Culture Show, JIVE will also be performing at the annual NSU/JSA Matsuri Festival coming up on April 1st. Please come out to support us! Thank you for attending tonight and we hope you enjoy the show!

Coordinator: Tomomi AmakawaEdward ChengAndrew D'AlmeidaLisa EspinosaLauren GimaDaniel JenkinsCatherine KaoElly MatsuiMelissa Sathavipat

Taylor StephensKensuke TaylorLauren TomosadaJames ToyGeorge TracyJeff WangJulie Zhan

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Coordinator: Lisa EspinosaArtistic Directors: Chelsea Baker and Julie ZhanTeam Captains: Kenji Kawamura and David Tsang

[N]MOTION

Special Extras: Alan Nam, Drew Vo, and Gregory Yamaguchi.

Taylor StephensJames TejedaGeorge TracyScarlett VasquezEmmie YeLori YonemuraVirginia Yu

Amy LaiAndrew LanezGrace LeeBen LiuSami MichishitaColin MiyamotoYurika Seki

Nate AsuncionJacky ChanWanda ChaoNicole GekkoYuki HamashimaAmy KimBrynee Kitaoka

Special thanks to Allan Laguatan for the boys’ piece, Luke Lee, and Sean Herbert for music, and special thanks

to staff. You guys are amazing.

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ODORICoordinator: Kelly Honda

Lauren GimaMichelle MitsudaMegan Sadakane

Music:

“Menna Ichidori” performed by Odori

ASAYAKE TAIKOAdministrative Director: Michelle Zimmermann

Performance Director: Kelli WingAssistant Performance Director: Winny Wen

External Director: Mark TakesuyeInternal Director: Taffy Tom

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSNikkei Student Union Executive Board

President: Megan SadakaneVice President: Tomomi Amakawa

Finance: Chesa CoxSocial Internal: Sami Michishita

Social External: Lauren GimaCommunications: Take Kurosawa

Nikkei Student Union Appointed Board

Advisor: Yo MiyamotoAthletics: Ellyson Matsui

Banquet: Brynee Kitaoka and Nicole GekkoCommunity: Melanie OdoCulture: Kiku Yasukawa

Culture Show: Alan Nam and James ToyHistorian: Lauren Tomosada

Media: Brandon ChuWebmaster: Taka Kuwayama

Special Thanks

Financial SupportAssociated Students

Thurgood Marshall College Student CouncilCross Cultural Center

Tim ShimizuStudent Council of Eleanor Roosevelt College

Costume:Lindsay Claverie

Vincent HatakeyamaDaiki Takekawa

Props:Michelle Mitsuda

Alan NamLauren Tomosada

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Congratulations UCSD Nikkei Student Union!

From the Sadakane Family: Richard, Tina, Ryan, Megan, and Kristen

Special Wishes for theOdori Group

KellyMichelle

FromGordon and Ruri Honda

Culture, Grace, and Beauty

LaurenMegan

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March 10 GBM #5March 12 Laser TagMarch 13 College Day at VJCCMarch 26-28 Spring Retreat

Upcoming NSU Events:

Nikkei Classic Basketball TournamentApril 24 Pilgrimage to ManzanarFamily OlympicsBanquet

Spring Quarter

www.ucsdnsu.com

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