Members and guests of Nichibei Fujinkai pose for a photo at the consul general’s residence for their fall luncheon on Oct. 26.
George Takei speaks, Umekawa Ichinosuke performs in afternoon event at consul general’s residence.
By GWEN MURANAKA
Traditions and the importance of adapting and passing them to future generations was a theme of the Nichibei Fujinkai (NBFK) luncheon held at the consul general’s residence in Los Angeles on Oct. 26.
Umekawa Ichinosuke performs “Shichifukujin,” a dance dedicated to Ebisu, the god of wealth.
The event was hosted by Honorary President Mami Sone, who gave a presentation on the theme of resilience and its many manifestations, highlighting the Nobel Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots organization composed of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“I praise Nihon Hindankyo. They turned painful history into a peaceful movement,” Sone said.
Actor/activist George Takei shared his new children’s book, “My Lost Freedom,” which tells his family’s incarceration story and his experiences growing up in the Rohwer, Ark. camp and later Tule Lake. He vividly described being woken up by two soldiers banging on the front door of their family home.
“They banged on the door with their fists. Today I’m 87 years old. Eighty-two years have passed and I can never forget the terror,” Takei said.
He said his mission is to educate fellow Americans, many of whom have never heard about the Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
Umekawa Ichinosuke, through lecture and dance, demonstrated how he has pushed Japanese classical dance from its origins into the 21st century. In a formal white hakama he performed Ebisu from “Shichifukujin” (Japan’s Seven Gods of Fortune).
“The beauty and form is still the same. I try to translate it to today,” he said.
Born in Oita Prefecture, Umekawa began his career at the Tokyo Ballet Company in 2005 upon graduating from Niigata University. He trained under the famed kabuki actor Tamasaburo Bando. In 2016, he transformed from a kabuki actor to a dancer specializing in Japanese dance.
Since then, he has been performing not only in the world of Japanese dance, but working hand-in-hand with fusion, classical and contemporary art, collaboration with fashion, modern beats, and classical music, often using shrines, temples and museums as a stage.
He has given lectures and performances, and he described feeling heartened by seeing students learning about ukiyoe art in Los Angeles.
Dorothy Roraback shared a new memoir, “Think You’ll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief with Grit,” written by former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant in tribute to her mother, Jaqueline Avant, a philanthropist and longtime NBFK member, who was shot and killed in 2021.
Nichi Bei Fujinkai was founded in 1930 by 20 women, including the wife of then Consul General Toshito Sato. Next year marks its 95th anniversary.
The group was established by 20 charter members, American and Japanese women who met to promote friendship and cultural understanding between the two countries.
The mission of the organization is to develop friendship and mutual understanding between the U.S. and Japan.
“I look out at all of the wonderful women of accomplishment. Let’s continue to deepen our friendships and share more of our stories,” said NBFK Past President Ginny Nishigaya.