Gwen Muranaka

In the frantic final month before the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) pavilion closed for an extended renovation, the museum rushed to stage an exhibition of Mario Reyes’ work. For years, Mario had been the photo editor of the Rafu Shimpo, the Los Angeles Japanese American daily newspaper. Now, his health was failing. In late September, he summoned me and his longtime friend Darlene Kuba to his Boyle Heights home.

By GWEN MURANAKA “This was our little paradise,” John Nishio said, standing in his Japanese garden last Saturday. He watched as stone-by-stone, family and friends pitched in to help carefully move his beloved Japanese stone lanterns from his home in Pasadena, weeks after it was destroyed in the Eaton Fire. The smell of burnt plastic and smoke still lingers in the air.

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.