Tomo Hirai

Shiori Ito left Japan in 2017 after accusing journalist Noriyuki Yamaguchi of raping her in 2015. The news earned her considerable anger from Japan’s right wing, but also made her an icon to some as a survivor. Nine years after the incident, she released “Black Box Diaries” at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, an autobiographical documentary film chronicling the experience.

Billionaire Ryan Smith’s Smith Entertainment Group envisions a new sports, entertainment, culture and convention district in the heart of Salt Lake City. The Utah Jazz owner is seeking to renovate the Delta Center arena and the Salt Palace convention center in a multi-billion dollar mixed-use development, and Salt Lake City’s Japanese American community wants a seat at the table.

Aiko Sokolowski was not expecting to be a YouTuber at age 83, but her daughter, April Hattori, convinced her to give it a try during the pandemic. “Originally, I thought it was just one video,” she told the Nichi Bei News. “She asked me, ‘Do you want to do a video with me? And we can go through the exercises.’ Sure, one video is fine with me, never thinking that it would become — what are we up to?