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RB: And then just for your own part, I'm curious, how did you first hear about Shofuso? I'm just curious how it was introduced to you and then every year since? Do you see it as sort of a potential Japanese American community space or a place to educate people about Japan and something in between?

MA: Yes. You know, as a child or youth, I don't remember Shofuso growing up, per se. I do remember my mom saying that she did dance at a park in Philadelphia. And so that was the only recollection I had as a child. So not until I returned here in 2015 did I really know what Shofuso was about. And someone mentioned to me about they'd like to go visit the Japanese tea garden in Philadelphia, and I said, "Where is that?" They said, you don't know where that's, I was not familiar with it, and I felt sort of ashamed that I was so ignorant of this place. And so I made a trip out, and I said, "Wow, this is beautiful." I said, "Why is this not so well-known?" At least I didn't think it was well-known, I mean, I didn't know about it. But it could have been because I had not been here in this area after I graduated from high school. Because once I graduated from high school, I went to the military, as I mentioned. And I only visited my family on occasion, but I never kind of understood the community. So fast forward, now that know that Shofuso is here, I think it's a treasure, and I think that it's an opportunity to not only engage the local Japanese American, kind of Asian American community if you will. Not just Japanese Americans, but for the Asian American community and to also foster a relationship with the Japanese nationals, or businesses, that are coming here to the states. So I think that is a hub that has so much potential, not only culturally, but business-wise, and just allow the center to be kind of the focal point of a lot of activities.

RB: Thanks for that. I'm wondering if you could maybe reflect a little bit on the role that arts and culture played here in Seabrook specifically in terms of maybe being a convening point for the Japanese American community. I've seem photos from some of those Seabrook chow mein dinners that had the traditional Nihonbuyo and Bon Odori and other folk dancing that was done there. And, of course, the fact that the Obon has survived until today, and that there are practitioners, I think speaks to sort of the lineage that was developed. But from your perspective, just curious if you feel that arts and culture played an important role in that community element that was here in Seabrook?

MA: I think the influence that the arts had in this community was significant, especially for the Issei and Nisei. Not so much for my generation, but I do remember as a youth, we would have programs at the temple where we would have my father and his contemporaries that would be singing. And as a youth, I did not really kind of appreciate these male figures singing traditional Japanese songs. But everyone I could remember relishing it, even the Isseis, they'd be just clapping or just really kind of with respect just listening to them singing, and then the minyo dancers, and there were many minyo dancers. Not only the group, but individual ladies that were dancing. And it was very, very ceremonial, it was well-respected, and I miss those. I'm really thinking about how that came about. I wish that that could have continued. Now we do have Obon, yes, where it's group dancing, but you don't have those individual performances that I remember as a child growing up.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2023 JACL Philadelphia. All Rights Reserved.