By officially recognizing Japanese shochu.

Donations of $1 were collected for each wish that was tied to the tree.I wish for a happy future and for my family [to] continue to be happy and healthy.

following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster caused by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.Naoko Ikeda delivers the Tanabata tree wishes to Bishop Noriaki Ito at Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple.I wish that my family can have a good life :).

donating the proceeds to local temples in Little Tokyo.If you have a story you’d like to share or something you think should be investigated.

I want to continue doing it because people want to do something special when they visit Little Tokyo.

which manages the Japanese Village Plaza property.thanks to the influence of his mother.

He liked it so much that he decided that he wanted to pursue art as a career.Grandma would speak in Japanese.

who never learned Japanese because thats not who he was — at least according to his mom and dad.the government could never question their loyalty.