Our mission is to deepen cultural and historical understanding of the Japanese American experience by presenting first-hand stories and artifacts from Tucson’s Japanese community and others who have contributed to the enrichment of Japanese culture.

Contact: kizuna@kizunaproject.org

Meet Our Team

Arlene Watkins is half-Japanese; her mother was born and raised in Osaka. Arlene grew up in Portland, Oregon’s vibrant Japanese community. She retired after 25 years in marketing communications in the high-tech sector and 15 years as a school teacher. She has a BA in Journalism from the University of Oregon, an MA in Liberal Studies (MALS) from Reed College, and an MS in Education from Eastern Oregon University. She is on the boards of the Ohara School of Ikebana, Arizona chapter, and the Sakura Tea Circle of Tucson.

Suzu Igarashi-Hayes, a native of Japan, spent her formative years in Tokyo before settling in Tucson for the past two decades. Driven by a vision, she left Japan to use her art, Classical Japanese Dance, to promote cultural awareness. She holds a Grand Master degree in Japanese Classical Dance in both Japan and the United States, and she performs and teaches Japanese dance in Tucson. Intrigued by the personal journeys within her community, she believes that individual histories foster deeper connections and a greater understanding of cultural diversity.

Teresa Dickey has long been interested in Japan. A high school teacher for nearly 40 years, she went to Japan on a teacher scholar program sponsored by Toyota International and took students on an ACIS tour to Japan. She worked with The Huntington Library, Museum and Gardens as a member of the inaugural Teacher Advisory Panel and completed a course in the Bonsai Academy that allowed her to work in the Bonsai nursery at The Huntington. She taught world literature, including classical and modern Japanese authors. She holds a Masters Degree in American Literature from Loyola Marymount University.

Historian: Minoru (Min) Yanagihashi, PhD, is a second-generation Japanese American. He grew up in Honolulu, where he developed an early interest in Japanese history and politics. He holds degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (BA), University of Washington (MALS), University of California, Berkeley (MA) and University of Michigan (PhD). Before his academic career, he served as an infantry officer in South Korea and was also a reference librarian at California State University, Los Angeles. He did field research on electoral politics in Hyogo Prefecture under a Fulbright-Hays grant. Min has taught at several universities, including the University of Michigan and the University of Arizona. In his retirement, Min has authored four books: The Japanese American Experience: Change and Continuity; Japan’s Intractable Problems and American Involvement; Kumu Hula: Challenging Journey of a Hula Master; and Cowboys and Samurai. All are available through Amazon. 

James Tokishi, James Tokishi Photography, Zanshin Productions, is a fourth-generation Japanese American from Honolulu. Since receiving his first camera in 2001, he has cultivated a decades-long interest in documenting people, community, and cultural events, such as Saboten Con, Arizona’s largest anime, gaming and cosplay convention; the Arizona Matsuri Japanese Cultural Festival; and the Tucson Japanese Festival. In addition, he has covered performances by the Arizona Kyudo-Kai, Suzuki-Kai, Odaiko Sonora, and many others. James is a “one man band” cinematographer and  a local independent producer on documentary projects. James is on the council of the Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition and the board of the Asian Corporate and Entrepreneur Leaders, Tucson chapter.

https://www.jtokishiphotography.com

Website: Rae Watkins, The Sunshine Project based in Olympia Washington is an individually operated project designed to increase visibility for cultural groups, advocate for under-represented and traditionally marginalized groups in legislative affairs, and demystify political campaigning for people of color. Rae Watkins, a Senior at University of Washington, continues to honor their Japanese heritage by participating in APIC community activities and legislative lobbying, and is pursing a degree in Arts, Media and Culture with emphasis on cultural influence on political decision making at the University of Washington. You can email Rae at musicinthesunshine@gmail.com.

Special thanks to: 

Akiko Victorson, logo calligraphy: https://www.facebook.com/SoulfulSumiCalligraphy/

Junko Sakoi, Ph.D., educational outreach volunteer and former board member  

Robin Blackwood, History Committee chair, Tucson Chinese Cultural Center

Stacy Hart, logo design, Verityn