Our mission is to cultivate cultural and historical understanding by collection and presenting the history and firsthand stories of Tucson’s Japanese community. Through this effort, we seek to increase awareness, promote, inclusivity and foster a more interconnected world.
Contact: kizunatucson@gmail.com
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 is impressed by the way the Japanese American Museum of Oregon documents lives and preserves the past through oral histories, and she wants to do the same for Tucson. She recently retired after 25 years in marketing communications, primarily 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. Intrigued by the personal journeys within her community, she believes that individual histories foster deeper connections and a greater understanding of cultural diversity. In the Kizuna Project, she cherishes the process of forming personal connections with interviewees and collaborating with them to reconcile their past and present.
Junko Sakoi, PhD was born and raised in Hyogo, Japan. She is passionate about education and has been working in the educational field in Japan and in the United States for 20 years. Junko holds an MA in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) from Gonzaga University and a PhD in Literacy Education and Curriculum from the University of Arizona. She a currently a curriculum coordinator for a public school district in Tucson. Through the Kizuna Project, she hopes the unheard voices, experiences, and perspectives are passed down from one generation to the next, strengthening human relationships across time and space.
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 three books: The Japanese American Experience: Change and Continuity; Japan’s Intractable Problems and American Involvement; and Kuma Hula: Challenging Journey of a Hula Master. All are available through Amazon.
James Tokishi, James Tokishi Photography, Zanshin Productions, is a fourth-generation Japanese American. He was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and moved to Tucson in 2010. 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, handling projects from start to finish. He is also 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 junior 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. You can email Rae at musicinthesunshine@gmail.com.