By KENJI G. TAGUMA
Nichi Bei Times

SAN JOSE — They say that records are meant to be broken, but this one falls every year like a broken record.

Emblazoned by a mosaic of colorful kimonos, yukatas and happi coats, dancers young and old converged upon the streets of San Jose's Japantown as the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin held its annual Obon festival on July 12-13.

NEW YORK (Kyodo) — Rocky Aoki, who founded the Benihana Japanese steakhouse chain, died of acute pneumonia in New York on July 10, a Benihana official said. He was 69.

Nichi Bei Times Report

In an attempt to address community concerns over the mass development of San Francisco Japantown's economic hub, consultants for the developers of the major properties gave an update at a recent community meeting.

Some 90 people gathered at the July 9 meeting at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California to discuss the planning and analysis phase of the Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan (BNP).

By Fred Oshima
Nichi Bei Times Columnist

The following is an excerpt from my speech at the Sacramento Nisei Pioneer Day Baseball Luncheon on July 9 at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento.

Co-Chairman John Yoshikawa called me last month about this great Nisei Pioneer Day Baseball Luncheon, and flattered me by requesting my presence on this podium today. John's request took me by surprise and I countered back. That I retired from the "cold roast beef & mashed potato" speaking tour around the country over 10 years ago, and therefore rusty, to say the least. And furthermore, I suggested to him, that the ideal, perfect choice to speak today is none other than Mauch Yamashita, the popular baseball icon from Lodi.

By YOSH KUROMIYA

February 19, 1942: a day that SHOULD live in infamy! It was the day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 allowing military authorities to EXCLUDE anyone from anywhere without trial or hearings. It led to the removal of all Japanese Americans, citizens and aliens alike, from the West Coast and into concentration camps in the interior of our country. We lost our businesses, our possessions, our homes, our friends and neighbors. However, it was not the material losses nor the physical deprivation that was so devastating. It was the humiliation that was the most demoralizing and had the most lasting effect.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that formally apologized to those impacted by Executive Order 9066 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the San Francisco chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, in association with the San Francisco Public Library, is sponsoring a panel discussion entitled "The Impact and Legacy of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988." The event will take place on Sunday, Aug. 10 in the Koret Auditorium at the San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin St.

SAN JOSE — On Saturday, Aug. 9, the San Jose Japanese American Citizens League, the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee, and San Jose City College will host a free educational forum entitled "Road to Redress/Reparations: Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act." The program will explore the efforts undertaken to make the legislation a reality.

By SHOJI TSUE
Kyodo News

TOKYO — When children playing the traditional game of shogi, a kind of Japanese chess, are pondering their next move, they are also learning common courtesy, the power of concentration and courage.

By APRIL ELKJER Nichi Bei Times

Feature-length animated adventure "Naruto the Movie 2: The Legend of the Stone of Gelel" will be released on DVD on July 29 in English. The two-disc set continues the storyline of a mischievous young boy training to become a ninja.

The series started out as a manga created by Masashi Kishimoto and has now become one of the most popular stories out of Japan with over 2 million volumes of the "Naruto" manga sold in the United States.

By ANTHONY YAZAKI
Nichi Bei Times

In his last 10 games Giants first base prospect Travis Ishikawa has 12 hits, seven of them for extra bases. The 24-year-old from Seattle is hitting .300 since his promotion to Triple-A Fresno in June. A promotion to the major leagues would be a possibility later in the season if Ishikawa can maintain his .366 batting average and .780 slugging percentage with runners on base.