By BILLIE LEE
Nichi Bei Times Correspondent

SAN JOSE -- The opening of the 10th Nijiya Market, in San Jose's Japantown on Feb. 11, was nothing less than spectacular. Lines of about 1,000 people weaved around Fifth to Jackson Street beginning at 9 a.m., and the line continued well past noon.

Nichi Bei Times Report

United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Hall of Famer Rokuro "Fuzzy" Shimada, the first Asian American to roll a perfect 300 in organized play, died Feb. 8, 2007 in Greenville, N.C. of heart failure, the USBC announced on its Website. He was 85.

Through the efforts of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, a federal appropriation of $1 million has been made to support the development of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Historic Learning Center at Building 640, announced the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS).

By BEN HAMAMOTO
Nichi Bei Times

On Feb. 7, the court martial of Ehren Watada, the Sansei army lieutenant from Hawai'i who refused deployment to Iraq to participate in what he considers an illegal war of aggression, ended in a mistrial. Watada, 28, may find himself back in court, however, for a retrial next month.

By JEFF ASAI
Nichi Bei Times Columnist

There are not many holiday's as polarizing as Valentine's Day. It is a day of great joy for some and a day of great misery for others. But how is Valentine's Day in Japan? Is it filled with lovers and lonely folk?

By FRED OSHIMA
Nichi Bei Times Columnist

Made my annual 2007 rounds of the traditional New Year Shinnen-kai socials, which started auspiciously in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo and shifted to San Francisco, culminating with Consul General of Japan Makoto Yamanaka's holiday reception and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Association of Northern California luncheon in Oakland.

By ANSHO MAS UCHIMA and MINORU SHINMOTO

A native Californian, Brigadier General Irvine Yokoyama served as the chief meteorologist to the commanding general of the California Air National Guard and as a colonel, he served as the commander of the 195^th Weather Flight for the Air National Guard in 1974.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The House of Representatives on Feb. 6 unanimously passed a bill that would give national park status to the site on Bainbridge Island, Wash., from which the first Japanese Americans were sent to concentration camps during World War II.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the San Francisco-Osaka Sister City relationship, and in order to find ways to promote economic development between the two cities, a delegation of some 45 city officials and community members -- headed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom -- are embarking on a "Sister City Friendship Mission" to Osaka from Feb. 16-22.

TOKYO (Asahi) -- Bereaved families of children who took their own lives after being bullied urged teachers and other education officials Feb. 10 to release details of their cases to deter schoolyard bullying.

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- Japan's ambassador to the United States said Feb. 13 the passage of a U.S. resolution condemning Japan for acts of sexual exploitation during World War II could poison Japan-U.S. relations.

By TAKUYA IIDA
Kyodo News

OSAKA -- Making soba (buckwheat noodles) is catching on with more people, especially baby boomers prepared to devote time and effort to getting their noodles just right.