photo by Ben Hamamoto/Nichi Bei Times

By BEN HAMAMOTO
Nichi Bei Times

The fight for the historic San Francisco Flower Mart intensified on Jan. 18, when city and state officials assembled for a press conference with Flower Mart business owners and workers.

Kyodo News photo

By SEANA K. MAGEE and CRYSTAL WONG

Kyodo News

NEW YORK — Two decades after the Japanese government instituted the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program as part of an internationalization effort, over 46,000 participants from 55 countries have lived and worked in its communities as all sides continue to benefit from the cross-cultural interaction.

Rabbit Ramblings
By CHIZU OMORI
Nichi Bei Times Columnist

The other day, I received a newsletter from the National Park Service telling me that the "listening sessions" which it held in September and October of last year, held to gather input from the public about the proposed implementation of Public Law 109-441, were a success.

photo by Alec Yoshio MacDonald/Nichi Bei Times
By ALEC YOSHIO MacDONALD
Nichi Bei Times

"And so I stand before you here with all my fears and anger, but also with hope and determination," declared Grace Shimizu to her rapt audience. "I'm looking forward not only for more hard work, but also I know that with the folks in this room, we're going to make it fun and enjoyable."

Earlier this month, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program Alumni Association of Northern California (JETAANC) announced its 2008 scholarship program for high school seniors going onto an accredited two or four year higher education program. The JETAANC scholarship is open to students of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency, residing in the California counties north of San Louis Obispo, Kern, and San Bernardino counties, as well as all of Nevada. Applicants are judged based on a number of criteria including a demonstrated interest in Japan, Japanese language, or Japanese culture, as well as academic accomplishments, a personal essay and recommendations.

On Jan. 18, the Asian Pacific Fund (APF) announced it has begun accepting essays, poems and artwork by local students for the 2008 Growing Up Asian in America contest, which this year is themed "Winning and Losing, Competition and Teamwork."

By DAISUKE NISHIMURA
Asahi Shimbun

SHANGHAI — A man dressed in a black shirt and jeans walks onto the stage and starts belting out the theme song of a Japanese anime at a live house here. "Jiayou (Do your best)," female fans cheer in Chinese. The man replies, also in Chinese, "Girls in Shanghai are so sweet!"

(L) photo by Mike Weidenbach, (R) photo taken by April Elkjer

By APRIL ELKJER
Nichi Bei Times

Unusual life-size art installations of World War II Zero fighter planes constructed with thousands of detailed shots of plastic toy model fighter planes comprise the main body of work for Katsushige Nakahashi. Nakahashi is a professor of sculpture at the Kyoto City University of the Arts who has combined sculpture and photography for almost 10 years in his "Zero" and "On the Day" projects. His latest solo exhibition is called "Katsushige Nakahashi: The Depth of Memory" and it displays his first "Kaiten" project at SF Camerawork (on the second floor at 657 Mission St.) until March 22.

NEW YORK (Kyodo) — The Chicago Cubs said Jan. 18 they have signed a minor league contract with former Yakult Swallows right-hander Shingo Takatsu.

photo by Lani Spicer/Andrea Fulton Productions

By THE KAERU KID
Nichi Bei Times Columnist

"May you get what you wish for." This curse attributed to the Chinese came true for me this past Christmas.