OBAMA, Japan (Kyodo) — A hula dance team from the Japanese city of Obama, calling themselves the "Obama Girls," left the city on June 6 to perform at a dance contest in Hawai'i, where U.S. presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama was born and spent his childhood.

AUSTIN, Tex. — Jeff Hunt, director of the Texas Military Forces Museum (TXMFM), said that on July 18-19, TXMFM, located on historic Camp Mabry in Austin, Tex., will officially bring into its collection several remarkable artifacts. These artifacts are related to the saga of the 36th Infantry Division's "Lost Battalion" and the battle to break through German lines in the Vosges Mountains of eastern France during October 1944, codenamed Operation Dogface.

Asahi Shimbun

TOKYO — The government will promote comprehensive Ainu policies with the recognition that the Ainu are "an indigenous people" of Japan with a unique culture and language, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said on June 6.

The official statement by the top government spokesman came after the unanimous adoption on June 6 of a resolution by the two chambers of the Diet that urges the government to officially recognize the Ainu as an indigenous people.

By ANNIE KIM TOMITA NOGUCHI
Nichi Bei Times Columnist

And so my first year of college at UC Berkeley has come to an end, and I find myself a year older, fifteen pounds heavier, and having written a whopping total of two columns. In any case, here I am, back with a new column and a new workout plan!

Dear Editor:

The presidential race in November, in my estimation, is first and foremost on race. The gender matter was taken care of by the Democrats in its nomination process. This will be the first time a racial minority, representing a major party, is seeking to lead this country.

LOS ANGELES — A permanent tribute to Japanese Americans incarcerated by the U.S. government during World War II was unveiled in Los Angeles at the Japanese American National Museum on Saturday, May 31, less than a week after Memorial Day.

The installation was finished in time for the upcoming 20^th Anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which offered a national apology and redress to those who were imprisoned behind barbed wire.

By KERWIN BERK
Nichi Bei Times Columnist

Tampa Bay second baseman Akinori Iwamura seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes to games with the division-rival Red Sox and Yankees.

The division-leading Rays and Iwamura went into Boston last week to face the second-place Red Sox in a three-game series. That's right, the division-leading Rays — a position that the poor stepchilds of the AL East weren't exactly accustomed to.

By LEANNE TSURUDA
Kyodo News

LOS ANGELES—After a 27-year hiatus, sumo, an ancient Japanese sport steeped in tradition, made its long-awaited return to the city of Los Angeles recently.

Dozens of wrestlers, mainly from the elite makuuchi division, made the trip from Japan and featured sumo's two Mongolian grand champions Asashoryu and Hakuho. Together, the pair has accrued almost 1,000 career victories.