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As the San Gabriel Valley community bids farewell to Kodomo no Ie—a Japanese school and cultural epicenter for Shin-Nisei Japanese Americans—I reflect about the place that I dedicated my Saturday mornings to for nearly ten years.
Discover the inspiring stories behind three innovative community projects selected for the Yo! Accelerator and learn how they aim to preserve culture, uplift communities, and promote wellness.
Dance in the summer sun to playlists made by some of our favorite tastemakers.
Obon is supposed to be a time of joy, reflection, and celebration in honor of our ancestors who have come before us and who now tirelessly work to guide us towards our own liberation. And yet, I feel no joy in Obon as it approaches this year.
Yo! sat down with the cast of "Ultraman: Rising" cast members to talk about the film, what it means to bring the franchise to a new generation, and some of their favorite Japanese American community spots.
Celebrate Pride Month 2024 with playlists made by some of our favorite tastemakers.
Anime doesn’t often tread is in the direction of queer characters, but several anime and manga creators have managed to slip queer and queer coded characters into their media anyways. Here are some of my personal favorites!
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2024 with playlists made by some of our favorite tastemakers.
Rev. Cristina Moon (she/her) is a Zen priest living and training at Daihonzan Chozen-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple and martial arts dojo in Honolulu. Her new book, "Three Years on the Great Mountain: A Memoir of Zen and Fearlessness," details her early days as a human rights activist and her journey to Chozen-ji. She spoke with Yo! about her story and the book, which is available for pre-order now and will be in bookstores beginning June 18.
Available June 18, 2024, author Cristina Moon shares an excerpt of "Kotonk" from "Three Years on the Great Mountain: A Memoir of Zen and Fearlessness" with Yo! Magazine, reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Contributor Alexa Toguri-Laurin shares how the recent saying “matcha tastes like grass” divides tea and coffee lovers and critiques poor matcha production.
Sometimes I wonder, if I was able to do it all for you, if some magic twist of fate gave me the power to take your place in that camp all those years ago, would I do it? To live in a barn infested with termites, to shed my Japanese name and tongue, to live a life of uncertainty, would I be able to do it all if it meant I could meet you and call you Grandpa?
To celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month, we wanted to highlight our Japantowns by dedicating our May issue to these spaces. Cover art by Kyle Okazaki, read more about his piece now.
Most SoCal Japanese Americans look at Sawtelle as a place of gathering to eat, shop for J-pop influenced items, enjoy West L.A. obon, and visit the local nursery. To me, Sawtelle symbolizes HOURS of hula competition practices and bonding with hula sisters over a sweet treat from Pinkberry.
Every time I go down to Little Tokyo I can't help but smile at the larger-than-life portrait towering over the Yagura. Shohei has become a fixture of the street. Kevin asks community members for their reactions to the new Shohei Ohtani mural.
How comfortable are you with talking about death? Would you feel more comfortable talking about it over some beers and pizza with friends?
Initially, it wasn’t apparent how my connection to the community would help me advance my career, especially in the for-profit world. However, your unique mix of experiences and community connections may generate the most distinct and valuable ideas that anyone around you has seen.
Perhaps the one that most often sparks conversation amongst friends and strangers alike (and is thus impulsively dropped into random moments of stalled conversation on my most annoying and devious of whims), is my dislike of ramen.
Reflections from this past year's three festival queens in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Honolulu!
I know that for many, Little Tokyo is more than just a tourist spot. It’s a safe space for Japanese people to gather and participate in community activities and building. If a Japantown is supposed to be a safe space for Japanese people, then Japanese markets are my Japantown.
I contend, try natto. It may seem disgusting, but really dive deep and see for yourself.
Celebrate the end of spring with playlists made by some of our favorite tastemakers.
Celebrate cherry blossom szn with playlists made by some of our favorite tastemakers.
Learn how I only spent around $1,250 this year on two roundtrip international flights, 10 nights in Japan, and three nights in Amsterdam.
If you’ve ever been interested in organizing a Day of Remembrance ceremony for your community, here is a beginner-friendly guide from newbie Alicia Tan who successfully participated in the organization of two this year.
If there’s one thing Studio Ghibli is known for, it’s their ability to create amazing fantasy worlds. So why is it that my favorite Studio Ghibli film takes place in our own mundane world?
Although “The Boy and the Heron” encapsulates a profound message about physical loss, it also feels like a love letter to Studio Ghibli fans.
I just finished my first semester of college, and since college was always the one big milestone you were looking forward to, I’m here to let you know that things aren’t exactly how we expected them to be. Fear not, though, I’m here to quell all your worries and let you know how our first semester went.
If information is power, then shouldn’t we all strive for all the people in our community to feel powerful?
As the daughter of a U.S. diplomat, I’ve never lived in any country longer than four years, my entire family packing up our lives and transplanting ourselves into a new culture any time my father’s job called for it. After years of trying to find home, I now balance many cultures and practices into a unique and ever-changing identity in search of peace and community.
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Yo! Magazine is a blog platform that seeks to present and amplify the voices of our community's next generation. Our blog is one platform within the network of Yo!
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