My Second Ikenobo Ikebana

My Second Ikenobo Ikebana

Actually my teacher told me it’s against the rules to let a flower that broke off float in the water, when I did it. But when he took the photos at the end of the class with all the lighting set up, or actually another student and me holding them up, he took the flower, dropped it in the water and took this photo. He is a nice teacher. Although allowed in other styles of Ikebana, Ikenobo did not, seeing fallen flowers as death, and his works are about life, purity and our eternal connection to the spiritual. It made me sad that death is so beautiful. And I like this photo.

My First Ikenobo Ikebana

My First Ikenobo Ikebana

My first ever attempt at Ikenobo style Ikebana. May 21, 2025.

YOISHO !!

YOISHO !!

Wonderful to chance upon this image of a silkscreen poster by Gail Aratani for a poetry and music event we put on in J-Town San Francisco in 1979. I don’t remember what poems I read there, but I remember I came up with the name for the event, and Gail liked it, understanding how it expressed our umph, our hard work and how we do it together, as Japanese. Still proud of our work, our connections, our dreams, all the people and their art.

what do you think? a poem by Yuri Kageyama

what do you think?

a poem by Yuri Kageyama

what do you think?

it’s a trick question

what do you think?

with a right answer

what do you think?

not at all open-ended

what do you think?

as it might seem

what do you think?

it’s asking do you really love me?

do you truly understand?

what do you think?

the answer isn’t fixed

just a right answer, and a wrong

what do you think?

i love you so much

what do you think?

and long after we’re all gone

what do you think?

that big question is still there

what do you think?

what do you think?

My poem in the Spring 2025 issue of KONCH magazine

My poem is published in this just out Spring 2025 issue of Ishmael Reed’s KONCH magazine.

My AP Stories for 2025

My AP Stories for 2025

My AP Story June 10, 2025 on the merger of the truck units of Toyota and Daimler.

My AP Story June 9, 2025 on a sumo wrestler’s retirement.

My AP Story May 27, 2025 and My AP Photo on the new CEO approved by shareholders at 7-Eleven.

My AP Story May 26, 2025 and My AP Photos on Nissan’s e-Power technology.

My AP Story May 20, 2025 on Honda delaying its electrification strategy to focus more on hybrids.

My AP Story May 21, 2025 on Japan’s trade data that show exports falling.

My AP Video Story May 13, 2025 on collectors’ cards being authenticated and evaluated in Japan.

My AP Story May 16, 2025 on Japan’s economy contracting.

My AP Story May 13, 2025 on job cuts at Nissan.

My AP Story May 14, 2025 on record profits at Sony.

My AP Story May 13, 2025 on profits falling at Honda.

My AP Story May 13, 2025 on SoftBank reporting a profit for the first time in four years.

My AP Book Review May 6, 2025.

My AP Story, My AP Photo and My AP Video April 23, 2025 on “Bullet Train Explosion.”

My AP Story May 9, 2025 on job cuts at Panasonic.

My AP Story May 8, 2025 on Toyota’s financial results.

My AP Story and My AP Photos May 1, 2025 on May Day around the world.

My AP Photos are part of this Gallery on May Day.

My AP Story April 22, 2025, a book review on a memoir.

My AP Story April 18, 2025 on a Star Wars event in Japan.

My Co-Byline AP Story May 5, 2025 about Trump’s trade demands.

My AP Story April 30, 2025 on the collaboration between Toyota and Waymo.

My AP Story and My AP Photos April 25, 2025 on the CEO-to-be of the 7-Eleven chain.

My AP Story April 24, 2025 about Nissan’s earnings forecast.

My AP Story May 2, 2025 about a minister’s comment on Japan’s U.S. Treasury holdings.

My AP Story April 17, 2025 on Japan’s trade data.

My AP Story April 15, 2025 about Japanese regulators accusing Google of monopolistic behavior.

My AP Story and My AP Photos April 10, 2025 on a machine that measures the fattiness of tuna.

My AP Story April 6, 2025 on a helicopter crash.

My AP Story April 1, 2025 on a major survey about sentiments on the economy.

My AP Story and My AP Photos March 26, 2025 on Nissan’s soon-to-be CEO.

My AP Story March 18, 2025, a book review.

My AP Story March 13, 2025 on 7-Eleven.

My AP Story March 11, 2025 on Nissan replacing its chief executive.

My AP Story and My AP Photos March 10, 2025 on Nissan’s driverless vehicles.

My AP Story and My AP Photos Feb. 22, 2025 on a city Toyota is building near Mount Fuji.

My AP Story Feb. 25, 2025 on Toyota trying to add diverse views to its board.

My AP Story and My AP Photos Feb. 19, 2025 on marketing Japan’s elderly.

My AP Story Feb. 17, 2025 on Japan’s economy.

My AP Story Feb. 13, 2025 on Nissan and Honda dropping their talks for a business integration.

My AP Story Feb. 5, 2025 on Toyota’s EV initiatives in China and the U.S.

My AP Story Feb. 4, 2025 on the appeals court ruling on the case of Nissan’s former executive Greg Kelly.

My AP Story Jan. 16, 2025 on a YouTube star with eyes now on a global audience.

My AP Story Feb. 3, 2025 on the partnership between SoftBank and OpenAI for smarter artificial intelligence.

My AP Story Jan. 30, 2025 on Nissan’s job and production cuts in the U.S.

My AP Story Jan. 24, 2025 on the Bank of Japan raising interest rates.

My AP Story Jan. 23, 2025 on Japan’s trade data.

My AP Story Jan. 16, 2025 on bank executives taking pay cuts after acknowledging an employee stole from customers’ safe deposit boxes.

My AP Story Jan. 13, 2025 on the quake that hit southwestern Japan.

My AP Story Jan. 7, 2025 on Nippon Steel determined to push its US Steel takeover.

My AP Story Jan. 5, 2025 about a Nagasaki bombing survivor, who has died.

My AP Story Jan. 4, 2025 on the death of the world’s oldest person.

My AP Story Jan. 2, 2025 on the well-wishers at the Imperial Palace.

I’m a Contributor to this AP Story Jan. 1, 2025, which started out as My last AP Story for last year.

“CONTINUOUSLY POETRY” MY NEW BOOK OF POEMS

“CONTINUOUSLY POETRY” My new book of poems

“CONTINUOUSLY POETRY” My new book of poems, a collaboration with Osaki HANIYA. Out as a real paper book January 2025. Please stay tuned for a big book party _ you are all invited to come celebrate poetry that knows no borders. Some poems shared on this site earlier became a part of the book: Continuously Poetry, Part Two and KELOID. I am very proud of this book. Special thanks to Shinsuke, who volunteered his time and love to put the digital data together so we could get it all nicely printed. So please come to the book party, but I already said that. Details coming soon.

REPORTER AT WORK PORTRAITS

REPORTER AT WORK PORTRAITS Photos by my colleagues over the years that are evidence I do my best as a reporter.

AP Photo by Eugene Hoshiko

Photo during my interview of Japanese prosecutors for My AP Story March 8, 2023.

AP Photo by Itsuo Inouye

Photo during my interview of Yayoi Kusama for My AP Story Aug. 7, 2012.

At the FCCJ front row, brown hoodie for My AP Story April 12, 2023.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013 in Tokyo, (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

Photo during my interview of Akio Toyoda for My AP Story March 6, 2013.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013 in Tokyo, (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)
Guitar player of Queen Brian May speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Tokyo, Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 in Tokyo, (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

My AP Story Sept. 23, 2016, when I spoke with a rock legend, who kindly called me “AP’s journalist of conscience.”

Sometimes my sources are a bit mechanical but cute. My AP Story July 13, 2015 on the Pepper robot when I am in an AP Photo, which is unusual.

Sometimes the photographer and I end up in pretty abandoned areas like the no-go zone in Fukushima. My AP Story April 29, 2014 that I filed from this trip.

Monday, April 28, 2014 in Sagamihara, (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

And at other times, the photographer and I end up meeting extraordinary people who were hidden in their moments of glory. My AP Story May 18, 2014 when I interview Mr. Haruo Nakajima. My AP Obit Aug. 8, 2017.

A shot from the interview for My 2024 AP Story in the studio of the artist in Shikoku.

We also do 360 video and end up being in that circle. This is from My AP Story Nov. 16, 2017 at a Toyota plant. Turn your cursor in the video below to see a 360 degree view of the plant:

A Photo by Shizuo of Andy and myself interviewing a Nissan executive for My AP Story Sept. 12, 2017.

Takashi Murakami took this selfie after our interview for this AP Story Dec. 31, 2015.

From 2014 when I visited Nezu Museum, designed by Kengo Kuma, and speak with the curator for My AP Story about Japanese architects. I still like this story.

KELOID _ a Poem by Yuri Kageyama

Artwork by Hokusai

This poem is part of an upcoming book “Continuously Poetry,” co-written with Japanese poet Osaki HANIYA, and put together by designer Shinsuke Matsumoto. I like this poem, and I like this book.

KELOID _ a poem by Yuri Kageyama

A famous actor once told me

He wished he didn’t have a Face.

Oiwa in Yotsuya Kaidan asks:

Is this my Face?

Criminals feel free to do evil

Their Faces behind a mask.

I still remember I cringed in horror:   

Her Face was covered with Keloid

But instead of being a vengeful ghost,

Or criminally insane,

She is just gently worried

Not blaming

Not frail

Not vain

SHIRO a poem by Yuri Kageyama

This poem will be published in an upcoming issue of Ishmael Reed’s KONCH magazine.

SHIRO a poem by Yuri Kageyama

The first death I knew was our family Akita,

Born the same time as me;

A runt my father got, his ears never perked up,

His nose piglet pink, not shiny black,

Like a proper Akita.

^___<

A ball of fluffy white,

Shiro, which means “white” in Japanese,

Grew up to be big and strong,

Although his nose stayed pink

And his ears floppy.

^___<

Chained by a big dog house,

He barked at approaching strangers

But never at our neighbor,

A typesetter at the Asahi,

Walking home quietly at dawn.

^___<

He never growled, snapped or bit,

Noble and calm,

Like a proper Akita;

I would ride on him

Like he was a horse.

^___<

People said he was poisoned by a man

Who didn’t like his barking;

He was taken away in a cart,

Or maybe it was a little truck;

Still, beneath a blanket of straw.