Comments on: Nichi Bei Times Closes, Nonprofit Hopes to Continue Legacy http://nichibeifoundation.org/2009/08/nam-nichi-bei-times-decides-to-close/ For the Japanese American community in the San Francisco Bay Area, California and beyond Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:32:39 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: Paul Kaneko http://nichibeifoundation.org/2009/08/nam-nichi-bei-times-decides-to-close/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Paul Kaneko Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:04:18 +0000 http://nichibeifoundation.org/?p=10#comment-5 Dear Kenji Taguma and the rest of the Board of Directors of the Nichi Bei Times and staff of what I think has become one of the finest newspapers oriented towards the many aspects of being a Japananese American in a unique community, and beyond, it is with extreme sadness and disappointment with your decision to have to discontinue publishing the Nichi Bei Times in it's present form. Perhaps it's not only a reflection of our increasingly shrinking nihon community, but the sign of the times that the entire publishing industry is going through now or is about to experience on a world-wide scale. In a few years, I suspect that newspapers as we know them today will be a thing of the past. Magazines and other traditional printed reading material will also be few and far between (and we'll all be going blind from trying to read computer screens). Personally, I think that's sad because I enjoy everyone of the printed materials we subscribe to and am an active supporter of all of them. (At last count, including the Times, we now receive four newspapers, and thirteen magazines!) (I suspect that as the electronic age takes over in each of our lives, even the postal service will some day be a thing of the past. Won't that be sad day?) All communication will be done electronically and our own personal relationships will be adversely affected and we as individuals and as a community will become ignorant strangers, and cultures will be lost forever. Trust and respect for each other will be a thing of the past as everyone will be suspicious of each other (especially as hackers and scammers become more prevalent). I do hope that some form of the Nichi Bei Times will certainly continue to keep our community together and informed as to what's happening and where we can connect with each other and maintain important traditions that we all have grown up with and cherish--because that's who we are--as well as to share it with the rest of the community in general. Whether it's through a non-profit foundation supported by the community and other organizations, as a subscriber, I would be more than happy to support any means of keeping this important vehicle alive if at all possible through an on-line presence through a website or other means. As a member of the older generation, otherwise referred to as a "dinosaur" by some, keeping up will be quite a challenge and probably result in an increased isolation by all of us. In the meantime, we at the Japanese Cultural Fair in Santa Cruz will still try to keep going with keeping old traditions alive and available to the population, but even we are having trouble keeping up with the changing times. Many of these same cultures are escaping from Japan itself which is very disturbing in itself. We still happen to believe as our Executve Director (who is from Tokyo) likes to put it: ". . . the Cultural Fair has become one of the most comprehensive presentations of traditional Japanese cultural on the West Coast." We intend to keep it up that way as long as we can and we have been extremely grateful to the Nichi bei Times' co-sponsorship and help for past several years and especially to Mr. Tagumi's part in making that happen. Thank you very much for the many years of enjoyment and support of the JA community. We will all "die" a little because of its absence after September 10th. I hope the "Times" will find an even more effective and long-lasting way of communicating and bringing to us the goings-on in the community as you always have . Good Luck and best wishes, Regards, Paul Kaneko President Japanese Cultural Fair Dear Kenji Taguma and the rest of the Board of Directors of the Nichi Bei Times and staff of what I think has become one of the finest newspapers oriented towards the many aspects of being a Japananese American in a unique community, and beyond, it is with extreme sadness and disappointment with your decision to have to discontinue publishing the Nichi Bei Times in it’s present form. Perhaps it’s not only a reflection of our increasingly shrinking nihon community, but the sign of the times that the entire publishing industry is going through now or is about to experience on a world-wide scale. In a few years, I suspect that newspapers as we know them today will be a thing of the past. Magazines and other traditional printed reading material will also be few and far between (and we’ll all be going blind from trying to read computer screens). Personally, I think that’s sad because I enjoy everyone of the printed materials we subscribe to and am an active supporter of all of them. (At last count, including the Times, we now receive four newspapers, and thirteen magazines!) (I suspect that as the electronic age takes over in each of our lives, even the postal service will some day be a thing of the past. Won’t that be sad day?) All communication will be done electronically and our own personal relationships will be adversely affected and we as individuals and as a community will become ignorant strangers, and cultures will be lost forever. Trust and respect for each other will be a thing of the past as everyone will be suspicious of each other (especially as hackers and scammers become more prevalent).

I do hope that some form of the Nichi Bei Times will certainly continue to keep our community together and informed as to what’s happening and where we can connect with each other and maintain important traditions that we all have grown up with and cherish–because that’s who we are–as well as to share it with the rest of the community in general. Whether it’s through a non-profit foundation supported by the community and other organizations, as a subscriber, I would be more than happy to support any means of keeping this important vehicle alive if at all possible through an on-line presence through a website or other means. As a member of the older generation, otherwise referred to as a “dinosaur” by some, keeping up will be quite a challenge and probably result in an increased isolation by all of us.

In the meantime, we at the Japanese Cultural Fair in Santa Cruz will still try to keep going with keeping old traditions alive and available to the population, but even we are having trouble keeping up with the changing times. Many of these same cultures are escaping from Japan itself which is very disturbing in itself. We still happen to believe as our Executve Director (who is from Tokyo) likes to put it: “. . . the Cultural Fair has become one of the most comprehensive presentations of traditional Japanese cultural on the West Coast.” We intend to keep it up that way as long as we can and we have been extremely grateful to the Nichi bei Times’ co-sponsorship and help for past several years and especially to Mr. Tagumi’s part in making that happen.

Thank you very much for the many years of enjoyment and support of the JA community. We will all “die” a little because of its absence after September 10th. I hope the “Times” will find an even more effective and long-lasting way of communicating and bringing to us the goings-on in the community as you always have .

Good Luck and best wishes,

Regards,

Paul Kaneko
President
Japanese Cultural Fair

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