Guests: Michael Komai and J.K. Yamamoto at Rafu Shimpo

To explore how Japanese Americans redefine their experience through community storytelling, Cat visits Rafu Shimpo, a 120-year-old Japanese-English bilingual newspaper operating in Los Angeles. Together with a group of ASU students, Cat talks to President and Publisher Michael Komai, and their longtime journalist, J.K. Yamamoto. Komai shares the story of his grandfather who was arrested by the FBI after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and how they hid Japanese-language letterpress print types to prevent confiscation by the FBI. As print businesses struggle to transition to the digital era, Rafu Shimpo survives by exploring partnerships and adapting to new reader demographics.

Produced by Catherine Jie Baxter

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