Nisei Week

This past weekend on Sat August 15th, Phuong and I were special volunteers at the Japanese American National Museum's 11th Annual Courtyard Kids Festival. We worked in the Lily Pond game booth. Its the game with the small swimming pool full of water with glass bowls floating on little donut shaped lily pads. The object of the game is to throw a ping pong ball into the bowl. It was a fun game for little kids, not the adults. Adults had trouble getting the ball to stay in the bowl. The kids were winning like crazy since we had Boogie Boards for the main prize if you got two balls in the bowl. Phuong and I had fun, but now we are both really sore after running after ping pong balls all day.

Last night we went to the Nisei Week Parade and this is the first time we actually staked out a good spot. Note to self for next year, get a spot on Second street. The spot we were in across from JANM's historic building was at the end of the parade this year. It took forever to finally get around to us, and when the end hit it got really cold out and alot of people were freezing. My highlights of the parade were, Our Temple's Taiko group Bonbu playing on the back of a a truck, the Nebuta Float from Japan, The Mikoshi and seeing my friends in the parade.

So hopefully next year, Phuong and I will most likely be real volunteers for JANM, we should be out of debt by then, to have some free time to help out in the community. Other news, we have started going to the Tuesday Night Cafe's outside East West Players (EWP), which is on the first and third Tuesday of the month. Its kind of like a Asian American Variety show, with Music Bands, Spoken word artists, open mic, and other community presentations. Well, this is it for this weeks update. Next weekend is we are going to try to dance in Nisei Weeks Bon Odori street dance, which closes the week long festivities.

Back to Blogging

Hi everyone, I am back to blogging after a short vacation. Summer has been hectic, trying to go O'bon hopping, and working my Temple's O'bon Festival. Haven't been ghost hunting for a while, since one of our members is in a play for a few weeks, and one member was away in Hawaii for the month. We will be starting everything up again soon and I will also go back into my research of Little Tokyo's history for both books we are working on.

Phuong and I saw two movies today, Julie & Julia and The Proposal, Both were great movies. Julie & Julia was about both food and blogging, and it inspired me to start blogging again. I wonder if anyone is even listening to my rants here, or am I talking to myself? Well this is the start of me writing again. I may not write everyday like I said, but I will try to update this blog at least once a week, so don't give up on me yet.

Death, and the Afterlife.

I have been thinking about Death lately. Please don't misunderstand me and think that I am suicidal. I am not. As a person fascinated in ghosts, and the afterlife, Death is there right on the horizon. We can't escape it, it will come soon enough. So what's next? We die and then what? Religions tell us that we will either go to a Heavenly place in the sky or to hell, a fiery pit down below. In some sects of Buddhism, we don't really die, the flame of our self keeps going into new bodies as in Reincarnation.

As a ghost hunter, that is one of my goals is to learn about this Death, and where it will take us. A search for an afterlife. Do we just keep on going in a spiritual body, on with our lives watching and protecting our families who are still living. Or do we just move on into the oblivion or merge the God or Goddess head. From all the Obake Ghost stories I have been reading, seems like some of us will be stuck here walking along side by side with the living, instead of moving on.

Another idea I have been thinking about, when ever a person dies a new one is born at that brief moment. Those who have no unfinished business, will just come back to an earthly existence in a brief flash. Sometimes I think that just happens to keep the earth well balanced with continuing life. We die and are reborn again and again. Those who decide to stop this existence have already learned as much as they can about Life.

Here is a quote from the Buddhist Three Treasures,

"Hard is it to be born into human life. Now we are living it. Difficult is it to hear the teaching of the blessed one. Now we hear it. If we do not enlighten ourselves in the present life, no hope is there that we shall be freed from suffering and sorrow in the ocean of birth and death. Let us reverently take guidance from the Three Treasures of the Truth."

When you think about Death, you have to think about Life too. They both go hand in hand. Some how I wonder if life is so much pain and suffering, why would anyone in their right mind decide to stay and haunt a place. What's the reason holding them here? Why don't they move on or cross over? Take some time in your daily life and think about Death, its not as Taboo as it used to be. Its sung about in songs, made into art and is in our daily lives. When you do this, you will seem to understand what it means to Live a long and fulfilled life.

Have you seen people who are diagnosed with Cancer, or another life threatening illness have changed their outlook at life. They start to really live a fulfilling life and are no longer afraid of death. That is how we should live our every day lives. Live like its your last day on earth. Just live. Ok this is it for todays blog. See you next time.

Little Tokyo History Booklet Project

A friend and I are working on a small book on the history of Little Tokyo, with info on the shops and restaurants of Little Tokyo, stating a little bit of the history of the shops. It will probably be a pocket size book, catered to the New people moving into the Little Tokyo condos. A guide book of the Little Tokyo we know. You are probably thinking what experience do I have to write a book on the history of Little Tokyo? I have been a part of Little Tokyo since I was 16.

I was one of the first Volunteers of the Japanese American National Museum, when the museum didn't exist as a museum yet. Back when their office was on 3rd and Traction in the Arts District near Little Tokyo. Been a volunteer in the old Nishi Honganji Building when JANM first opened. I worked in the Legacy Center on the Camp Computer, helping people who were interned look for their files, I was also a photographer working with Norman Sugimoto and the other staff of the museum. I seemed to have been closer to the staff of JANM then to the volunteers. I have experience helping set up and take down exhibits, Museum store experience too. More like a Jack of all trades. I was also a part of the Outreach committee, worked at a few JANM events away from the museum.

My other experiences in Little Tokyo include, being a Volunteer for A3M, being on the staff of AISAREMA/Disorient, A member and Brief President of the local APAN-JACL chapter, Helped out at JACCC and was also a member of Zenshuji Buddhist Temple and their Zazenkai for a year.
I have always been interested in the history of Little Tokyo...so from all that I have posted, there should be no problem with me writing a book on the History of Little Tokyo. we hope that we wont have a problem with the Little Tokyo Historical Society, Until recently I never heard of their group. Seems like they are hiding in the shadows of Little Tokyo. Why is it so hard to find info on their organization, or a email address? Who knows.

I know there is a need for Historical books on Los Angele's Little Tokyo, they are pretty scarce, there is one book that Visual Communications had published but unfortunatly its out of print. Have you ever walked into a bookstore looking for a book on the History of Little Tokyo, well I have and always ended up coming out empty handed and upset. I will be starting a group on facebook to start recruiting people for our own organization. If anyone want to help out with our book project please comment on this blog, or email me on facebook. Til next time, stay safe and cool.

Changes to this blog

You may have noticed that I took out Ghost Hunting from the what this blog is about. I have made a seperate blog for my ghost hunting adventures. I will keep the google adds for now, I know its wrong to have Japanese dating sites advertised on the blog, I have no choice and I wished I could filter those out...

Imagined Futures Conference at JANM and Updates

Went to JANM today for the Imagined Futures Conference, Phuong and I were part of the Blog and New Media workshop. There were lots of information about how to start blogs, what to blog about and networking with other bloggers. Two new blogs I will keep up with will be Angry Asian Man and 8asians.com...I will make a JL & Associates Paranormal Investigations Blog later tonight, since I now know that people are interested in a blog about our investigations.

It was nice seeing old friends at JANM today, keynote speeches by Eric Nakamura and Mr. Sulu himself George Takei. There was a great dance performance by the UCLA NSU Modern dance troop, they were wonderful, made me really tired watching them.

Other updates, I got a package in the mail last week from Arcadia Publishing, with guidelines for the Images of America Little Tokyo book, my friend Steve and I are writing. Our main goals now are gathering pictures from the community for the book and sending in our book proposal. This is my first time writing a book and working with a publisher to get published. Hopefully any money I make with this book can be used for my Paranormal group. We are kind of writing two books, the Images of America, Little Tokyo and Ghosts of Little Tokyo a seperate book on True Ghost stories on Los Angeles's Little Tokyo.

Coming soon, will be a seperate blog on and about my paranormal group..stay tuned...

Ghost's of Little Tokyo Book Project

I started my research this week for the book I am writing on the Ghost's of Little Tokyo. I have always been interested in the history of Little Tokyo and of Japanese Americans ever since I started volunteering at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo from 1988 to 1996. With over 1000 hours of volunteer service under my belt and those first few years in JANM's Historic building. I have felt and heard things in both the balcony area, and in the back storage areas that was behind the original Altar in the upstairs exhibit hall. For some reason I have always felt uneasy in the balcony of that building, especially in the dark when I used to be usher for the plays and musicals we had in there.

Some background on my reasons for writing this book, My book will be unique because its a Buddhist's perspective on Ghosts and the paranormal. Searching for the truth to hauntings and of an afterlife. There are many books and websites online about Little Tokyo, but I have never seen any books on or about ghosts in Little Tokyo. I think there will be a good market for my book.

Sample Chapters will be:

• Ghost stories and local legends



• Buddhist forms of house blessings/clearings and excorism



• True stories of the paranormal



• Pictures



• Some historical info on each location



• etc...

The hardest part of my research is compiling witness accounts and stories from the public. Places I am interested in: The Japanese American National Museum both the historic and new building, Any of the Temple's or Churches in Little Tokyo as well as shops, restaurants, Hotels, and public places. I am also interested in portions of the Artists District adjacent to Little Tokyo.

Please if anyone who is reading this, who Volunteers or works in Little Tokyo, Please forward me your experiences of the paranormal and ghosts. What have you seen or heard, when did it happen, and is the place still active. I will also need contact names, addresses and phone numbers. Please send them to jlaparanormal.investigations@gmail.com or send me a message on facebook.

Time for Diet and Exercise...

This past weekend my wife and I went to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Little Tokyo. Yesterday I finally gave in and got my blood pressure and Body Fat Index done...And I got some bad news, First it took four of the girls in the booth 6 times to try to find my pulse...lol for a moment there they thought I was dead...lol Then one finally found it but couldn't hear it well enough. What they came up with was kind of high, duh I was then irritated since it took them forever using me as a lab rat searching for a pulse. They then did the body fat index, dont know how accurate that hand held machine was. I was measured, lol came out at 5'8.5 what i shrunk half and inch...then the really bad news, I weighed out at 199 lbs, Yes I admit it that I have gotton fatter over the years. Some say its married life that did it, but I say that it was my change in diet and lack of exercise that did me in. I remember when I used to be so skinny, weighing just 115 lbs. Still trying to figure out how much I should way for my age and Height.

So starting today, My wife and I are planning on going on a diet and start some kind of excercise program. Anyone want to be our excercise partners, let me know. Someone to offer me some moral support. Someone to wack me over the head when I reach for that donut or slice of cheese cake...lol

So I guess I need to go on more Ghost hunting adventures that require alot of hiking up hill. Other news, besides the sunburn I got this weekend, is that I am going into full gear now looking for haunted sites to investigate. Now I am asking my facebook family for help into that matter.
So if you are reading this blog here at Blogspot or at facebook, please send me info on any places you know that are haunted. Until next time, thanks for your time...

Just a couple of Ghost Hunting Pics...

Here are a few of my Ghost Hunting Pics, from the Years past. Enjoy...

El Campo Cemetary, Old Town San Diego near the Whaley House. Look closely at the grave in the center of the picture on the tree. What do you see? Please leave me comments on what you think it is. Note, the grave is of a Native American Chief.

Walking the Streets of Old Town Albuquerque with my brother Joe looking for Ghosts...

Looking for some old Haunts in Angelino Heights, Los Angeles.. This is more recent, the house above was listed for sale for close to $3. Million, Wished I had that much to buy a Haunted House...

Well, Just wanted to post some pictures of some of the places I have been and would like to do more Investigations at.

About adding Ads to my Blog

Hi everyone, Since the economy has been bad and It's even harder for me to find a job in it. I have gave in and added some ads to my blog, to see if I can make any money from it. I also became an affiliate for the Ghost Hunter store, to try to raise money for more ghost hunting tools for my group. To view that add please scroll all the way to the bottem of my blog. I also added some google ads to see if I can make money from that too.

It has been so hard lately finding things to write about here. If you have any suggestions for me to write about please send me a messege at Facebook, or send me a message here. Thanks