By The North American Post Staff
The North American Post
Maneki Restaurant.
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Japanese restaurant Maneki, located in Seattle's old Nihonmachi,
won the 2008 James Beard Foundation America's Classics Award on June 8 in New York.
Owner Jean Nakayama attended the annual ceremony to be honored.
James Beard Foundation honors the best national culinary professionals every year.
Maneki was one of five America's Classics awardees this year.
In its long history, Maneki has served traditional Japanese style food for the
community for over 100 years. Opened in 1904, the restaurant once had future Japanese
Prime Minister Takeo Miki as a dishwasher in 1930s when he was a student in the University
of Washington.
"With a rich history that stretches over a century-it has been around through both world wars,
Japanese internment, and has even seen one of its former dishwashers become the Prime Minister
of Japan-Maneki is the only surviving restaurant from Seattle's once-bustling Japantown,"
the James Beard Foundation states.
Nakayama has operated the restaurant since 1998 since her husband Kozo, who started running
the business in 1974, passed away.
Maneki Restaurant received Seattle Mayor's Small Business Award last September.
Jean Nakayama.
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Japanese Garden ready for new building construction
By Shihou Sasaki
The North American Post
The Seattle Japanese Garden at Washington Park Arboretum is ready for the next step of
building a new gate facility after finishing a Japanese-style pre-construction ceremony
this Monday.
Over 100 participants joined the Jichinsai ceremony, a Shinto ritual of praying to the
spirit of the earth for permission to start new building construction and for its safety,
which was initiated by Rev. Koichi Barrish of the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. Seattle Kokon
Taiko's performance followed after the ceremony.
In the project, Robert Hoshide of Hoshide Williams Architects designed the gatehouse and
Kenichi Nakano of Nakano Associates joined as a landscape architect. Sculpture artist Gerard
Tsutakawa also joined the project as a gate designer.
Koichi Barrish of Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America intiates the Jichinsai at Seattle Japanese Garden.
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Steve Garber, Japanese Garden Advisory Council chair, said that the construction will start
in July, and it would take about six months. During the construction, the eastside gate of the
garden will be temporarily used.
The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board decided last month to designate the garden to be a
Seattle landmark.
"This is a great resource for Seattle, it's a great resource for the Japanese community and
the Pacific Northwest as well," said Tim Gallagher, a superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation.
"This new gatehouse will be a wonderful facility."
Walk for Rice More Important Than Ever
From ACRS
In response to the increasing rice prices, the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) Food
Bank decreased its rice distribution by 50 percent in order to continue serving 5,000 low-incoming
households each month. Walk for Rice, the ACRS Food Bank's annual fundraiser, is scheduled for this Saturday, 21,
from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Seward Park One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event will
benefit the food bank.
"With the increased rice prices, we're able to purchase less
rice than before. At first, we reduced rice distribution from
three pounds to 2.5 pounds per household. But because the prices
continue to increase, we now only distribute that 2.5 pounds of
rice once per week rather than twice per week. All proceeds benefit
the ACRS Food Bank, and so it's more important than ever that
Walk For Rice is successful so we can continue serving our community,"
says Gary Tang, Director of Aging and Adult Services at ACRS.
ACRS anticipates 1,200 participants and hopes to raise $115,000.
The food bank provides culturally appropriate foods to 5,000 households
a month, supports ACRS' 14 ethnic senior associations and clubs
and funds ACRS' emergency feeding program.
Governor Christine Gregoire is scheduled to cheer participants
across the finish line at 11 a.m. along with event emcee, Christine
Chen. Entertainment includes the Seattle Chinese Girls Drill Team
and a Japanese drum demonstration by Seattle Kokon Taiko.
This year's walk is made possible through generous sponsorships from
Pacific Market International, Swedish Medical Center, Verizon Wireless,
Chinn Construction and Dorsey & Whitney LLP. This year's in-kind sponsors
are Chen Communications, Starbucks and The Nielsen Company
Participants are encouraged to register online by visiting www.walkforrice.com or
by calling Megan Farwell, Development Coordinator at (206)695-7551.
ACRS, a nonprofit organization promotes social justice and the wellbeing and empowerment of Asian Pacific
American individuals, families and communities - including immigrants, refugees and native born - by developing,
providing and advocating for innovative, community-based multilingual and multicultural services.
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