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'''Welcome to Japanifornia's {{SITENAME}}''' where we track Japanese American (Nikkei) character actor's appearances in the early days of Asian Representation—some good, some cringe, but all interesting. See our listings for shows like [[:Category:M*A*S*H|M*A*S*H]] or [[:Category:Hawaii Five-O|Hawaii Five-O]] from the 1960s and 1970s.

As of {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} this wiki contains a total of [[Special:Statistics|{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}]] articles.

Check Out: [[Marvel_Stories_Set_in_Japan]]

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[[:Category:Hāfu|'''Hāfu''']]
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[[File:Hāfu_wiki-tiles.png|frameless|center|240px|link=:Category:Hāfu]]
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Explore the fascinating world of people (and characters) who are half Japanese. Click to dive into stories, profiles, and more.
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[[:Category:Nikkei|'''Nikkei''']]
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[[File:Nikkei_wiki-tiles.png|frameless|center|240px|link=:Category:Nikkei]]
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Discover the lives of those with Japanese ancestry born or living long-term outside Japan. A treasure trove of heritage and culture awaits.
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[[:Category:Gaijin in Japan|'''Gaijin in Japan''']]
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[[File:West-in-Japan_wiki-tiles.png|frameless|center|240px|link=:Category:Gaijin_in_Japan]]
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Meet the non-Japanese adventurers living in Japan. Click to uncover their stories, experiences, and unique perspectives.
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[[:Category:🇯🇵|'''Nihonjin in the West''']]
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Japanese born in Japan who have made their mark in the West. Click to see achievements and stories from around the globe.
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[[:Category:Fictional Places|'''Japanifornia Locations''']]
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Explore fictional locations in the Japanifornia Universe. Click to discover iconic settings from games, movies, and more.
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[[:Category:Nikkei who were interned|'''Nikkei who were Interned''']]
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Learn about notable Japanese Americans interned during WWII. Click for stories of resilience, history, and legacy.
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[[:Category:The 1970s|'''The 1970s''']]
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The Age of Independence: TV on a strict schedule, vinyl music, and kids roaming free. Click to relive the 1970s glory.
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[[:Category:The 1980s|'''The 1980s''']]
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The Cable Age: Endless channels and mix tapes. Click to explore the 1980s with its iconic pop culture and tech.
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[[:Category:The 1990s|'''The 1990s''']]
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The Console Age: Digital rise, flannel fashion, and CDs. Click to dive into the 1990s with its alternative vibes.
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==Suggested Starting Points:==

* [[:Category:Japanese Comic Book Characters|Japanese Comic Book Characters]] 
* [[Japanese in Pop Culture|Japanese in American Pop Culture]]

We tend to follow rabbit holes for Japanese and Japanese American character actors from the 70s and 80s.

===Japanifornia Icons===

* [[Miyoshi Umeki]] the first Eastr-Asian actor to win an Academy Award for her role in Sayonara in 1957.
* [[Larry Shinoda]], a Japanese American car designer who designed the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Mustang.
* [[Yuri Kochiyama]] an American Civil Rights activist who worked with Malcom X in Harlem. 
* [[Hiroshi Fujiwara]], the Godfather of Streetwear from Japan, who collaborated with Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker at Nike to produce the HTM sub-brand.
* [[Steve Yano]], who with Dr. Dre and Tony A. Da Wizard, produced and sold the Roadium Mixed Tapes at Roadium Swap Meet in Gardena, California in the early 1980s.
* [[Wataru Misaka]] broke the color barrier in professional basketball when he played three games for the New York Knicks in 1947.
* [[Sessue Hayakawa]] was a Japanese actor and matinee idol during the silent film era of the 1910s and early 1920s.
* [[Sono Osato]] was a half Japanese dancer in the 30s, and later an activist and philanthropist.
* [[Isamu Noguchi]] was a half Japanese sculptor and artists.
* [[Rocky Aoki]] founder of Benihana, and incorrigible 60s and 70s philanderer.

===ChatGPT Nikkei Top Ten===

* [[Yuri Kochiyama]], 1921-2014, human rights activist
* [[Michio Kaku]], born in 1947, theoretical physicist and science communicator
* [[Ellison Onizuka]], 1946-1986, astronaut who died in the Challenger space shuttle disaster
* [[Kristi Yamaguchi]], born in 1971, Olympic gold medalist figure skater
* [[Sab Shimono]], born in 1943, actor and director
* [[Fred Korematsu]], 1919-2005, civil rights activist
* [[Sessue Hayakawa]], 1889-1973, actor and producer
* [[Patsy Mink]], 1927-2002, first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress
* [[Richard Aoki]], 1938-2009, civil rights activist and member of the Black Panther Party
* [[Steven Okazaki]] - documentary filmmaker who has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 1991.

==Of Particular Interest==

[[George Takei]] and [[Pat Morita]] became famous for supporting roles in Star Trek and Happy Days. In 1976, Morita starred on the first American sitcom centered on a person of Asian descent, [[Mr. T and Tina]] and went on to become widely known as the mentor [[Mr. Miyagi]] in [[The Karate Kid]] movies of the 1980s. Other Asian Americans from this period include [[Jack Soo]] of Barney Miller. 

[[Amy Hill]] has since been a mainstay of U.S. television for years as a recurring/character actress, some of her most notable roles include, Mrs. DePaulo on That's So Raven, Mama Tohru on Jackie Chan Adventures, Mrs. Hasagawa on Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Ah-Mah Jasmine Lee on The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Judy Harvey on Enlightened, Mah Mah on American Dad!, Dr. Wagerstein on UnREAL, and now Lourdes Chan on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

[[Sho Kosugi]] the third lead and villain in Enter the Ninja (1981), he was given the solo lead starring role as the hero in the follow-up film Revenge of the Ninja (1983).

[[Mako]] Iwamatsu was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Sand Pebbles (1966). He also starred in other noted films Conan the Barbarian (1982) and its sequel Conan the Destroyer (1984), Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), The Bird People in China (1998) and Pearl Harbor (2001). Pat Morita was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film The Karate Kid (1984).

[[Sessue Hayakawa]] the first leading Asian male actor in the United States

[[Gregg Araki]] is an influential American independent filmmaker of Japanese ancestry, who is especially noted for his often playful, punk-influenced work dealing with young, often gay, members of generation X trying to define themselves in the wake of the AIDS epidemic, rampant consumerism, and childhood trauma. His films such as The Doom Generation, The Living End and Nowhere were seen to exemplify the alienation and hedonistic abandon of their times, while his 2004 film Mysterious Skin, featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a dramatic role, was highly acclaimed for a dark and realistic portrait of the effects of child sexual abuse.

[[Kazu Hiro]] (born Kazuhiro Tsuji 辻 一弘 Tsuji Kazuhiro; May 26, 1969) is a Japanese-born American special make-up effects artist and visual artist.

[[Allegiance]], which ran on Broadway from October 2015 to February 2016, is set during the Japanese American internment of World War II (with a framing story set in the present day), and was inspired by the personal experiences of [[George Takei]], who stars in the musical along with Lea Salonga.

* 1990: Steven Okazaki becomes the first Asian-American to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject), for Days of Waiting: The Life & Art Of Estelle Ishigo.
* 1997: Chris Tashima becomes the first Asian-American to win the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, for Visas and Virtue.

Also:

* Check out Marvel Artist: [[Irving Watanabe]]
* Longtime Marvel editor [[Larry Hama]]
* Halvsie video game hero: [[Viewtiful Joe]]
* [[Peni Parker]]
* [[Nakiko Akane]] from the Dreamwave comic book series Darkminds
* [[Matsuya Taki]] from the X-Terminators (Marvel Comics)
* [[Kunoichi]] from DC Comics' Blackhawks
* [[Takio]]  from Marvel Comics Icon imprint.
* [[Fuji]] from Stormwatch (DC Comics)
* [[Ben Daimio]] from Dark Horse Comics
* [[Kingo]] from Eternals (Japanese in the comics. Indian in the film, played by Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani)
* The half-Atlantean/half-Japanese mutant [[Namor]]


===Music===

[[James Iha]] of The Smashing Pumpkins, Japanese-born Satomi Matsuzaki, bassist and vocalist of experimental rock band Deerhoof, Kazu Makino the Japanese-American singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Blonde Redhead, Japanese bassist and singer Toko Yasuda of Enon; half-Japanese Miki Berenyi of Lush

===Comics===

[[Larry Hama]] (/ˈhæmə/; born June 7, 1949) is an American comic-book writer, artist, actor, and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s.

During the 1970s, he was seen in minor roles on the TV shows M*A*S*H and Saturday Night Live, and appeared on Broadway in two roles in the original 1976 production of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures.

He is best known to American comic book readers as a writer and editor for Marvel Comics, where he wrote the licensed comic book series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, based on the Hasbro toyline. He has also written for the series Wolverine, Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja, and Elektra. He co-created the character Bucky O'Hare, which was developed into a comic book, a toy line and television cartoon.

===Lingo===

In The New York Times Magazine in January 1966, Success Story, Japanese-American Style, the term "model minority" was coined by sociologist William Petersen. It was used in order to describe Japanese Americans as ethnic minorities who, despite marginalization, have achieved success in the United States. 

===Best Supporting Actor===

* 1957 [[Sessue Hayakawa]], Japan ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'', Colonel Saito
* 1966 [[Mako Iwamatsu]] 'The Sand Pebbles'', Po-Han
* 1984 [[Pat Morita]] ''[[The Karate Kid]]'', [[Mr. Miyagi]]
* 2003 [[Ken Watanabe]] ''[[The Last Samurai]]''

===Best Supporting Actor===

* 1957	Miyoshi Umeki, Japan, "Sayonara", Katsumi Kelly (Won), First Asian nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
* 2006	Rinko Kikuchi, Japan, "Babel", Chieko Wataya (Nominated)

===Best Director===

* 1965 [[Hiroshi Teshigahara]], Japan, "Woman in the Dunes" (Nominated), First Asian nominated for Best Director.
* 1985 [[Akira Kurosawa]], Japan, "Ran" (Nominated), Four previous Kurosawa films were nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.

===Gaijin in Japan===

Movies: 

* [[You Only Live Twice]] (1967)
* [[The Yakuza]] (1974)
* [[Mastermind]] (1976)
* [[Bad News Bears Go To Japan]] (1978)

* [[Shogun]] (1980)
* [[The Bushido Black]] (1981)
* [[The Challenge]] (1982)
* [[The Karate Kid 2]] (1986)
* [[Tokyo Pop]] (1988)
* [[Black Rain]]  (1989)

* [[Mr. Baseball]] (1992)
* [[Rising Sun (Movie)]]  (1994)

* [[Kill Bill vol. 1]] (2003) 
* [[The Last Samurai]] (2003)
* [[Lost in Translation]] (2003)
* [[The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift]] (2006)
* [[The Wolverine]] (2013)
* [[Tokyo Fiancée]] (2014)

Plus:
* [[Isle of Dogs]] 2018

'''Needs Help'''

Japanese Characters in the [[:Category:DC_Universe|DC Comic Universe]] or characters in the [[:Category:Marvel Universe|Marvel Universe]].

We are also all very curious about the [[Oriental riff]]. We should investigate.
The Japanese 70s film genre [[:Category:Pinky Violence]] is either problematic, cathartic or cool.
We should do a big section on Usagi Yojimbo: 165 issues. Published by Dark Horse Comics. Started in 1996.

==Sections that Need Love==

* [[Batman Ninja]] is pretty cool.
* [[Rick and Morty: Samurai & Shogun]]
* [[Star Wars: Visions]]
* [[Minor DC Characters]]
* [[Minor Marvel Characters]]
* Japanese Stuff in [[The Simpsons]]
* [[JDM Cars in Fast & Furious]]
* [[Shogun Warriors (toys)]]

Halvsie's mission is to find "All the Hāfu" and as part of that we are collecting the basic biographies of as many notable [[:Category:Hāfu|hāfu]] as we can find. This is our wiki, we have a collection of hāfu videos, interviews and links to other articles at our primary homepage [https://halvsie.com halvsie.com] and we also host a Social Network for hāfu members at [https://social.halvsie.com social.halvsie.com].

To help support our efforts, please check out our [https://japanifornia.com/shop Japanifornia Shop] for Japanese-inspired t-shirts, stickers and other stuff from all of these various collections. Have fun!

Saren

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