History is not indoctrination.

 
 

mono no aware

It’s a tree whose trunk, branches, and leaves have weathered and grown.

As a Gosei (fifth-generation) Japanese American, Tomosumi grew up picking nashi (梨, pear), from a 60-year-old nashi tree at his grandparents’ backyard.

To him, this celebrated custom symbolizes more than enjoying the summer’s harvest. Today, he see’s it as a replanting of “their roots” in a country that once saw them as the enemy based on the color of their skin.

 
 

ikigai

Where yesterday’s lessons and experiences bloom into today’s events.

In 2021, Tomosumi wrote and self-published his first poetry anthology nashi: Illustrative Poetry on Japanese Americans. This haiku collection is paired with hand-drawn illustrations from his wife, Una and inquiries exploring Nikkei (Japanese emigrants and their descendants) experiences during/post WWII.

 

shibui

So that tomorrow’s fruit is harvested and cherished.

Seeking to inspire intentional introspection, he hopes his work will cultivate community conversations for future generations.