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Counting My Blessings

November, 2000

November, 2000, LOS ANGELES - I am grateful to the countless kind people who have written in response to October's "What's New" column about my mother's illness. Thank you so much -- that column generated the most feedback my website has ever received. My mother and I feel blessed to have your prayers and good wishes. We are deeply appreciative and value every one of them.

My 88-year-old mother is progressing well. I took her to the doctor for her scheduled examination two days ago, and he was greatly pleased with her good recovery from the operation. Her surgery cut has completely closed. She has a healthy appetite and is conscientiously exercising with her walker. The friends and relatives who visit with her cheer her. She enjoys her car rides through the city. Mama is made of sturdy stuff and she is determined to regain her health.

But the Alzheimer's is a relentless adversary and her moments of confusion seem more frequent; remembering appears to be getting more difficult. The recurrent frowns on her brow betray her terribly. I do my best not to notice and try to cheer her.

She is doubly blessed, though, by two women I've engaged for her care. During the day, she has a Japanese-speaking woman, Tomoko-san, the wife of a retired Buddhist minister. Because Mama has reverted almost wholly to the Japanese language of her childhood, Tomoko-san, with her light-hearted chattiness in Japanese, is wonderful in engaging her mind and uplifting her spirits. She is a traditional tea ceremony practitioner and a delightful maker of "origami," folded paper animals. And, to top it all off, she cooks delicious Japanese lunches for us. At night, Mama has a fun-loving, happy talking, Filipina nurse, Josie, with whom we have all fallen in love. Mama greets her every evening with her lips puckered and arms outspread for an exuberant Josie embrace. There is absolutely no frown on Mama's face when Josie arrives.

Thanks to the help of these wonderful ladies, I have been able to accept work engagements during this time of my mother's needs. I was able to do two television guest spots this month - one as the executive of a Japanese beer company on the hilarious new Darren Star comedy, "Grosse Pointe," and the other as the voice of an omnipotent and omniscient computer on "V.I.P.," starring Pamela Lee Anderson. Do keep your eyes and ears open for them. They should be airing in about a month or so.

And, also because of this great support system for Mama, I am able to fulfill my duties as the Chairman of the Japanese American National Museum as well. We open one of our international traveling exhibits on November 10 in Okinawa, Japan. So, I am now in the throes of packing for the long trek across the Pacific Ocean with some peace of mind knowing that my mother's care will be in the hands of two lovely and loving women. We count our blessings.

Catfish, Scholars, and a Geisha Party

May, 2005

May, 2005 May is Asian American Heritage month. It seems this month has become a time when I am called upon to share my thoughts on the contributions Asian Americans have made to this country with diverse groups. Two years ago, I toured U.S. military bases in Germany speaking of Asian American history. Last year, I was in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the opening of eight museum exhibits, a major symposium, and a speech on the subject. This month began with a return to Little Rock with a similar mission, this time at nearby Camp Pike to the U.S. Army, 90th Regional Readiness Command. These are the men and women of the U.S. military who have served or are ready to serve in the hot spots of today such as Iraq and Afghanistan. After my speech, I enjoyed a good southern fried catfish lunch with a group of the committee members. It was a privilege to share some time and thoughts with soldiers who are serving us so proudly.

Then it was on to Louisville, Kentucky, and a different but equally special audience. It was one hundred bright, young high school students from throughout the nation. They were being honored at a banquet with scholarships from Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. I served as the keynote speaker at the dinner. These young people are the cream of the crop - smart, energized scholars, who had, as well, contributed to the betterment of their respective communities in various ways. It was an uplift just to be in the company of these spirited young leaders of tomorrow.

The big challenges were across the Pacific in Japan. The Japanese American National Museum, which I served as Chairman of the Board for two terms and still serve as a Trustee, had scheduled its first board meeting outside the U.S. in Tokyo.

We want to contribute to strengthening our bridge across the Pacific in U.S.- Japan relations. In conjunction with our board meeting, we held a major symposium on U.S.- Japan relations. I was a part of the U.S. panel together with Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and General Eric Shinseki, former Army Chief of Staff. It was a rare opportunity to share the experience of Japanese Americans with the leadership of the people of Japan. All Americans, I strongly believe, can contribute, each in our own way, to the betterment of America as a member of this global society. Japanese Americans can serve in a unique way in our relations with Japan. The symposium, meetings, press interviews, and personal conversations were engaging exchanges and we were handsomely received. Foreign Minister of Japan, Nobutaka Machimura, hosted us to a lavish reception at Japan's diplomatic residence, Iikura House. U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer similarly hosted us the following evening at the historic U.S. Ambassador's residence that General Douglas MacArthur had once called home.

After our many diplomatic events in Tokyo, we traveled to the World Expo at Aichi near Nagoya. This massive exposition sprawled over a vast green valley. It would have required days to visit just the highlights of this Expo. We had only five hours. However, we had with us a special entrée - in our party were two VIPs, a U.S. Senator and a U.S. General.

As long lines of people waited patiently at the pavilion entrances, we were quickly whisked past them and escorted in through a back way. We were able to visit a few of the major exhibits in the limited time that we had. At the Expo Theme Pavilion, we saw a rare discovery - the frozen remains of a prehistoric woolly mammoth; at the Toyota Pavilion we saw a spectacular Cirque de Soleil-like show featuring a single passenger futuristic concept vehicle and a musical band made up of anthropomorphic robots. At the Hitachi Pavilion, we saw exhibits that demonstrated nature and technology working together to protect the environment. On the way to another pavilion, we walked past a long "green wall" about two stories tall with a huge diversity of plants growing from it. We were told that "walls" like these would help counter global warming. Finally, after a fast and exhausting tour, we ended our visit to the Aichi Expo at the United States Pavilion. We were greeted by a giant holographic image of Benjamin Franklin speaking in Japanese - of all unexpected things - as well as in English. This year is his 300th birthday and the U.S. exhibit was on electricity and of Franklin's discovery of the proof of electricity with lightening.

From lightening to the futuristic Segway human transporter vehicle, it was a comprehensive exhibit on the powers of electricity. The visit ended with a relaxing reception in the Benjamin Franklin Room. An African American young woman serving as a guide impressed me. She spoke rather good Japanese. It was heartening to see young Americans learning foreign languages, going abroad, and serving as citizen ambassadors to the world.

The other mission of this trip to Japan was a promotional tour for my autobiography, "To the Stars," which had just been published in Japanese translation. Titled "Hoshi ni Mukatte," I wanted the fans of Japan to know of its publication. I did radio, television, and newspaper interviews, and, of course, the inevitable bookstore signings. I even did a college lecture on Japanese American history at Bukkyo University in Kyoto. A book signing also followed this event.

The word is now out in Japan about my autobiography, "Hoshi ni Mukatte."

My reward for all this exciting but also fatiguing tour was a fabulous treat - a classic geisha party in the storied geisha district of Gion hosted by the publisher of my book, Mr. Ito. Two elegantly charming geishas in lovely kimonos and elaborate headdresses greeted our party at the entrance and ushered us upstairs to a spacious traditional room The long black lacquer table had been set with glistening lacquer bento boxes. My geisha smiled and gestured me to my thick cushion on the soft tatami floor. From that point on, I was completely in her care. She lifted the top off my lacquer box to reveal a sumptuous meal. She suggested I raise my tiny sake cup up to her and she poured the hot liquor for me with a gracefulness only a geisha can perform. As I sampled the delectable morsels from my lacquer box, she continued to charm me with her wit and sparkling laughter.

She even took my chopsticks from me and fed me some delicious bits from my box. However, she did not eat with me. Her role was to simply serve me and keep me charmed. My manager, Brad Altman, sitting across from me, also had his own personal geisha serving and delighting him. After the meal, the two geishas disappeared and a woman, who plays the samisen, or a stringed, guitar-like instrument, seated herself off to the side of the sliding shoji door. Cued by her first "twang" on the samisen, the shoji doors silently slid open to reveal my geisha in a classic dance pose. The music began and her lyrical movements, like flower petals swaying in a soft spring breeze, transported all of us. The shoji closed, then, re-opened to delight us with the second geisha's dance. Hers was just as lovely, just as transporting. This must have been what it was like to be a shogun in old Japan. We were literally beamed back in time.

Then, the silliness began. I was invited up by my geisha to play the "paper, rock, scissors" game with her. The loser had to sip some sake. I lost often. Once she had me well loosened, I was invited to join them in a "baseball dance" geisha style. I clumsily tried to imitate her graceful movements. I made a laughing fool of myself - but according to tradition, one is supposed to act like a giddy ninny at a geisha party. So, I was being very traditional that night at a classic geisha house in the Gion. It was an enchanting evening I will long remember. I savored that memory the next morning as well. Is that what is called a "hangover?"

The translation, publication, and the fond memories of the promotional tour for my autobiography would not have been possible had it not been for the good efforts of Rev. Chiyu Sadakane and his charming daughter, Yumi-san. They did a fine job of translating "To the Stars" into "Hoshi ni Mukatte." My heartfelt gratitude goes out to them for having made a long held dream a reality beyond all expectations. Domo arigatoh gozaimasu.

Two Surprising Gifts

April, 2005, LOS ANGELES -- Early in the month of April, I'm always reminded of the approach of my birthday by the arrival of the first birthday card. Then, the birthday e-mails start up. These begin mounting, coming from all over the country and, in fact, from all parts of the world, until there is no way of ignoring the fact. I'm about to age again. On April 20, my age and birthday are announced to the world by the media - newspapers, radio, and television. The phone starts ringing with cheery congratulatory calls.

Thank you, to all my friends and fans for your good wishes. I appreciate your happy greetings. I am a year older and happier for it. I have reached that point in life when, instead of trying to avoid birthdays, I rejoice in them and hope to collect as many as I can. My grandmother was a great collector. She collected 105 of them!

This year, I received two wonderful and completely unexpected birthday presents. One is the publication of my autobiography, "To the Stars," in Japanese translation. It originally came out in 1994 in English and in 1997 in German. I had always hoped that it might be published in Japanese as well. I had talked to many Japan-based publishers with New York offices - all to no avail. I had almost given up on that dream. Then, last year, out of the clear blue sky, I got a phone call from Japan informing me that "To the Stars" was in the process of being translated into Japanese and would be out in the bookstores of Japan in April. Two weeks before my birthday, a copy of the book arrived hot off the press.

What a fantastic birthday present it was! The cover has an updated photo of me in a jet-black turtleneck shirt. The title is "Hoshi ni Mukatte," which translates as "toward the stars." The photos inside are the same ones as in "To the Stars" but, alas, I can't read the words. I speak Japanese fluently but reading and writing that language is something else. I will be flying to Japan in late May for a book signing tour in Tokyo and Kyoto. "Hoshi ni Mukatte" now has its proud place in my bookshelf alongside "To the Stars" and "Zu den Sternen," the German version. In the U.S., for those who read Japanese or collect all things Star Trek, "Hoshi ni Mukatte" will be available at the museum bookstore of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

The second surprise birthday present came via another phone call - this one from the Producing Artistic Director of the East West Players, Tim Dang. He had been trying to secure the rights to Sir Peter Shaffer's powerful, award-winning drama "Equus" for some time. Alec McCowen had starred in the original production in London at the National Theater. On Broadway, it starred Anthony Hopkins, then Tony Perkins, and finally, my Star Trek colleague, Leonard Nimoy. In the film version, the great Richard Burton played the lead. Tim told me he had finally succeeded in securing the rights to "Equus" and that he would like to have me play the lead role. I was stunned!

The part of Martin Dysart, the psychiatrist who deals with a severely disturbed boy who commits a horrific act, is a role that I had secretly wished for, ever since I first saw the play in England. What a terrific and completely unexpected gift this was! I didn't hem and haw. Once I checked the dates on my calendar to make sure I was clear, I leaped at the offer. This would be a challenging and such a fulfilling opportunity. I won't be going into rehearsals until September but I've already begun working on the script. I can't wait to really get started working with the other actors. "Equus" opens at the East West Players on October 26 and runs through November. I hope you might be able to join us for the gala opening night in Los Angeles. If you can't, then do try to catch a performance sometime during our run. And, do come backstage to say hello and tell me what you think of my two surprising birthday presents.

Measuring TV Viewers

March, 2005, LOS ANGELES - For the last nine months, I have been engaged in a challenging, and, to my surprise, immensely informative charge. Last summer, I was asked to serve on a task force suggested by New York Congressman Charles Rangel and chaired by former Illinois Representative, Cardis Collins, to evaluate a new technology for measuring television viewing - a system called the Local People Meter.

Like all of you, I had known of the Nielsen ratings. For people working in television, the ratings mean life or death. If your rating is good, your show is renewed and you survive for another season. If it's low, your show is cancelled and you find yourself among the unemployed. This recently happened to the latest Star Trek spin-off, "Enterprise." Its low rating killed it.

Yet, I knew very little about how the ratings were arrived at. It was a mystery to me. The Nielsen rating was life or death to us and I didn't know how this murderous and, at other times, life sustaining system worked.

I'd never met anyone in the Nielsen rating pool. So serving on the Independent Task Force on Television Measurement was an eye-opening education. Beyond learning about the Nielsen rating process as it had been practiced, I learned about the new technology being introduced as well as something about technologies yet to come. I learned of the scores of interests, other than those of us involved in television production, that are vitally concerned with the Nielsen rating - advertisers, ad agencies, broadcasters, language groups, statisticians, demographers, researchers, and many other sectors. I was staggered by the huge advertising dollars, in the tens of billions that are determined by the ratings numbers. I learned a lot.

I vaguely knew that the Nielsen ratings had something to do with measuring the television viewing of representative people selected, based on the last census. These individuals would be requested to keep a diary of the shows they watched. Indeed this proved to be the system as it had been. This rating system was based on the assumption that the people selected would be diligent and honest. Most people were but others were not. Even if a person had not watched their favorite show for whatever reason, that person might have written it down in their Nielsen diary just to keep their favorite show's ratings up. There was virtually no way of verifying the accuracy of the diaries.

The technology being introduced - the People Meter - eliminated that unreliability. A device was to be attached to every set in the household; each member of the selected household had a button that he or she was to press when viewing and everything that particular individual watched would be recorded. The device would capture even the channel surfing of that viewer. This was certainly an improvement over the old diary system.

Because today we have so many channels and so many choices, inevitably the ratings of the big networks were affected. In the days when we had a limited number of options, the big networks had massive numbers. Now, with so much competition, some of the big networks numbers, inevitably, were adversely impacted. Some of those affected networks challenged the precision of the People Meter count. There also was the allegation that minority audiences were not accurately counted. Thus, the Independent Task Force on Television Measurement was formed to make an objective assessment of the accuracy of the People Meter system.

The Task Force met and received testimonies from many individuals representing myriads of interests. We met with them throughout the country. We formed committees to address specific areas of concern. Because the members were located throughout the country, there were countless telephonic meetings. The members of the Task Force worked tirelessly and collegially. We listened to the many testimonies; made findings and crafted recommendations for improvements to the accuracy of the measurement. After nine months of dedicated work, the report of the Task Force on Television Measurement was completed in March. Those interested in looking over the full report can download it here and get more information on the Nielsen ratings by clicking www.everyonecounts.tv. Our Report has been well received. Nielsen has accepted the Report and our recommendations. Nielsen has already implemented many of the recommendations and others soon will be.

My time with the Task Force has been personally enriching. I now have a deeper appreciation of the complexity of our dynamically transforming society both technologically and demographically.

Demographically, the ethnic population of this nation is growing not only explosively but also in multifaceted combinations. Caribbean Africans may be Black but culturally Spanish speaking Latino Blacks. Asians from South American countries like Peru or Argentina are likewise Spanish speaking. The population from the Middle East is growing rapidly in certain parts of the country. Blacks from Africa are now adding to the mix of languages spoken in the United States. Intermarriages are creating a myriad ethnic and language combinations. Children of these intermarriages are forging new self-identities. The buying power of these groups is rising faster than that of the non-ethnic population. The measurement of television viewing by such complex and diverse audiences is becoming increasingly challenging and Nielsen has been developing technologies to meet that challenge. The Local People Meter is a step in that direction.

However, technology is adding to the complexity. Advances in technologies like digital video recorders, Tivo, and others allow the audience not only to determine when they view a show, but also to fast-forward right through the commercials that pay for the shows. This is of critical concern to advertisers who pay enormous sums for their ads. I learned that we will soon be seeing people selected to wear cell-phone-like devices called the Portable People Meter that will not only capture the shows and their accompanying ads that they see at home, but wherever they happen to see television, whether at a bar, a friend's home or on the street. Yet to come are devices that not only will capture the shows seen but the purchases that individual makes by registering the bar-code information of the product bought. Further, these devices will also record the time it took for an individual to make a purchase after they first saw the ad. I don't think Star Trek ever explored this frontier or the boundaries of privacy that technology approaches. What a fascinating Star Trek script that would make!

Oscars: The Luckiest of the Best

February, 2005, LOS ANGELES - Movies are my work and my love. Even more, it has been a source of inspiration throughout my life. When I was a boy in U.S. internment camps, the movies I saw in the mess hall after dinner helped me to vicariously escape the barbed wire fences that confined me to a world beyond. After the war, back home again in Los Angeles, the nearness of the fabled studios of Hollywood became irresistibly enticing beckons. As a drama student at U.C.L.A., making student films with classmates like Francis Coppola, we explored the possibilities and challenges of filmmaking. When I became a young professional actor, through the trials and tribulations of building a career, I learned the value of hard work and dedication combined with resilience. As a lifelong movie buff, I was moved, outraged, enchanted, and transported by films like, "Citizen Kane," "Casablanca," "Grapes of Wrath," "Lawrence of Arabia," "Bridge over the River Kwai," "Gandhi," and "The Godfather." I love movies.

Because I love movies, the Oscar ceremonies, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' annual recognition of excellence in motion pictures, is a joyous celebration. It is, for me, not a contest, but a gala. To me, all of the nominated artists are winners and the Oscar recipients are the luckiest of the best. I go to the Oscars to revel in and celebrate the best in movies.

I had a great time at the Oscars this year. Security before I got to the red carpet at the Kodak Theater was quite intense but once past, it was the grand old Hollywood tradition well observed. The flash bulbs flashed, the fans in the stands shrieked on cue, and glitter and glamour was all around. I saw Penelope Cruz looking stunning; best actress nominee, Annette Benning and her well-known husband moved slowly down the red carpet waving regally; Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy, who were both nominated for the best adapted screenplay of "Before Sunset" together with Richard Linklater; were making the interview rounds as if they were congenitally attached. Inside the theater, one could easily spot Clint Eastwood because of his height, sculpted good bones, and metallic white hair. The air was electric with anticipation.

An authoritative, amplified female voice boomed the countdown and the Oscar telecast was on. Chris Rock, the much-hyped host this year, began with a riff on stars, actors, and President Bush. Poor Jude Law - I felt so sorry for him being mocked for being such a busy actor. He had, in fact, been in a lot of movies this past year; "Closer," "I Heart Huckabees," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," "Alfie," and smaller roles in "The Aviator," and "Lemony Snickets." I wondered whether he was in the audience and how he might be taking it. I thought it was good that, later in the evening, Sean Penn, last year's Oscar recipient, stated from the stage that Jude Law was a fine actor. I heartily agreed.

The first acting award announced was Best Supporting Actor. There were five great nominees for the recognition. Who can decide between apples, oranges, peaches, and pears? I love them all for their own unique deliciousness. That is the way I feel about all the nominated performances for supporting actor. Alan Alda was contemptibly ingratiating as the crooked U.S. Senator in "The Aviator." Thomas Haden Church was a lovable goofus in "Sideways." Jamie Foxx's performance as the terrified cab driver in "Collateral" was compelling. Clive Owen in "Closer" probed the dark depths of a complex character. Morgan Freeman, an actor who always impresses me, created a full, rich, and touching portrait of a has-been hanging on in "Million Dollar Baby." They were all brilliant, each in their own singular way. The luckiest of this gifted group turned out to be Morgan Freeman. I applauded unreservedly - as I would have any of the other actors. I did, however, agree with his luck. Morgan Freeman is a great actor.

Chris Rock unexpectedly kept the program moving right along. One after another, the awards were announced. There were a few innovations with this year's presentation. In a few categories, all the nominees were on stage together to be introduced as the award was announced. I thought that was a good idea. A bad innovation was the announcement of the nominee and the awards made from the audience. I thought that diminished the awards as well as the recipients. I think the awardees all deserve to receive their Oscars on stage. I hope we don't see this kind of harebrained innovation next year.

As an actor, I'm most passionately interested in the acting awards. I applauded until my hands hurt as the Oscars were handed out to Cate Blanchett, then Hilary Swank, and finally to Jamie Foxx. What a lucky group of radiant talents they are! The sixteen other actors that were not quite so lucky this year are still brilliant, gifted actors and I know we can continue to expect wonderful works from them.

I know there will be many among you who will want to know which actor I voted for. I am not revealing my very subjective choices - and that is what they are - subjective and personal. All I will say is that some of my choices were lucky and some were not.