By Joanna Boese My mother, Naomi Boese (née Taguchi), grew up in Tsuyama, Okayama-ken, Japan. Her mother was a housewife and her father was a postal official. Mum was the youngest of four children; the eldest was a girl, and two boys followed. Mum completed high school but her family

By Jacqueline Yoshioka-Braid            I descend from a long line of samurai families. I am the fifth of six children born to my parents, Taeko Yoshioka and Noel Braid. My parents met during the Allied Occupation of Japan – Dad was on R&R in Japan during his tour of duty in the K