Actors Breathe Life Into Readings at Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Awards at Democracy Center of Japanese American National Museum July 11 at 3PM
By MIYA IWATAKI, Little Tokyo Historical Society
“Every writer dreams of having their words come to life. For me, that dream came true when Ji-Young Yoo performed a reading of my short story ‘Fall Seven Times.’ — Satsuki Yamashita, 2025 Imagine Little Tokyo short story winner
A special highlight of the 13th Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Awards program happens right after the announcement of the winning writers: A dramatic reading of the winning stories by professional actors.
The awards program will be co-emceed by actors Tamlyn Tomita and Christopher Sean, bringing star power and comedic rapport, on Saturday, July 11, at 3 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum’s Democracy Center, 100 N. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo. The program is sponsored by Little Tokyo Historical Society in partnership with Discover Nikkei, and will showcase the winning stories in three categories – Adult, Youth, and Japanese Language.
The winning writers are thrilled to have their stories read (and interpreted) by actors. The actors breathe life into the stories, and their nuanced interpretations can bring laughter or touch an emotional core. Imagine Little Tokyo has been fortunate to have the participation of well-known actors as well as up-and-coming actors at various points in their careers.
Last year, Satsuki Yamashita’s winning story was read by Ji-Young Yoo, the voice of Zoey in “K-Pop Demon Hunters” — only weeks before it (and she) became an international phenomenon.
This year the ubiquitous (and hilarious) Kristina Wong, fresh off the sold-out film showing of “Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord” at the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival, will read the winning adult short story.
Wong is a Doris Duke Artist Award winner, Guggenheim Fellow and the first Asian American woman to be named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in drama. She has gained notoriety with social commentary solo shows, including: “Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Going Green the Wong Way,” “The Wong Street Journal,” “Kristina Wong for Public Office,” “Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord,” and “Kristina Wong, Food Bank Influencer.”
Her new book is “Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism, published by Beaming Books and co-written with the producers of “Radical Cram School,” the web series she has created for kids. Info: www.kristinawong.com
We are fortunate to have Keiichi Nakagawa, a versatile and acclaimed Japanese voice actor whose work spans film, television, anime, and video games, read the Japanese-language winning story. His notable dubbing credits include Jonathan Pine (portrayed by Tom Hiddleston) in John le Carré’s best-selling spy novel adaptation “The Night Manager” (Seasons 1 and 2), Cho Sang-woo (portrayed by Park Hae-soo) in Netflix’s critically acclaimed “Squid Game” (Season 1), and Mephisto (portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen) in “Marvel’s Ironheart.” In animation, he is widely recognized as the voice of Professor Kukui in “Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon.”His extensive film and television credits include “The Night Agent,” “Gossip Girl,” “American Horror Story: Apocalypse,” “Good Girls,” “Criminal Minds,” “Gilmore Girls,” the “Sniper” film series, “Promising Young Woman,” “American Sniper,” the “Twilight” saga, “Godzilla” (2014), “Skyfall,” and “Flags of Our Fathers.”
In the gaming and anime fields, his credits include “Tactics Ogre: Reborn,” “Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii,” “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4,” the “SD Gundam World” series, “Attack on Titan,” “Detective Conan,” and many others. Beyond his acting work, he is also an accomplished narrator for television programs and advertising campaigns in Japan.
Nicole Ohara will read the youth winning story. An actor, producer, and writer, she is on a mission to make art that brings us one step closer to healing. Her notable credits include: “Ashes: Hai Iro no Yuki,” “California Skate,” “Moving,” “Found Family” (winner Paris Film Festival, Best LGBTQ).
As a producer she has experience both on stage and film, including “The Seagull (directed by Bruce Katzman, starring Sasha Alexander, Odyssey Theatre); “Orion and the Dark” (Netflix Top 10); “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” (Oscar nominee, best documentary); “Gummy Worm” (Hollywood Fringe 2022 best comedy nominee, Encore Producers’ Award winner).
Ohara says she’s looking forward to reading the story of this year’s Youth category winner. “There is nothing more powerful than storytelling.”
You can learn more about her at nicoleoharamedia.com or follow her @nicoleoharamedia.
Winning writers receive a $500 cash award and their stories will be published in The Rafu Shimpo, Discover Nikkei, and Little Tokyo Historical Society’s updated website.
At the awards program, meet and mingle with your favorite actors, writers, and community friends. There will be book-signings, prizes, and light refreshments. The event will also be livestreamed. Please RSVP at:
https://www.janm.org/events/2026-07-11/13th-annual-imagine-little-tokyo-short-story-contest-celebration