Education and Certification

B.A. in Oriental Languages, Univ. of Calif., Berkeley, 1981

M.S. in Clinical Psychology, San Francisco State University, 1984

Licensed as a Marriage Family Child Counselor, 1986

Certified as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, 1989

Certified as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor, 1989

Certified as an Interactive Metronome Practioner, 2009

Professional Employment

Residential Counselor, Group home for troubled youth, Palo Alto, CA, 1984-1986

Bilingual Counselor, Private practice, Belmont, CA, 1986-89

Bilingual Counselor and Hypnotherapist,
Group practice associated with TELL (Telephone English Life Line), Tokyo, Japan, 1989-1992

Bilingual Counselor and Hypnotherapist, Private practice, Los Gatos, CA, 1992-1997

Debuted as a Professional Storyteller
Told Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes commemorating the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, at Children’s Discovery Museum in San José, CA, and Albuquerque Museum, NM, 1995.

Interviewing Former World War II Japanese American Internees
1995 – present
Since Linda, a Sansei friend, told me about her family World War II story 1995, I have had the privilege of interviewing and videotaping dozens of former internees in California and Oregon.

Telling World War II Japanese American Internment Stories, accompanied by former internees
1997– present
Educational and civic institutions, including elementary, middle, high schools, and colleges in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Japan.

Storytelling Conferences and Workshops in San Diego, CA and Los Angeles, CA

Storytelling Festivals in El Sobrante, CA and Los Angeles, CA

Day of Remembrance Ceremonies in Irvine, CA, Santa Cruz, CA, San Jose, CA and Eugene, OR

Keynote Speaker
National Interpretive Association Conference, 2003

Telling Japanese Folk Tales
Museums, including San José Museum of Art, Golden State Museum in Sacramento, Bay Area Discovery Museum in San Francisco, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

Civic groups including Hakone Gardens in Saratoga, Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills, Tule Lake Pilgrimage, Tule Lake Gathering (Reunion), Los Altos Historical Society, Rotary Club of Mountain View, Sister City in Saratoga, and libraries in Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and Las Vegas

Grant Recipient

California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, 2001-2002

Created and performed, with visual artist Elaine Sayoko Yoneoka, “Heart No Longer Silent,” a multimedia dramatic storytelling about a young Sansei woman and her journey to discover her family’s secret World War II Japanese American Internment Camp experiences. Performances in San José, CA, Fresno, CA, Visalia, CA, and Hollister, CA and Kalamath Falls, OR

Applied Materials, 2002 – as a member of Young Audiences of San Jose and Silicon Valley –
Peformed “Heart No Longer Silent,” (see above) with Elaine Sayoko Yoneoka, to middle schools in the Santa Clara and San Benito counties.

The California Council for the Humanities: “The California Stories Fund,” 2003-2004
Created and conducted outreach, “Like Jack: Making the Best of It,” with volunteers at Japanese American Museum of San José (JAMsj), for members of Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley (BGCSV) in San Jose. Inspired by cartoonist Jack Matsuoka, BGCSV youth told personal stories of coping with difficulties, with art and words. Youth artwork were displayed along with Jack Matsuoka at JAMsj.

Articles in Newspapers

“Library week lasts a month in Saratoga“, Saratoga News, April 27, 2005

“Conference showcases internees’ experiences: Former Japanese-American internees reminisce about internment camps following Megumi’s performance,” Oregon Daily Emerald, Feb. 24, 2003

“Show honors Japanese internees: Storyteller Megumi’s show, based upon interviews with former internment camp refugees, will be held Saturday at Sheldon High School” Oregon Daily Emerald, Feb. 21, 2003

“Internees Tell their Own Stories at the Sunnyvale Library Panel,” Sunnyvale Sun, February 19, 2003

“Every Family Has a ‘Hush Hush’ Story,” Nichibei Times, August 23, 2002

“War Internment Camps Revisited at COS Theatre,” Fresno Bee, May 3, 2002

“No Longer Silent,” Saratoga News, April 17, 2002. (Same article on Los Gatos Weekly, May 8, 2002)

“Megumi Puts A New Spin On A Disappearing Art Form,” Good Times, June 21, 2001

“Sandia Hosts Forum on War-Time Interned Japanese,” Tri-Valley Herald, May 24, 2001

“Remembering Internment,” Contra Costa Times, Feb. 9, 2001

“Speakers Share… Japanese Internment Camps,” Los Gatos Weekly Times, March 29, 2000

“Bringing Emotions into Storytelling,” San José Mercury News, Jan. 25, 1995

 

For a list of all venues where Megumi performed Japanese American Internment Stories, click here.