ABOUT MIKAN PRESS
Started by mother-and-daughter-in-law duo Chris and Lisa, Mikan Press publishes children’s books that spotlight the Japanese American experience.
It is our intention to showcase the daily life and values of our community, while encouraging readers of all ages and backgrounds to explore and celebrate our differences and similarities together.
Available on our website and at select retailers
BACKSTORY
The Great Mikan Heist
Once upon a time, Great-Grandpa Sho Kanogawa, a first generation or Issei from Wakayama Japan, traveled to the U.S. with contraband, carefully wrapped and hidden from immigration officers. He brought cuttings from an unshu or mikan, a Japanese mandarin orange, in hopes of growing this favorite, quintessential Japanese fruit of winter – in California.
A tree flourished for generations in Montebello, California, carefully nurtured by Sho’s son Shoji “Stogie” Kanogawa. Uncle’s Stogie’s mikan produced the yummiest, tastiest fruit.
Our family would gather at Stogie’s house on New Year’s Day to eat all the delicious food, including the freshly picked mikan.
One year Chris’s son Steven and his cousin Kasey, ate all the mikan, nearly 50, leaving nothing but peels for everyone else. No one was upset (or so we believe), and it became a silly New Year’s story we continue to tell over and over again.
To this day, every winter, boxes of mikan and its soft peels are found in our homes, and these seasonal treats have become a treasured part of our family tradition.
This is what mikan means to our family and why we named our little publishing house, Mikan Press.
WHY WE DO THIS
Bringing Japanese American Moments and Values to Life
The contemporary Japanese American (JA) experience, shaped by history and heritage culture, often goes unshared, especially to our very young generations.
Knowledge and understanding of cultural heritage helps a young child to develop confidence and a sense of identity.
With Mikan Press we want to share Japanese American stories, culture and values through books and other materials for children and families
These are stories whimsical and heartfelt that address the specific and relate universally. We want to entertain and teach kiddos and adults of all backgrounds by giving these underrepresented narratives their spotlight.
ABOUT THE FOUNDERS
All about Chris and Lisa
About Chris
✍️ Co-founder of Mikan Press books
🍚 Author of Nikkei Donburi: A Japanese American Cultural Survival Guide
🎏Longtime Los Angeles Little Tokyo community worker and volunteer.
🦸♀️ Mom of 4, Grandmother of 7
📙 Go-to Childrens books: Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers and Crow Boy by Taro Yashima
🎌 Favorite Japanese word or phrase: Itadakimasu
💕 Chris is Lisa's Mother-in-Law
Chris had a son, and Lisa married him...
Say what you will about mother-and-daughter-in-law dynamics, Chris and Lisa share a close relationship and desire for telling and sharing stories from their community that illuminate the Japanese American experience.
After a year of coffee meetings, they had many book ideas on the table… and Mikan Press was born.
About Lisa
🎨 Co-founder of Mikan Press books
🌈 MBA-turned-Artist. Freelance illustrator and illustrator of 3 children’s books. Former Disney and Hulu Marketing manager.
👨👩👧👦 Mom of 2 (third on the way!)
📗 Go-to Children‘s book: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes has been a favorite with her kids
🎌 Favorite Japanese word or phrase: Shouganai, roughly translated to “it is what it is,” but with a tone of accepting things for the way it is instead of giving up on it
💖 Lisa is married to Chris's son Steven, the little boy who ate all the mikan in the Great Mikan Heist.
OUR APPROACH
Written for the Next Generation of Americans
While our local community is our initial audience, we aspire for Mikan Press stories to be enjoyed by those beyond the Japanese American circle.
Our approach is to tell human stories that are not just rooted in ethnicity, but in the shared experiences of life itself — the feelings of being different, the yearning for inclusion, and the innocent yet powerful desire to belong.
It is our hope that these stories not only entertain and educate but also unite us in our shared humanity, offering a comforting reminder that we're all more alike than we realize.
Representation Matters
Seeing our children resonate so deeply with stories that reflect their Asian heritage at such a young age was incredibly profound. It made us realize just how significant and impactful early representation can be for future generations.
WHAT WE VALUE
Lisa and Chris believe…
Community Empowers
By focusing on the collective well-being over individualism, we cultivate collaboration, mutual support, and understanding. What unfolds is a safe space where we look out for each other, honor our elders, and aim for a harmonious existence.
Traditions Enrich
Change is inevitable, but we believe in the importance of celebrating and maintaining cultural traditions in our own unique way to strengthen family bonds, come together, and make meaningful memories.