ENGLISH EDITOR: Gwen Muranaka joined The Rafu staff in 2000 following jobs at Pacific Citizen and Japan Times in Tokyo. A Yonsei, she feels strongly that the newspaper must continue to evolve as it serves its role as a link for the JA community.  Outside of work, she enjoys jogging, seeing movies and drawing. Her weekly cartoon “Noodles” appears in the Japan Times.

PHOTO EDITOR: Much of the history of JAs in So. California has been seen through the lens of Mario G. Reyes. He has recorded many of the most important events in J-Town over the past 16 years and has a cameo in Naomi Hirahara’s new detective novel “Snakeskin Shamisen." Mario's personal philosophy is "Cause and Effect.” Role models are: Archie Miyatake, Thelma Yoshii and Mr. Spock.

SPORTS EDITOR: Michael Hirano Culross edits the Sports page as well as the Travel and Leisure section. A former staff member of the USC Daily Trojan, he is a writer, musician, photographer and a self-proclaimed all-around “sporty dude.” When he’s not covering basketball or baseball games, Michael is a busy musician and volunteers with exchange students with Pasadena Sister Cities and AFS.

ENGLISH ASSISTANT EDITOR: After attending Waseda University in Tokyo, Nao Gunji graduated with a degree in journalism from Cal State Northridge. She edits the community news pages and has reported on important issues including hate crime and immigration. Fully bilingual, Nao provides a bridge between Japanese and Nikkei cultures and can nag fluently in either language.

STAFF WRITER: Finishing up grad school at Cal State Northridge, Jordan Ikeda currently edits the Arts and Entertainment section and is being primed to one day inherit the sports section. Writing and sports are his passions, but basketball is his first love. A creative writer, he is currently working on his master’s thesis on blurring genres and one day hopes to publish a novel.