Nakamura

Flowers, ocean waves, sand bars and tropical island sounds transformed the basement of Kas Nakamura's Pasadena home this week, as she and four of her dance students, rehearsing for a competition in Hawaii, dramatized nature's beauty.Four women gathered in a circle for a pule, saying the Lord's Prayer in Hawaiian, then swayed their hips, made lilting hand gestures, turned in circles and formed lines, using their bodies to depict the shapes of islands, the strength of waves, the movement of sharks, the passage of a memory.

Signing Pro Bowl special teams player Corey Graham from the Chicago Bears is a classic Baltimore Ravens move: He bolsters a major weakness for the Ravens, can also play nickel back and likely came at the right price. Think Haruki Nakamura and Chris Carr, but only better. "I believe it's a better situation for me and a better opportunity with a fresh start," Graham told the Chicago Tribune . "I gave the Bears every opportunity but they moved on. All around, Baltimore is just a better deal for me and my family.

Yaeko Nakamura, 93, a woman adored as Japan's "Mother Teresa" for her dedication to orphans and the elderly, died Saturday in Tokyo.Mrs. Nakamura, joined by her husband, Haruka, began her activities for the disadvantaged in 1931 by caring for the children of fishermen and others making their living on the waterfront near Osaka.Pub Date: 1/08/99

On Friday morning, safety Haruki Nakamura became the latest Ravens free agent to sign elsewhere, agreeing to terms with the Carolina Panthers. He is the fourth of the team's 12 unrestricted free agents -- and the third member of a Ravens defense that ranked No. 2 overall in 2011 -- to depart. Nakamura, a versatile defensive back whom the Ravens drafted in the sixth round in 2008, was a key contributor on special teams, a backup safety and at times was employed as a nickel cornerback against multiple-wide receiver sets.

Sharon Mech has found paradise in Katherine Nakamura's basement in Pasadena, where she learned the hula and other Polynesian dance forms. The 48-year-old court reporter from Severna Park says the dances help her to relax."

Rhythms of Hawaii have home in PasadenaWhen Kas Keolapua Nakamura's hula school went to the World Hula competition in Honolulu, the announcer introduced them as being "from Pasadena, Md. -- of all places."Yet, Mrs. Nakamura's students have competed in elite competitions all over Hawaii, where hula is regarded as a sport, a performing art and a way to preserve local history.A Baltimore native, Mrs. Nakamura, 50, learned hula while stationed at Pearl Harbor Naval Base when she was 28. After taking lessons for several years, she competed in Hilo's Merrie Monarch Festival, the Olympics of hula dancing.

Tory Zawacki was making her first final appearance in yesterday's Fourth Annual Holabird Sports/USTA Women's Satellite Tour championship at Druid Hill Tennis Center, but you would have never guessed. The unseeded 17-year-old New Jersey native, a high school senior now residing in Hilton Head Island, S.C., confidently came up with the answers at all the right times to defeat fourth-seeded Aiko Nakamura of Japan in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, and leave with the day's biggest trophy, $1,600 in prize money and a huge smile.

QUARTERBACK DERBY Neither Kyle Boller nor rookie Joe Flacco stood out yesterday, but that's because Troy Smith stole the spotlight with a rocky start. Three of his five passes were intercepted, and his first snap during red-zone drills resulted in a botched snap between him and rookie guard Adam Kraus. Flacco did thread a post pass away from the diving reach of linebacker Jameel McClain to wide receiver Patrick Carter. PLAY OF THE DAY, PART 1 Rookie safety Haruki Nakamura contributed to Smith's final interception when Nakamura dislodged the ball from wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright in the end zone.

In the basement of Les and Kas Nakamura's home, Laka the hula goddess presides.Represented by a block of softwood wrapped in yellow tapa VTC cloth, Laka sits on her altar next to the wooden figure of Lono the god of life and a bunch of ilima flowers, three conch shells and an unopened bottle of 86-proof Hawaiian whiskey.Nobody drinks the booze, and "we do not pray to the hula goddess," said Ms. Nakamura. Her hula school, Hawaii Aloha Luau Services in Pasadena, doesn't endorse drinking or any religion.

Moves Baseball DEVIL RAYS: Agreed to terms with OF Joey Gathright on one-year contract. DODGERS: Signed 3B Norihiro Nakamura to minor league contract. Basketball NBA: Suspended Pacers F Stephen Jackson one game without pay for verbal abuse of official. HEAT: Placed F Christian Laettner (foot) on injured list. Activated F Dorell Wright from injured list. Colleges MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: Reprimanded Brigham Young F Chris Miles for kicking Utah F/C Andrew Bogut in a game Monday. TEXAS TECH: Announced F John Ofoegbu has left the men's basketball team.

Haruki Nakamura is one of three Ravens players who hail from Ohio. But that doesn't mean that the free safety, who is a Cleveland native, gets any special treatment when he and the rest of the team visit Cleveland Browns Stadium - as they do Sunday. “When I got drafted [in the sixth round in 2008], I was getting all sorts of crap from my friends from Cleveland,” Nakamura said with a smile. “I can't win in Baltimore as far as my family goes. My mom tells me that she'll cheer for me, but she won't cheer for the Ravens because she's a Browns fan. So that's what I deal with when I go home.” Wide receiver Lee Evans, a native of Sandusky, and defensive tackle Brandon McKinney, a native of Dayton, are the other Ravens players who grew up in Ohio.

Inside linebacker Ray Lewis is officially questionable for the Ravens' clash with the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving night. Lewis, who did not play in Sunday's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals because of an injured toe on his right foot, has practiced on a limited basis in each of the past three days. Lewis' replacement on Sunday is also listed as questionable. Dannell Ellerbe has been limited the past three days by a balky hamstring. Cornerback Chris Carr practiced Wednesday on a limited basis after a back ailment shelved him Monday and Tuesday.

The Ravens were hoping that all of their injured players would return after the bye week ready to play. That clearly won't be the case, though coach John Harbaugh would much prefer that remains a mystery to Sunday's opponent, the Houston Texans. Harbaugh interrupted a group interview with rookie Jimmy Smith to remind the injured cornerback not to disclose his status. "Hey, hey, hey, no you're not doing it," Harbaugh said after entering the locker room. "You're not asking him about his injury.

Wide receiver Lee Evans, who was inactive against the St. Louis Rams because of a left ankle injury, said that he is making definite progress, but not enough for him to say for sure that he'll be out there Sunday night against the New York Jets.  "Obviously, it feels better now but you can't say it's all the way back," said Evans who didn't participate in this morning's walk through. "We're still going to take it one day at a time and be smart heading through this week and heading into the bye week.

Just when it appeared that the Ravens secondary had regained another option with the return of cornerback Chris Carr from an injured left hamstring, the unit may have lost safety Haruki Nakamura. Nakamura, who has filled in as a fifth defensive back when the defense employs its nickel package, is scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam after suffering an injury to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a punt return in the first quarter in Sunday's 37-7 convincing win against the St. Louis Rams.

Safety Haruki Nakamura could miss at least a month after suffering a right knee injury in the Ravens' 37-7 victory over the St. Louis Rams Sunday. Although the team was still waiting for the results of a magnetic resonance imaging exam late Monday afternoon, coach John Harbaugh confirmed that timetable for Nakamura, who injured the posterior cruciate ligament in the knee. “Haruki's MRI is not back yet, but it looks promising,” Harbaugh said Monday. “In terms of him being able to come back, maybe a month or so. We'll see.” Nakamura suffered the injury during a punt return in the first quarter and did not return.

TOKYO -- Instead of spending weekends like a typical Japanese salaried worker -- lying around the house, watching whatever is on TV, getting poked around with a vacuum cleaner by his wife -- Haruki Nakamura spends his weekends pursuing a higher calling.He collects empty aluminum cans for recycling.It was not entirely Mr. Nakamura's idea. Last October, his company, Sumitomo Light Metal Industries Ltd., decided it would be a friendly gesture to have its employees pick up a certain number of aluminum cans every month to prove that the company has a sense of environmental responsibility.

A trio of defensive starters in linebacker Ray Lewis, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and cornerback Fabian Washington will be game-time decisions for the Ravens' meeting with the Cleveland Browns on Monday night. Lewis (foot) and Washington (bruised left thigh) practiced fully Saturday and are listed as probable on the team's official injury report. Ngata (sprained right ankle) was limited for a second consecutive day and is listed as questionable. "I think all those guys have a good chance to play, probably to varying degrees," coach John Harbaugh said after practice.

After watching the Ravens' secondary get torched last week, I couldn't and still can't figure out why this team doesn't play safety Haruki Nakamura. When the Ravens needed a nickel cornerback nearly two weeks ago, Nakamura stepped in and played well despite not taking a repetition at that position in nearly a year. Against the Titans on Sunday, Tennessee took turns on beating the Ravens corners and safeties, and Nakamura still didn't get the playing time he deserved. Meanwhile, strong safety Tom Zbikowski missed several tackles, had trouble getting off blocks, and Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed also played poorly.

It was a throw-away line at the end of Tom Zbikowski's six-minute session with the media Friday, but it said everything you need to know about the camaraderie inside the Ravens locker room. Asked if the open competition with close friend Haruki Nakamura for the strong safety position was awkward, Zbikowski said in his best deadpan voice, "Yeah, there is a lot of tension. Our friendship is pretty much over. " Everyone listening knew immediately Zbikowski was joking, as did Nakamura, who was waiting his turn at the microphone.