An Immersive Live Event Daring Us To Live Courageously

Defining Courage is an emotionally gripping journey into the legacy of the Nisei Soldier, a segregated combat team of Japanese Americans, namely, the 100th/442nd, considered the greatest fighting unit in American military history, yet most have never heard of them.

Fly over World War II battlefields in Italy, France, Germany and Japan, in an immersive multimedia presentation/live event that includes stunning cinematography, live music, historic film, new footage and eyewitness interviews.

See, hear, and EXPERIENCE their incredible heroics through this masterpiece of innovative storytelling. Far from a history lesson, it’s a demonstration about inner strength, one that inspires us in our search for courage in today’s world.

This live performance has continued to evolve and grow, and performed in theaters that include the Kennedy Center, the Palace of Fine Arts, Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Zellerbach Hall. The most recent iteration incorporated entirely new, original composed music and new stories filmed and this year, during the 80th anniversary of key battles.

Special guest performances by Daniel Ho, Harold Payne and the UC Berkeley Chorus made the April 4th particularly special – and rightly so as it was filmed professionally with the intent to create an educational curriculum and streaming version of the show to spread the story of the Nisei further than ever.

Working with partner organizations, our goal is share this live show with as many people as possible. Please check out the show’s website for up-to-date info: www.DefiningCourageShow.com

Story Boldly’s Defining Courage is being funded, in part, by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.

Funding made possible by The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation.

Defining Courage-Show

Celebrate the Legacy of True American Heroes

We’re humbled by the reaction from people who’ve experienced Defining Courage:

Knew very little of the story going in. Blew me away with the artistry, craft and storytelling. I was stunned by the live elements such as the vocalists and instrumentation, and how seamlessly it was integrated with the edited footage AND the soundbites of the documentary and narration. Much deserved standing ovation at the end…not a dry eye in sight. Thank you for creating and sharing this important work! Chris L. – Award-Winning Filmmaker

Thank you for creating and performing “Defining Courage”. It was magnificent in highlighting these significant stories in history. I was moved to tears…It exceeded expectations and was well worth the three hour drive to see it. I will remember it the rest of my life. Lois – Los Angeles, CA

The story witnessed in Defining Courage is one that sits forever in your soul. Kim Godwin – President, ABC News

Kennedy Center Retrospective