▁Tak ats uki , ▁Os aka ▁Pref ect ure ) ▁is ▁an ▁eth nic ▁Korean ▁community ▁organ iser ▁in ▁Japan . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Born ▁to ▁Z ain ichi ▁Korean ▁parents ▁holding ▁South ▁Korean ▁national ity , ▁Ky ung - ja e ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁N aria i ▁in ▁Tak ats uki , ▁a ▁small ▁village ▁of ▁around ▁ 3 5 ▁Korean ▁families . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁day ▁labour er , ▁while ▁his ▁mother ▁worked ▁in ▁a ▁quar ry . ▁Both ▁were ▁ill iter ate ▁in ▁Japanese ▁and ▁Korean . ▁Further ▁more , ▁his ▁mother , ▁who ▁had ▁imm igr ated ▁to ▁Japan ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁three , ▁had ▁forgotten ▁how ▁to ▁speak ▁Korean , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁their ▁home ▁language ▁was ▁exclus ively ▁Japanese . ▁ ▁Lee ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁name ▁legal ▁alias ▁Ri ▁Ke is ai ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁being ▁ash amed ▁of ▁his ▁Korean ▁background ▁and ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁pover ty . ▁He ▁revealed ▁his ▁Korean ▁name ▁to ▁his ▁class m ates ▁at ▁his ▁middle ▁school ▁gradu ation ▁but ▁had ▁a ▁strong ▁desire ▁to ▁assim il ate ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁" hat red " ▁towards ▁Kore ans ▁and ▁bl aming ▁his ▁family ' s ▁pover ty ▁on ▁his ▁parents ' ▁la z iness . ▁A ▁state ▁of ▁mind ▁which ▁was ▁only ▁overcome ▁by ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁a ▁teacher , ▁who ▁raised ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁anti - K ore an ▁disc rim ination , ▁and ▁the ▁support ▁and ▁accept ance ▁of ▁Japanese ▁friends .