October 9th 2022 O.A.

Keiro no Hi Festival & Senior Citizen Appreciation Day 2022

An event for the Japanese holiday, Keiro no Hi was held in LA.
Keiro no Hi Festival” was held by the welfare organization for seniors, “Keiro” on Saturday, September 17th.

This event started in 2018. It used to be held at the JACCC Plaza in Little Tokyo, however, it has been virtually held for the past 2 years due to the pandemic.

For the 5th year, the event was hosted at 4 different locations: Pasadena, Gardena, Cerritos, and Venice as protective measures against COVID-19, and held an in-person event.

At one of the locations, Pasadena Buddhist Temple, participants enjoyed their bento boxes watching hula dance performance and a magic show. There was also a flower arrangement workshop, and everyone had a nice time with their friends.

Sunday, September 25th was the Senior Citizen Appreciation Day at the Orange County Japanese American Association.

This year makes the 36th time however, the event was live streamed via Zoom at the Yamaha Music Center due to the pandemic for the last 3 years.

Participants who preregistered and are over the age of 60 got a free bento box like usual, and about 260 boxes were distributed at Tustin, Irvine, and Anaheim.

Prerecorded footages were streamed for the program. Consul General Sone Kenko and representatives of Japanese American organizations gave their words of congratulation, and entertainment was also streamed.

The awards were given to those who have reached the age of 80, or above for those who have not yet been awarded.
17 individuals were awarded this year, including a 102-year-old fellow senior, and the representative stated their appreciation.

4 college freshmen were also announced as the winner of the scholarships.

OCJAA’s Honorary Chairman, Akemi Miyake who turned 103 years old also attended and stated his gratitude.

Lastly, a raffle was done for the Zoom participants and deepen their friendships online.