Kenjinkai Kyogikai 60th Anniversary

Sunday, June 30th was the commemorative ceremony celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Prefectural Association of Southern California (JPASC) at Quiet Cannon in Montebello.

JPASC is a non-profit organization with 38 kenjinkai groups of Japanese prefectures.
They give to the community through supporting each other, spreading Japanese cultures, awarding scholarships, and disaster relief volunteers.

About 200 people attended the ceremony, including members of various kenjinkai and representatives of major organizations.
President Kitagaito first announced the slogan of the ceremony, “Bridge to the Future,” and called for unity of the community.

Followed by a toast by Mack Miyazaki, the Executive Advisor to the association.
Consul General Kenko Sone of the Consulate General of Japan in LA and others offered their congratulations.
And California State Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi presented JPASC with an award.

Then, an award ceremony was held to recognize the achievements of the previous presidents over the past 10 years.

JPASC was founded in 1964 by a group of prewar kenjinkai. However, aging has declined the number of members after 60 years, and that has become their biggest challenge.

Okinawa Association of America Picnic

Sunday, July 21st was the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) picnic held in South El Monte.

OAA was founded in 1909 as Nanka Okinawa Kenjinnkai.
This year marks its 115th anniversary. The picnic is a tradition that began in the 1930s by immigrants from Okinawa, and it has been held during the Obon season in recent years.

OAA President, President Nishiuchi and guests of honor, representatives of JPASC and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of SoCal first stated their greetings. Then, they stretched their bodies with radio calisthenics.

Afterwards, 4 scholarship winners were introduced and awarded their scholarships.

More than 350 people attended the picnic eating their food they brought with family and friends.
Everyone enjoyed watching performances on the stage and played games together.

Wismettac Sake & Food Expo

A sake and food trade show was held on July 13th in Anaheim by Wismettac Asian Foods, an importer and distributor of food-related products that mainly deals with Japanese food.

This was an annual event for retailers, restaurants, and other industry professionals.
However, it had to be canceled due to the pandemic, and this was the first in-person event in 5 years.

20 companies participated in the sake section with Japanese sake, beer, and shochu being introduced.

41 companies participated in the food section. Proposals were made for products that match alcoholic beverages, and business meetings took place.
In addition to Japanese food, Asian food vendors also participated.

The recent trend is smaller packs for personal consumption in retail stores.
For commercial use, the demand for high-quality semi-cooked food products is increasing due to labor shortage issues.
Japanese restaurants are also becoming more specialized in particular dishes and ingredients as well.

This year’s Wismettac Sake & Food Expo was held in 4 locations across the US. In LA, the event attracted about 1,350 visitors and was busy throughout the day.