SoCalJapan | Japan Hollywood Network

March 26th 2023 O.A.

Nikkei Professionals

A networking event held by the Southern California Intercollegiate Nikkei Council (INC) happened on February 25th at the JANM in Little Tokyo, connecting Japanese American students with professionals.

INC is a coalition of collegiate Nikkei Student Unions and associations throughout universities in SoCal.
Japanese American student organizations from 12 different universities are joined as members.

This is an annual event that INC holds and is called “Nikkei Professionals” which gives students the opportunity to connect with professionals who are already active members of the workforce.
About 100 people participated this year.

Students first had an icebreaker with each other.

Followed by a panel discussion with 4 professionals working in marketing, social service, media, and design engineering.

Panelists asked questions to students and gave advice on how to look for a job as they gave examples from their own past experience.

Students were then divided into 4 groups.
1 group participated in a resume workshop.
Students learned how to write their resumes from a marketing perspective.

Meanwhile, other groups exchanged information with each other and talked to 25 volunteers who are all active in the workforce, and expanded their knowledge and network with different people.

OCJAA New Officers Installations

Sunday, March 5th was the Orange County Japanese American Association 2023 New Officers Installations and Community Service Awards Banquet at Anaheim.

OCJAA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986. It mainly provides cultural, educational, and welfare services in Orange County.

Yasuyuki Okazoe is taking over Kimiko Fujita, who was the president for 10 years.
The banquet began with the new members taking their oaths.

After lunch, current California State Assemblymember, Al Muratsuchi spoke as the keynote speaker.
Muratsuchi talked about the importance of associations like OCJAA for the Japanese American community to prosper in the US, and also the importance of young Japanese-Americans joining politics.

Followed by the greetings of Japanese American organizations.

Next, a Certificate of Appreciation were awarded to Mitsuwa Marketplace Costa Mesa Store Manager, Dwaine Yamasaki and United Airlines Key Account Manager, Toshiyuki Akamatsu for supporting OCJAA.
Community Service Awards were awarded to Red Shell Foods President, Hirohisa Watanabe and OCJAA New Senior Vice President, Kihei Otani.

Distinguished Service Awards were awarded to OCJAA Former President Fujita and OCJAA Executive Senior Vice President, Hiroyuki Kawachi.

Finally, raffles and a silent auction took place as a fundraiser, and the in-person event that happened for the first time in 3 years ended in great success.

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March 12th 2023 O.A.

Torrance/Kashiwa Golden Jubilee

Torrance celebrated its 50th anniversary with its sister city, Kashiwa in Chiba prefecture, Japan.

As a commemoration, delegates from Kashiwa visited Torrance from February 16th to the 20th.
A welcoming barbecue party was held on Saturday the 18th at Wilson Park.

The delegates first visited the farmers’ market held at Wilson Park.

Past participants of the cultural exchange program attended the barbecue party and socialized as friends reunited with each other after a very long time.
The mayor of Kashiwa City also came from Japan and participated in the event.

orrance became a sister city with Kashiwa in 1973.
Since then, the 2 cities have been strongly connected to each other through delegates and exchange student programs which are looked after by the Torrance Sister City Association.

Delegates visited different public facilities and participated in a festival celebrating the 50th anniversary of friendship during their stay, and safely flew home to Japan.

JRA New Year’s Reception

February 27th was the New Year’s gathering of the Japanese Restaurant Association of America (JRA) at Miyako Hybrid Hotel in Torrance.

JRA is a nonprofit organization with its members being restaurant-related individuals and businesses.
They focus on spreading Japanese restaurants in the US and educating its members on the advancement of culinary techniques.

This is the first in-person New Year’s gathering that was held in 3 years due to the impact of COVID-19.
About 80 members and guests gathered together and were happy to see each other.

Consul General, Kenko Sone was appointed as the honorary president and stated his greetings.
He spoke about the measures the Japanese government is taking for exporting Japanese ingredients overseas.
Followed by stating his high hopes for Japanese food to spread in the state of Arizona, which is the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Japan in LA with the support of JRA.

Next was the sake barrel breaking ceremony with a guest.
Participants then socialized and caught up with each other.

A certificate of appreciation was sent to Yoshimitsu Kikuchi of the Senfuku Restaurant, Minoru Motoyama of Restaurant Komasa, Toshiaki Toyoshima of Sushi Gen for their years of contribution towards spreading Japanese food, and Kota Kimura of JETRO for continuously sharing restaurant-related information during the pandemic.

JRA will continue to support Japanese restaurants that are impacted by COVID-19, and work hard on spreading Japanese food in the US with the Japanese government.

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February 26th 2023 O.A.

Regenerative Urbanism

An exhibition introducing disaster-resilient environments,”Designing with Disaster“ is now happening at JAPAN HOUSE in Hollywood.

This project was launched iin response to the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 to prevent and reduce risks of disasters worldwide.

This exhibition presents proposals of UCLA and Tohoku University with 11 Pacific Rim universities that collaborated on a new initiative.
7 fictitious areas with different natural environments from island countries, deserts, and woodland areas were made and introduced “Regenerative Urbanism,” an anticipatory approach to urban design that is disasterresilient.

There are 7 “wells” at the exhibition. Visitors are provided with an immersive experience of possible natural disasters and an urban design that is disaster-resilient.
For instance, this Pyroactive City is prone to wildfires.

”Designing with Disaster“ will go on until April 2nd at JAPAN HOUSE in Hollywood with free admission.
Please visit the JAPAN HOUSE LA website for more information.

disaster-resilient city. Please visit the JAPAN HOUSE website to watch the forum.

Also, the annual Global Japan Forum was held in conjunction with JAPAN HOUSE at Terasaki Center on January 28th. Renowned experts like Professor Fumihiko Imamura of Tohoku University joined as speakers and discussed the importance of building a disaster-resilient city. Please visit the JAPAN HOUSE website to watch the forum.

Taiko Artists from Gifu

A Japanese Taiko artist came from Japan to the US with his family wanting to spread Japanese culture and peace through Taiko drumming.

Takumi Kato is a Japanese Taiko artist who won the top prize at the Tokyo International Wadaiko Contest in 2008.
He has been active in his hometown of Ena City in Gifu Prefecture.

He obtained a green card and came to the US with his family last October.
He made money by selling all of his personal property.
Since then, he has made California his base of operation as he travels to homes, schools and community centers nationwide with his family to perform.

Kato wants to spread the importance of peace through his drumming because of the 9-11tragedy that happened in 2001 when he was studying in West Virginia as an exchange student.

That is when he hoped to heal people through his performance.

Kato and his family are planning to stay in the US for 5 years. His dream is to play 1,000 individual concerts across the US.
He is looking for any individuals or organizations that would like for him and his family to perform.

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February 12th 2023 O.A.

JBA New Year’s Party 2023

Japan Business Association of Southern California had their New Year’s Party in Torrance on January 20th.

JBA is a nonprofit organization with about 500 Japanese companies that are doing business in SoCal as their members.
Their goal is for mutual understanding between US-Japan businesses and contributing to local communities.

The New Year’s Party was an annual event where members were able to socialize, but it happened for the first time in 3 years due to the impact of COVID-19.

In their speeches, President Kobayashi and invited guests celebrated the event coming back in-person, and how businesses are much smoother now that COVID-related restrictions have easen up in the US.

Consul General Kenko Sone also talked about having high hopes for US-Japan economic activities, as well as how Japanese companies can uniquely approach the water shortage and homeless issues that LA is currently facing.

After the toast, about 500 attendees enjoyed their Japanese New Year’s dish prepared by Ise-Shima Restaurant in Torrance.
They exchanged their New Year’s greeting along with their business cards.

This year’s theme for the New Year’s party is “Restart.”

The event concluded with their annual raffle, and winners won prizes like a roundtrip ticket to Japan or a gift card that covers gasoline money for the entire year.

OAA New Year’s Party

The New Year’s Party for the Okinawa Association of America and its inauguration ceremony happened on January 15th at Carson.

OAA is a nonprofit organization with a rich history of over 110 years.
Their mission is to connect their members together and helping each other through contributing to the community.

They also focus on spreading Okinawan culture in the US as well as entertainment. In-person event happened for the first time in 3 years.
Traditional Okinawan music and dance started off the New Year’s celebration.

Newly appointed board members took their oath at the event, and Edward Kamiya will continue to work as the president. It will be his 7th year.

Sake Barrel Ceremony took place after the guests stated their greetings.
Many Okinawan dances and songs were performed on stage as members enjoyed their meal.

About 250 people attended the event and celebrated the New Years together as a large group for the first time in very long time.

Mitsuwa Northridge Store Grand Open

A grand opening ceremony for Mitsuwa Marketplace Northridge was held on January 21st for their new Northridge location.

Mitsuwa Marketplace is the largest Japanese grocery chain in the US that is open nationwide. Northridge is their 12th location.

Mitsuwa’s parent company, Kamei Corporation’s Director and Senior Adviser, Junichi Kamei, LA City Council member, John Lee, and Consul General Kenko Sone attended the ceremony.
Many are hoping that Mitsuwa will help spread Japanese culture in the Valley area.

The doors opened after the Sake Barrel Ceremony with the invited guests. Customers that waited in long lines enjoyed their grocery shopping.

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January 22nd 2023 O.A.

Asian American Expo 2023

Asian American Expo exhibiting Asian products and businesses happened on January 14th and 15th at Pomona.

The event initially started off as the Chinese American Expo in 1982 since it always happened around Lunar New Year, and this year is the 41st time.

At the pavilion, many Asian and Japanese companies promoted their number one products.

Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula promoted their annual Lunar New Year Drawings.

There will be a free lion dance show on January 28th.
Lunar New Year Dining Specials will also be offered at the restaurant inside the resort.

At the venue, different companies and services also promoted their business to win Asian customers.

Although it was raining on the first day, many guests lined up at the outdoor food booths to eat their favorite dishes and everyone enjoyed the annual event.

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January 8th 2023 O.A.

Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo 2023

“Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo” was held at Little Tokyo on January 1st.

This event was held by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California where people can experience the Japanese New Year’s celebration.
The main venue was Weller Court this year.

This is the 25th event which began to spread Japanese culture and to boost business for Japanese-American communities such as Little Tokyo.

The president of JCCSC, Haruo Takehana, and the Consul General of Japan in LA, Kenko Sone stated their greetings at the opening ceremony.

Followed by the sake barrel ceremony, “Kagami-Biraki” with the organization representatives and mochi throwing.

The stage was also used for different demonstrations like shodo calligraphy and martial arts.

Various booths were lined up at the venue as well. There were food booths serving festive foods like amazake and mochi, to popular menus like takoyaki, yakisoba, ramen, and karaage. Other booths include a mini shrine and merchandise.
There were activities where kids enjoyed making origami and pounding on mochi, which also livened up the event as well.

Many people paid their first visit of the year to the Koyasan Buddhist Temple. People drew their fortune slips and bought good luck charms wishing it to be a safe year.

It rained from time to time, however, Little Tokyo was filled with many people enjoying their New Year’s Day.

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December 25th 2022 O.A.

Plant-Based Products

Next Meats, a company specializing in plant-based meat announced its new product line on December 14th in LA.

Plant-based foie gras, caviar and shelf-stable wagyu beef was announced. Next Meats and its subsidiary, Dr. Foods will begin manufacturing and selling the products.

At the event, dishes using the products were served by chef, Reina Montenegro who is known for her vegan recipes.
The products were tasted by restaurant individuals who were invited to the event and opinions were exchanged.

The products that were introduced at this event will be available for business and retail in the US starting next year.

Sushi Katsu-ya 25th Anniversary

Japanese restaurant group, Katsu-ya Group celebrated the 25th anniversary for their very first restaurant location, Sushi Katsu-ya and had a party.

Sushi Katsu-ya opened in 1997 at Studio City.
Along with their authentic Japanese sushi, the restaurant became famous for Chef Katsuya Uechi’s unique original menu like the “Spicy tuna with crispy rice”, and became a renowned restaurant group having 9 different locations in LA and Seattle.

At the party, Chef Katsuya stated his gratitude to the invited guests and filleted a tuna himself.
The tuna was then served as both sushi and sashimi at the party.

About 100 guests enjoyed the all-you-can-eat-and-drink party and celebrated Sushi Katsu-ya’s 25th anniversary.

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(日本語) 2022年12月11日放送

December 11th 2022 O.A.

Koreisha Senior Care & Advocacy Flea Market

A flea market happened on Saturday, October 22nd at Gardena.

It was held by the Koreisha Senior Care & Advocacy (KSCA) as a fundraiser to rebuild a nursing home for the Japanese and Japanese American communities.

23 organizations and businesses participated, like the Southern California Gardeners Federation and the Japanese Prefectural Association.
The bazaar had a variety of goods including second-hand items and precious goods.

Different booths like clothing, miscellaneous goods, bonsai, ceramics, textiles, traditional Japanese dolls, and crafts were at the event, and visitors enjoyed their shopping.

KSCA was founded in 2016 after the sale of Keiro Senior Facilities and is currently on a mission to open a new nursing home.

About 200 people attended the event. Silent auctions were also held and a total of $12,000 were raised.

The money raised will all go towards rebuilding a Japanese American nursing facility.

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November 27th 2022 O.A.

Global Stage Hollywood

The “Global Stage Hollywood” film festival was held in Hollywood on October 28th and 29th.

“Global Stage Hollywood” is an event that aims to showcase new talents in the entertainment industry from Hollywood.

This is the first year for “Global Stage Hollywood” to take place.
Along with Taiwanese and Israeli films being introduced, 3 Japanese films were also shown at the event.

“Undaunted: The Story of Jane Aiko Yamano” had its world premiere and caught a lot of attention.

It is a documentary depicting the life of Jane Aiko Yamano, the granddaughter of Japan’s very first hairdresser, Aiko Yamano who also found Yamano Beauty College.
Jane is born in LA and is currently the 2nd president of the school.

The film also focuses on inner beauty and healthy beauty as well.

100 students from Japan attended the premiere in kimono.
A technique called “Quick Change” that is used in weddings and is unique to Yamano was also demonstrated at the event and liven up the world premiere.

At “Global Stage Hollywood,” there were also seminars that connected creators and businesses together.

American Film Market 2022

American Film Market (AFM) was held from November 1st to the 6th at Santa Monica.

AFM is the largest film exhibition in North America and an in-person event happened for the first time in 3 years.
Being the 43rd time, film production companies, buyers, and investors from 87 countries around the globe attended the event to do business.

Well-known movie companies from Japan and Tokyo Film Commission also exhibited booths to attract Tokyo for filming locations.

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) LA branch also exhibited a booth and supported sales of Japanese content.

JETRO has an online catalog website specifically for buyers called “JAPAN STREET” that showcases more than 160 products by 60 companies.
Buyers were also introduced to a service that recommends movies of their choice like anime or horror.

JETRO LA branch does not only support entertainment, but also various companies in different fields.

JRA Sushi & Sake Festival

Sunday, November 6th was the Sushi & Sake Festival held by the Japanese Restaurant Association of America (JRA).

Although it is a popular annual event by JRA where guests can enjoy as much Japanese food and sake as they want, the event was held for the first time in 3 years due to the impact of COVID-19.

Due to its popularity, long lines were already formed before the doors opened.

There was a taiko performance and the breaking of sake barrels by related individuals at the opening ceremony.

Sushi chefs from famous restaurants lined up and served sushi to the guests.

Foods like: shabu-shabu, kushi-katsu (deep-fried skewer), oden, eel, and sweets were also available at the event.

Yakitori and ramen were served in the courtyard.

At the sake section: beer, shochu, and various Japanese sake brands were exhibited, and guests were able to drink and compare different sake.

There was a tuna cutting show for attraction, and guests could not take their eyes off the chef’s skillful filleting technique.
The tuna was then cut into each serving and served as sushi.

JRA educates culinary techniques, food safety management, and provides resources for lawyers and business-related matters.
It was founded in 1999 to spread Japanese food in the US.

About 800 people attended this year’s “Sushi & Sake Festival” and enjoyed authentic Japanese food and sake.

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November 13th 2022 O.A.

Kenjinkai Picnic

Sunday, October 2nd was the joint picnic of different prefectural associations at Wilson Park in Torrance.

The picnic was hosted by Nanka Gifu Kenjinkai. 10 prefectural associations like Miyazaki, Ishikawa, and Chiba participated.
Members socialized within their associations but also got to know people from other prefectural associations as well.

There were about 170 participants who were mostly local businessmen, expats and their families, and students who came from Japan. They either saw an ad or heard from a friend.

Local cuisines like Gifu prefecture’s Goheimochi, Miyazaki beef from Miyazaki prefecture, to popular dishes like teriyaki chicken, yakisoba noodles, riceballs, and desserts were served.
Representatives of each association also promoted their hometown through unique stories.

There were games like rock paper scissors, gesturing, and kids had fun kicking their shoes.

This is the 15th year of the picnic event.
Nanka Gifu Kenjinkai started hosting the event since smaller associations cannot gather as many people due to members aging.
Although participating associations differ within that year, 3 associations participated for the first time.

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October 23rd 2022 O.A.

Japan Food Export

The first conference for the Japan Food Export Platform, a platform which supports businesses that export from Japan to the US, was held at JAPAN HOUSE in Hollywood on September 23rd.

This project is conceived by MAFF Japan, and rolled out in late April of this year in the US with constituents being members of JETRO and the Consulate General of Japan in LA.
Their aim is to increase Japan’s annual export of products to the US through the helps of domestic companies and restaurants.

Japanese State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Takaaki Katsumata attended the conference and exchanged opinions with importers and Japanese restaurant individuals working in LA.

The “Japan Food Export Platform” reported their local performance and requests and will continue to support businesses that are aiming to join the US market.

Intercollegiate Nikkei Council

A networking event for the Southern California Intercollegiate Nikkei Council (INC) happened on October 15th at the Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey.

INC is a coalition of collegiate Nikkei Student Unions (NSU) in Southern California.
Japanese American student organizations from 12 different universities are joined as members.

About 300 students participated in the networking event and got to know each other.

The event started with an icebreaker.
Then, each school was divided into teams and competed for the best sand castle.
Students got creative and thought of different ways to get to know each other.

Other than connecting students, INC invites Japanese American experts from different fields and have lectures.
They also participate in volunteer work for the Japanese American community.

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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.

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September 25th 2022 O.A.

Japan Film Festival Los Angeles 2022

The 17th Japan Film Festival Los Angeles introducing Japanese and Japan-related movies was held, and its opening ceremony happened on September 16th at JAPAN HOUSE in Hollywood.

33 titles were chosen from public submissions and played online and in theaters.
From Japanese movies with their world premiere, short films by Japanese directors based in LA, to documentaries directed by Japanese American directors were introduced.

At the opening ceremony, the newly installed Consul General of Japan, Kenko Sone stated his greetings.

“The Master Sake Brewers” was played as the opening film.
The film is based on a true story in Hiroshima when Japan’s first ginjo-shu was made in the Meiji era and overlaps with a female character living in the current time, challenging in sake brewing.

After the showing, a lecture was held by a sake expert along with the tasting and audiences enjoyed the Hiroshima ginjo-shu with their bento box dinner.
Filmmakers and staff of other titles also stated their greetings at the festival.
Shiro Sano starring in “Hiroshima Piano” and Ayame Goriki starring in “The Most Important Me in the World” stated their greetings from Japan in a video message.

The award ceremony was held on September 18th at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood, and 17 titles were awarded in different categories and closed this year’s Japan Film Festival Los Angeles.

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September 11th 2022 O.A.

Shin-Sen-Gumi 8th Charity Summer Festival

Shin-Sen-Gumi Restaurant Group which provides yakitori, ramen, and other foods had their 8th Charity Summer Festival at Torrance on September 3rd.

Shin-Sen-Gumi Summer Festival is held every 5 years, and this year commemorates the group’s 30th anniversary.

In 1992, Shin-Sen-Gumi opened its first location “Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori (Original)” in Gardena.
Hakata ramen and chanko hot-pot also followed in Gardena 2 years later. They were the first ramen shop to introduce authentic tonkotsu soup in LA and led the current ramen trend.
Today, the restaurant group has 15 locations mainly in the LA area.

Shin-Sen-Gumi Summer Festival is held to thank the community and their customers, as well as to familiarize and spread Japanese food and culture.

This year, it was also held hoping that the festival will give dreams, hopes, and courage to those who suffered during the pandemic.

From set up to operation, the festival was taken care of by the entire Shin-Sen-Gumi staff. They all prepared for the event while doing their usual jobs. Stores closed on the day of and the following day since it requires the entire crew.

The festival begins with an opening taiko performance, followed by the group’s president, President Kamiya declaring the start of the festival.

It used to be held at the parking lot of the original Gardena location, but they have expanded by moving to Torrance Cultural Arts Center this year.

About 45 booths lined up, half of which were decorated and managed by actual Shin-Sen-Gumi staff.

Taiko performers from Japan performed on stage.
Also, a small concert was held by “singer song farmer” Kazuma Tei.
A cosplay contest that the public was able to participate in happened too.

And the “Extra Noodle Challenge.

Each performance was full of energy, adding extra heat under the strong sunlight, making it an exciting festival.

Kenshiro Teraji, WBC Light Flyweight World Champion was also invited as a special guest and held a free autograph session.

Inside the recreation center, “Calmommy”, an organization that provides parenting support held an event.
Kids performed and different activities were available for the kids and their parents to enjoy.

Everyone including the staff had fun at the closing concert and ended the 1-day festival.

The money raised at this event will be donated to various organizations within the community.

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August 28th 2022 O.A.

2022 Nisei Week

The largest Japanese American festival in LA, Nisei Week Japanese Festival was held in Little Tokyo.
This year marks the 80th time for Nisei Week.
It was held virtually for the past 2 years due to the coronavirus, so the festival took place in Little Tokyo for the first time in 3 years.

Saturday, August 13th was the Coronation at the Aratani Theatre where this year’s Nisei Queen was chosen.

The Coronation also had audiences for the first time in 3 years.
The candidates were dressed in their kimonos as the crowd cheered them on in the opening.

There were 7 candidates this year. Emily Shigeko Kumagai from San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center.
Faith Sumiko Nishimura from Venice Japanese Community Center & Venice-West Los Angeles JACL.
Maile Tabata Yanguas from the Japanese Restaurant Association of America.
Audrey Emi Nakaoka from Gardena Evening Optimist Club.
Lorie Hatsuko Meza from Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute.
Amanda Akiko Hiraishi from East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center.
And Kristine Emiko Yada from Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council.

The queen is chosen based on their interview with the judges, presentation, and communication skills.

For entertainment, former Earth, Wind and Fire guitarist Sheldon Reynolds played his hit songs and liven up the stage.

The candidates showed up on stage wearing Tadashi Shoji’s gowns for the second half of the Coronation.

After the Q&A session with the host comes the result.

The queen and court will act as the ambassador for the Japanese American community in LA and attend various events as well as be involved in the community.

The following day, 14th was the grand parade.
The parade started off with the veterans that fought in WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf War.
This year’s grand marshal was George Sugimoto who is a veteran and a businessman.
The parade marshals were figure skaters Maia and Alex Shibutani.
Consul General Akira Muto also participated in the parade as he will be leaving LA for ending his term.
Many people representing cultural activities, local officials, and different businesses participated in the parade.
“This year’s official parade songs were “Kawachi Otokobushi” and “One Wish.”
The dance was choreographed and led by “Nihon Buyo Azuma”, followed by many different Nihon Buyo schools in LA.”
It was a parade that showed how diverse the Japanese culture is in the US, from sports, entertainment, and anime, to Japanese cars.
The parade ended with the queen and court that were chosen the day before.

Saturday, August 20th was the “Plaza Festival” in front of the JACCC.

Different goods and services, food stands, and a beer garden was made available.
Japanese food demonstration was also done on stage as well.

This year, the staple event “Gyoza Eating Contest” was not held, but instead the “Gyoza Making Contest” took its place.

The queen and court of last year were split into 3 teams making gyozas.
Within the time limit, the contestants had to make gyozas with the provided ingredients and neatly plate them.

Only, some of the ingredients were out of the ordinary, like snacks and even tofu!

But thanks to their year-long activity in the Japanese American community, the former queen and court all made unique gyozas full of ideas.

On the final day, Sunday the 21st was the “Taiko Gathering” at the JACCC Plaza, showcasing Japanese taiko groups from across SoCal, which many came to see.

Ondo Public Street Dancing and Closing Ceremony was held at 1st Street. Different Nihon Buyo schools and organizations danced with the public.
From a professional to an amateur, young to old, many people gathered around and danced together, making a great finale.

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