Hundreds gathered in L.A.’s Little Tokyo to celebrate the 82nd annual Nisei Week Japanese Festival, tossing streamers in the air.
The free cultural event, a longstanding community tradition celebrating Japanese culture, took place over two weekends, ending on Sunday, August 18 with a festive ceremony, live music, traditional Ondo street dancing, taiko drumming and art exhibitions.
“We have so many multiple generations apart of this festival, and I think that’s so important,” officials from the Nisei Week Foundation, which produces the annual festival, said.
This year’s festival, themed “Connection,” also marked Little Tokyo’s 140th anniversary.
Founded in 1884, one of the first businesses in the neighborhood was the Kame Restaurant, opened by sailor Hamanosuke Shigeta — which became the festival’s focal point. With the growth of downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo attracted a large number of Japanese immigrants and businesses to the diverse, historic neighborhood.
But over the decades, gentrification and development in the city displaced many of the area’s immigrants. In May, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Little Tokyo as one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places.
The first L.A. Nisei Week took place in 1934, started by a small group of Nisei — which means “second-generation” — who wanted to bring more visitors to the area. It’s taken place nearly every year since, minus a pause during the period of Japanese American internment in World War II, and virtual versions in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus.
Ondo dancers from local Japanese community organizations lined the streets, spanning all ages and wearing traditional colorful attire. They led festival-goers in the “coal mine dance” to live music and drumming.
Attendee Olivia Rees said the festival was a “good way for the Japanese community to connect” with their heritage through music, dance and food. She also enjoyed the taiko drumming, her favorite event of the festival.
“You could tell the performers were having a really good time and they were all so in sync. They looked so professional,” Rees said.
Avery Doami, a student at Cal State Long Beach, said it was his first performance as one of the taiko drummers, and “everyone was very supportive.” The community between different drumming groups pushes performers like himself to be even more creative.
Doami said that Nisei Week hopefully ensures “that (people) know we’re still here, and we’re celebrating our culture, and making sure it sticks around for the next generation.”
Festival-goers walked around with treats such as matcha and kakigori, a traditional Japanese shaved ice. Organizers also recognized the Nisei Week Queen, 26-year-old Morgan Mayuko Gee, her royal court and Miss Tomodachi, Amy Kubo.
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A closing event on Sunday also recognized Robert Vargas, the artist behind the 150-foot-tall Shohei Ohtani mural, “L.A. Rising,” on the Miyako Hotel, which debuted in March.
Monica Takeshima has been coming to the Nisei Festival with her dad since childhood. Her father immigrated from Japan, making his way from Hawaii to California.
Takeshima, who moved to the Inland Empire, said the festival is a way to connect to her roots, saying where she lives has “no emphasis on the Asian community.” Nisei Week also brings crucial funds to the neighborhood, Takeshima said, as Little Tokyo has been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The festival “is keeping this neighborhood alive,” she said.
