Thank you for visiting the official Nisei Week Foundation and Japanese Festival website. The Nisei Week Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is run entirely by volunteers whose primary focus is to produce the annual Nisei Week Japanese Festival. This nine-day festival in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo district highlights Japanese and Japanese American culture and 2009 marks the 69th year. This year's festival will be held August 15-23.

This year's Nisei Week Japanese Festival theme is "A Year of Celebrations" celebrating many centennial milestone anniversaries of community-based organizations and the golden anniversary of the first ever sister-city of the City of Los Angeles, Nagoya, Japan. Exciting and fun activities await for the entire family to enjoy during the Nisei Week festival. Included are cultural exhibits, dynamic cultural entertainment, delicious Japanese food, and traditional celebrations. Highlights of these include taiko, sumo, martial arts, tea ceremony, ikebana, odori dancing, and many more.

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Finally, don't forget to come out and watch the amazing Annual Nisei Week Grand Parade! This year's parade is special and will feature several Kodomo (Children) Nebuta floats. These beautifully handmade floats will light their way through the streets of Little Tokyo dancing to the beat of the taiko drums and flute playing musicians followed by over 100 Haneto dancers. A must see event!

It is through the generous support of our sponsors and you that Nisei Week can continue as an annual tradition in our community. The Nisei Week Japanese Festival is a great way to connect the diverse communities of Southern California by sharing the Japanese and Japanese American heritage and traditions through arts and cultural education. On behalf of all the volunteers of the Nisei Week Foundation, thank you for your support.

All the best,

TERRY S. HARA, President
Nisei Week Foundation