The Festival is supported by many community organizations
from Southern California to our sister city in Nagoya, Japan
Nisei Week Sponsors
The Nisei Week Japanese Festival would not be possible without the generous support and donations of our corporate & community sponsors, whose partnerships allow us to continue and invest in the Nisei Week festival tradition.
PLATINUM
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
WEBSITE SPONSOR
Nikkei Women Legacy Association
A nonprofit organization founded by former Nisei Week Queens focused on giving back to the Little Tokyo and Nikkei community. The heart of NWLA’s mission is to preserve and promote Nikkei history and culture with a primary focus on women.
Candidate Sponsors
Community centers and organizations across Southern California each sponsor a representative for the Queen and Court program.
East SGV Japanese Community Center
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East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center (ESGVJCC)
The East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center (ESGVJCC) is a not for profit organization dedicated to foster and preserve the cultural heritage unique to Japanese American ancestry; and to serve the community through social services, artistic, recreational, and educational programs. ESGVJCC has been bridging culture, family and community since 1936.
Gardena Evening Optimist Club
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Gardena Evening Optimist Club (GEO)
The Gardena Evening Optimist Club (GEO) has been an active and vital service organization in the South Bay area of Los Angeles for the past 56 years. The Optimist Club’s motto is “Friend of Youth”, and we demonstrate this friendship through our various youth programs and activities. Our GEO Oratorical and Essay contests for kids under 18 years of age, Respect For Law Scholarships for high school students pursuing a career in law enforcement, and Youth Appreciation Awards for students excelling in community service are just some of our activities. We also actively support the Optimist Youth Home, Optimist Junior Blind Olympics, Gardena Valley Sansei League, and Boy Scouts Troop 683.
Japanese Restaurant Association of America
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Japanese Restaurant Association of America (JRA)
The mission of the Japanese Restaurant Association of America (JRA) is to represent, educate, and promote the Japanese food/beverage industry in the United States. The association offers education and business resources to its members, and also promotes Japanese food to the general public through events such as their annual JRA Food Festival in November and Summer Golf Tournament.
Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council
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Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council (OCNCC)
The Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council (OCNCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that serves as an umbrella organization for the following nonprofit Nikkei community service groups: Orange County Japanese American Association (OCJAA), Orange Coast Optimist Club (OCO), Orange Coast Sports Association (OCSA), Orange County Queen’s Council (OCQC), South East Youth Organization (SEYO), Suburban Optimist Club (SOC), South East Los Angeles/North Orange County Japanese American Citizens League (SELANOCO JACL), and the Kazuo Masuda VFW Post 3670. OCNCC provides a conduit through which its members can tap into each other’s resources to expand the scope and reach of their individual events, to better serve the community.
Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute
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Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute (PJCI)
The Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute (PJCI) exists to support Japanese cultural activities and organizations in the greater Pasadena community. The purpose of our organization is to preserve and promote the awareness of and the appreciation for Japanese language and culture.
San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center
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San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center (SFVJACC)
To preserve the Japanese culture and to promote the Japanese American experience through education, events, and activities.
The San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center is conveniently located off the 5 freeway on 5 acres with great cross generational programs for healthy living, gym, meeting rooms, and plenty of parking.
Venice Japanese Community Center & Venice-West Los Angeles JACL
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Venice Japanese Community Center (VJCC)
The Venice Japanese Community Center was established almost a hundred years ago to preserve, share and promote Japanese and Japanese American culture.
Venice-West Los Angeles JACL
Serving the West LA and Venice/Culver area to fulfill the JACL mission to secure and maintain the civil rights of Americans of Japanese ancestry and all others, and promote and preserve the cultural values, heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community.
Nisei Week Honorees
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Junko Suzuki (posthumously)
Junko Suzuki is the co-founder of Suehiro Cafe, located on the north side of First Street where the Tokyo Kaikan used to be, and ran the business for more than 40 years. Suehiro recently received a national honor along with a Historic Restaurant Grant. Before moving to First St., it was located on the south side of 2nd St. between San Pedro and Los Angeles streets.
She immigrated to the U.S. in 1969 from Gunma-ken, Japan, and started Suehiro with her sister, Yuriko in 1972, serving authentic home-style Japanese dishes. She built her business by treating her customers like God, and with respect. She would greet her customers with the familiar “irasshaimase,” and always said “arigatou gozaimasu” when they left, which is what you hear in Japan. It is a very popular restaurant in Little Tokyo, and it’s now operated by her son Kenji. Junko loved Little Tokyo, and always supported the Little Tokyo Public Safety Association with its fundraising events, donating raffle prizes and gifts.
She passed away one week after contracting COVID-19, compounded by existing medical conditions. Junko was 84 years old.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Hiroshi Yamauchi (posthumously)
Hiroshi Yamauchi was the owner of Little Tokyo’s first ramen restaurant, Kouraku, which was opened seven days a week until 2 a.m. He later opened branches in Sherman Oaks and Torrance, and in Nevada. Kouraku was popular with Japanese nationals because he also had home-style Japanese dishes, and since it was open late, customers came to eat after they finished drinking.
Hiroshi was involved with the Little Tokyo Business Association, and was an advocate for other Little Tokyo businesses. He was involved with disseminating information in Japanese about the problems, like water shut off and street closures, with Metro’s Regional Connector Project to other businesses along 2nd Street when the tunnel under it was being built. He was also involved with the trash collection issue with L.A. City’s Public Works when the new contracts for rubbish collection were newly established and services were poor. Hiroshi continued to volunteer in the community by patrolling the streets to ensure safety. He was involved with assisting the businesses when the pandemic hit. Hiroshi was 67.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Sumako Azuma (posthumously)
Sumako Azuma (Janice Aiso Edesa) was the North American representative for Azuma Ryu in Japan. Sumako Azuma II sensei was born in Tokyo but was raised in Southern California.
Her mother Sumako Azuma I, a dance instructor, and grandmother, Setsu Okawa, a tea ceremony instructor surrounded her with Japanese language and culture as a child. She showed tremendous talent in dance at a youg age and studied in Japan for many summers, under the Soke (Grand Master) of the Azuma school, Tokuho Azuma. At age 14, she was awarded the natori (master) degree as a direct student of Mme. Tokuho Azuma. After the untimely death of her mother, Sumako returned to Japan for one year and was a live-in student under the Soke. She received her shihan (instructor’s) degree at 19 and honored her mother’s legacy by returning to Southern California and continuing her mother’s dance school. She also earned the senmombu (specialty instructor) degree, and was honored as a “Woman of the Year” by the Downtown chapter of JACL. Sumako participated in many Nisei Week Grand Parades as both choreographer and regular participant with her students, and in all the Closing Ceremony’s ondo dancing. She had been involved with Nisei Week since 1969. Sumako was 61 years old.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Masako Kodera Rodriquez (posthumously)
Masako Kodera Rodriquez, a dynamic and enthusiastic ondo dance instructor for the local Japanese American community. Her love for the Japanese folk music style of ondo dancing inspired many to “just dance” and to enjoy the festive music.
It all began in 1999, when Sam Kimura noticed a very graceful dancer at the obon summer festivals. That dancer was Masako Rodriquez. Together, they established the Bon exercise class at the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center (SFV JACC) in Pacoima. Sponsored by the Meiji Senior Citizen Club at the SFV JACC, it was promoted as an exercise and as a year-round ondo instruction dance class. By following Masako’s encouraging and sometimes intense dance instruction, the group’s reputation became known beyond the SFV JACC. The Meiji Ondo dance group was invited to perform at the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House fundraiser, the Japanese Gardens (SuihoEn), and California State University, Northridge, the group led the Nisei Week Ondo, and most recently performed at the Keiro no Hi Festival. She passed away at the age of 85 on July 13.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Gary Miyatake (posthumously)
Gary Toyo Miyatake was a third generation photographer of the renowned Miyatake Studio.
He was a member of Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, Koyasan Boy Scout Drum and Bugle Corps and graduated from Montebello High in 1969. He went on to graduate from the Art Center College of Design and opened his own studio, Toyo Photography in Gardena.
Some of his notable portraits were of the late Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, photographer Ansel Adams, former Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and Los Angeles Dodgers’ announcer Vin Scully and his wife, Sandra. He also took a portrait of labor leader Cesar Chavez, which is in the Smithsonian Institution. Gary supported many of the city’s local nonprofit events. Gary suffered a stroke on December 29, 2020. He was 69.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Leland Lau (posthumously)
Leland Lau practiced accounting for 42 years starting with his father, Bing G. Lau.
Graduating from USC in 1975, he was a member of Gamma Epsilon Omega fraternity. He joined the Japanese American Optimist Club (JAO) in 1991 and became its 40th president in September,1993. He was the JAO Basketball commissioner after his presidency for the next 30 years until his passing. Being both JAO president and basketball commissioner are 24/7 undertakings. He also served on the board of directors for the Optimist Boys and Girls Home in Los Angeles. And if he wasn’t doing enough, he also helped with Nisei Week taking care of the Noguchi Plaza Festival to coordinate live performances and demonstrations. Leland passed away in May 2021 and was 67.
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The Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award recognizes businesses and organizations for their outstanding support to the Southern California Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Little Tokyo Community Council (LTCC)
Founded in 1999, the Little Tokyo Community Council’s mission is to ensure Little Tokyo remain a viable center for the Japanese American and the LA downtown community. It works to create a vision of what Little Tokyo should be in the future and serves as an advocate on behalf of the community with more than 100 organizational memberships. LTCC organized a GO FUNDME campaign called the “Community Feeding Community” that raised more than $200,000 to purchased food from Little Tokyo restaurants and distributed them to those in the hospitality industry who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. LTCC also organized a GO FUNDME campaign called “Little Tokyo Small Business Relief Fund” that raised another $200,000 to help 100 Little Tokyo legacy businesses with a $2,000 grant each.
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The Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award recognizes businesses and organizations for their outstanding support to the Southern California Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Little Tokyo Service Center
Established more than 40 years ago, the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) is committed to improving the lives of underserved individuals and families and promoting the equitable development of ethnic communities and their rich cultural heritage. At the start of the pandemic, LTCC contacted thousands of their clients, and assessed their needs. Partnering with Keiro Foundation for funding low-cost meals, LTCC’s Little Tokyo Eats” Program bought food from Little Tokyo restaurants then served the meals to seniors for a discount. LTCC also partnered with the medical clinic to bring COVID-19 vaccinations to homebound seniors and others in Little Tokyo.
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The Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award recognizes businesses and organizations for their outstanding support to the Southern California Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Little Tokyo Public Safety Association
The Little Tokyo Public Safety Association (LTPSA) was founded in 1986 as a response to crimes that affected businesses in Little Tokyo. In the 1990s the local businessman began patrolling the area to address car burglaries and aggressive panhandling that intimidated customers, tourists and residents. In 1986, the Koban opened as an information center and a LAPD drop-in center. LTPSA saw the need to help the restaurants during the pandemic, when there was no indoor dining, and there was not enough room on the sidewalk, and coordinated with the Little Tokyo Business Association and the City of Los Angeles to established one of the first Al Fresca (outdoor on-street dining) on the north side of First Street between Judge John Aiso Street and Central Avenue. K-Rails next to the travel lane created a safe outdoor dining area that helped the restaurants expand the restaurants significantly, and is still in effect. LTPLA also provided lunches for the LAPD patrols who assist in Little Tokyo.
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The Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award recognizes businesses and organizations for their outstanding support to the Southern California Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Little Tokyo Business Association
The Little Tokyo Business Association (LTBA) initially provided much needed information to all its members about the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and county regulations affecting their businesses. LTBA assisted LTPSA in establishing the Al Fresca on First Street and provided information to the businesses on how to set-up their operations. LTBA also assisted the restaurants at the Honda Plaza and coordinated with the owner of the Plaza to establish outdoor dining in their parking area, which still exist today.
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The Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award recognizes businesses and organizations for their outstanding support to the Southern California Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Teramachi Homes Senior Condominium Complex
The Teramachi Homes Senior Condominium Complex. The Teramachi is located at the corner of 3rd and San Pedro streets in Little Tokyo. The residents thought that they could help the restaurants in Little Tokyo by organizing the seniors who reside at the complex, and bulk-order food for the residents from the Little Tokyo restaurants. They have collected and spent more than $50,000 of lunch orders from the Little Tokyo restaurants over the past year and continue to serve their Terameals every Tuesday and Thursday.
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The Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award recognizes businesses and organizations for their outstanding support to the Southern California Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Little Tokyo Senior Nutrition Service (Koreisha Chushoku Kai)
Established in 1976, Koreisha is situated at the Union Church at the corner of 3rd and San Pedro streets. Koreisha’s mission is to maintain the health of the body and mind to older adults. It currently provides more than 200 meals at affordable prices with its dining hall and through home delivery, every day of the week. When the pandemic hit, and meals could not be served at the dining hall, Koreisha volunteers had to quickly pivot to deliver all the meals to residents in the area. Thus, during the pandemic, Koreisha maintained serving meals to all the homebound seniors, and minimized the social isolation of these seniors, while also providing their “integrated” service throughout the pandemic.
Nisei Week In Action
Sister City
Nagoya, Japan
Los Angeles and Nagoya, Japan became sister cities in 1959 as part of President Eisenhower’s diplomacy program to foster friendships between different international cities. Annually, a goodwill delegation of Los Angeles city officials, community business leaders, and the Nisei Week president and court are invited to attend and participate in the Nagoya Festival.
Sister Festivals
The Nisei Week Japanese Festival has ties to sister festivals including the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival and the Cherry Blossom Festival of Hawaii.
The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival® is one of California’s most prominent celebrations of Asian traditions and the biggest on the West coast. Since 1968, the Festival serves to cultivate the continued alliance between Japan and the United States using culture as its bridge.
The Cherry Blossom Festival holds the honor of being one of the longest, continually running ethnic festival in the State of Hawai‘i – originally started in 1953. While times have evolved, the purpose of the Festival continues to be the perpetuation of Japanese culture, and to enrich the lives of young women of Japanese ancestry.