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.
2022 DIAMOND SPONSORS
2022 PLATINUM SPONSORS
2022 GOLD SPONSORS
2022 SILVER SPONSORS
2022 BRONZE SPONSORS
2022 IN-KIND DONATIONS
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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The Nisei Week Grand Marshal is awarded to those in the community who have made a profound impact on the broad Japanese / Japanese American Community.
George K. Sugimoto
George K. Sugimoto was born in Parlier, Fresno County in June 1926. Living in the San Joaquin Valley in the 1920s and 30s was a hard life for the family who had nine children to support. His parents worked as day laborers in farming communities to make ends meet.
George discovered an interest in aviation at a very young age. This passion motivated him to go into avionic electronics. He completed one year at Fowler High School before Executive Order 9066 incarcerated the family in the Gila Relocation Center.
An older brother was drafted and served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. George was drafted after answering “yes, yes” to two loyalty questions and entered military service in March 1945. After completing basic training at Camp Fannin, TX, in August 1945, he was sent to Korea to serve with the 6th Army Occupational Forces. After his honorable discharge, he returned to California.
In 1947, he attended the American Institute of Television Technology in Chicago. In 1950, received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Later, George completed his flight instruction and became an instrument-rated pilot. His passion for flying was fulfilled with his command of a Piper Turbo Aero aircraft for 30 years.
George married Ruri Hirano in September 1951 in Fresno and soon after their marriage moved to Pasadena. George received his professional electrical engineer license for the State of California and began his career as an electrical engineer and at one point elevated to chief engineer. Realizing that working for others limited his creative and financial opportunities, he started his own business.
George’s home and garage in Pasadena were the beginnings for the design and manufacture of avionic components. KGS Electronics has been in operation for over 62 years and now occupies a 50,000-square-foot space in Arcadia and a facility in Upland. KGS provides products to civil aviation, general and military aviation to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers worldwide. Cessna Aircraft, EADS Airbus, Boeing Aerospace, Learjet Inc., and Robinson Helicopter are some of the many aircraft and aerospace companies KGS serves.
Although George is semi-retired, he is in the office almost every day. He also enjoys volunteering his time and supporting many community organizations: JACCC, Go For Broke National Education Center, Japanese American National Museum, Little Tokyo Service Center, the former Keiro, Rafu Shimpo Foundation, Rob Fukuzaki’s Heads-up Youth Foundation Tournament, Aurora Foundation Tournament, Suburban Optimist Tournament, East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center, and Akimatsuri Tournament are some that benefit from his generosity.
George and Ruri have two children, Lisa and Nathan. Lisa retired after serving 35 years with California community colleges. She is married to Don Nose and they are parents to Garrett. Nathan is the president and chief financial officer for KGS Electronics. He and wife, Christine, have three children, Lindsay, Alyssa, and Aaron.
Lisa, Nathan, and their families admire their father’s and grandfather’s resilience, courage, entrepreneurial spirit, and his enduring love and unwavering support of family and community.
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The Nisei Week Parade Marshal is awarded to those in the community who have made a profound impact on the local Japanese / Japanese American community.
Maia and Alex Shibutani
Siblings Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani are two-time Olympic bronze medalists. They are also three-time World medalists, Four Continent Champions, two-time US National champions, six-time Grand Prix gold medalists, and two-time members (2014 and 2018) of the U.S. Olympic team.
They made history when they became the first figure skaters of Asian descent to win medals at the Olympic Games in ice dance. In PyeongChang, they also became the first sibling ice dance team to win two Olympic medals.
The siblings made their debut as authors in 2020 with the release of “Kudo Kids: The Mystery of the Masked Medalist.” The second book in their middle grade series, “Kudo Kids: The Mystery in Manhattan” was released in 2021. Their next literary project will be a picture book – the planned release of “Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All” is spring 2023.
Maia and Alex were named Sports Envoys for the U.S. State Department in 2017. Since then, they have traveled throughout Asia to connect with young people at goodwill events. They are also Athlete Ambassadors for the global organization, Right To Play. In 2021, Alex was named to the LA28 Athletes’ Commission.
They are AAU Sullivan Award finalists, five-time Team USA Team of the Month winners, recipients of the Asia Society Game Changer award, and Gold House A100 list honorees.
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The Nisei Week Parade Marshal is awarded to those in the community who have made a profound impact on the local Japanese / Japanese American community.
Kellyn Acosta
Kellyn Acosta is a 26-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) of Major League Soccer (MLS). He also plays on the United States Men’s National Team and featured on the roster that recently helped the United States clinch a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. If he is rostered for the global tournament in November, Kellyn would be the first player of Japanese heritage to represent the United States in a World Cup.
Originally from Plano, TX, Kellyn is a homegrown product of the Dallas Football Club (FC) academy where he signed with the Dallas FC first team at the age of 16 (2012), making his debut as a professional in Major League Soccer the following year. Kellyn is a two-time MLS All-Star (2016, 2017), two-time Concacaf Gold Cup Champion (2017, 2021) and Concacaf Nations League Champion (2021), Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Champion (2016) and MLS Supporters Shield Winner (2016).
Kellyn is known for his fashion sense and would likely be voted “best dressed” across the league. He is part Japanese, and recently had an incredible experience touring the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles with both his dad and grandmother, who was born in Japan. When he’s not on the pitch, he is busy being a father to a curious and energetic toddler, getting involved in the local community, shopping for new kicks, discovering a new wine or exploring Los Angeles. You may even find him at the nearest coffee shop enjoying a latte.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Kenneth Sadao Hayashi
Kenneth Sadao Hayashi was born in Ogden, Utah in July 1943 after his family was interned at Rohwer, Arkansas. They settled temporarily in wOgden until they were able to return to Los Angeles after the war.
Back in Los Angeles, Ken attended Dorsey High School and UCLA, where he graduated in 1966 with a degree in accounting. As a young man, he earned his Eagle Scout award and was active hanging out with his friends and cousins, playing basketball, baseball and mastering billiards.
In Sept. 1966, shortly after graduating, Ken was drafted and reported for active duty in the US Army. He went to basic training at Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, worked in the finance office at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and was a distinguished graduate of the Third Army NCO Academy in Fort McClellan, Alabama. Ken went to Vietnam in the summer of 1967, where he served in the 4th division through August 1968. He received the Army Commendation Medal and was honorably discharged upon his return to the United States in 1968.
Back from the war, Ken became an assistant administrator and CFO of City View Hospital and Keiro Nursing Home for the next 11 years, alongside his mentor and friend, Edwin Hiroto. Though he left to become a partner in an accounting firm (1979-1992) with his colleagues and brother, he cherished the work that Keiro was doing for the Japanese American community and became a founding member of the support group, Visions for Keiro. During this time, he also served as the vice chairman of the Pacific Heritage Bank board of directors.
Ken also spent much time volunteering as a Boy Scout and Indian Guide leader. He committed many years to running Yorba Linda basketball leagues and volunteering for Esperanza High School booster clubs. He also coached basketball and baseball, but mostly was an avid fan of his three children – supporting them in soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, musical pursuits and all of the other activities and charity work they were involved.
To do this, Ken wanted to be closer to home and in 1992 he opened his own CPA office just a short distance from home and a mile from the high school where he, his wife and his kids spent many hours.
Once his kids all graduated from high school, Ken left his own practice and became the CFO of Rogers Poultry, until his retirement in October 2018. Since then, he continued to stay busy. He and his wife remain heavily involved in the Nisei Week Festival and Hospitality committee, where his two daughters were court members and his son served as the foundation president. Last, and most personal to him – he commits most of his efforts to ensuring the legacy of Japanese American veterans. He is the chairman of the Japanese American Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee and serves as the president of the Veterans Memorial Court Alliance, a 501(c)(3). This is truly his passion project: something he has dedicated years to building a foundation to ensure the structure and spirit of the Memorial Court is preserved for years to come.
Ken has been married to Colleen (Ishibashi) Hayashi for 47 years, residing in Yorba Linda for 35 years. They have three children, Kimberly (Elias), Kristyn and Cory. You can often find him with them at Dodger games, Clipper games, watching UCLA (and USC for his kids), spending time at and hosting family parties, traveling and taking his grand-dog Copper for walks!
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Masao Morisaku
Masao Morisaku was born in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, in 1937 and moved to Los Angeles in 1966. He joined an industrial design firm in 1972. During his career with the firm, he contributed to designing many products that are still in use today.
In 1975, he joined the Edgewood Japanese Landscape Gardener Association to learn the profession of landscaping and gardening. He served as the association’s secretary and later, president for many years. During his time representing the Edgewood Association, Masao actively participated in volunteer activities of the Southern California Gardeners’ Federation (SCGF) to serve the Japanese American community, including his volunteer work to beautify the Keiro Retirement Home (Lincoln Heights), a project that began in 1974 and lasted for 34 years.
He served as the Japanese editor-in-chief of “Turf and Garden,” its monthly publication, from 2010 to 2020 and received an SCGF award. This newsletter, published monthly in both English and Japanese, is one of the few monthly publications of its kind in the Japanese American community, and plays a significant role in communicating SCGF members (over 1,000 in 2010). He currently serves as SCGF’s vice president.
Masao has also participated in other gardening clubs and organizations. He joined the American Plant Pruning Group in 1998 and spent time pruning pine trees at the East San Gabriel Japanese Community Center, City of Hope, among other places. In 2010, he and his colleagues started the Southern California Tree Trimming Club and served as its president in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He has also been involved in efforts to maintain Japanese gardens in and around Los Angeles by pruning pine trees, as well as giving demonstrations at the SCGF building.
In addition, Masao has been active with his family’s Kenjinkai and establishing ties between Ibaraki and Southern California. In 1978, he helped to establish the Hitachi-no-kai (Ibaraki Kenjinkai) and has served as president a number of times. He currently serves as an advisor. He was instrumental in establishing a sister park arrangement between “Kairakuen,” a famous Japanese plum tree garden in Mito, Ibaraki prefecture, and Schabarum Park in Hacienda Heights. Thanks to the support and donations from the people and businesses of Ibaraki prefecture, they were able to plant saplings of the Japanese plum trees in Schabarum Park. Even today, the beautiful flowers continue to bloom in early February.
Masao has been instrumental in promoting Japanese culture and Japan-U.S. ties through his hobby of “Shigin.” He has been reciting traditional Japanese poetry for over 40 years. He’s currently the senior instructor of the “Rafu Kokufu Kai.” As the 2011-2012 president of the Southern California Shigin Federation, he continued to promote this traditional Japanese cultural art in the U.S. He was also actively involved in organizing the Shigin Federation’s Japan relief fund sent to Japan during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster.
Masao’s wife, Noriko, is also active with the SCGF and serves as its Japanese editor and auditor.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Mike Ichiro Murase
Mike Ichiro Murase grew up in Okayama prefecture, northeast of Hiroshima. He moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was just nine years old, learning English as he attended school and adjusted to a new life.
He has worn many hats throughout his illustrious career – writer, photographer, activist, administrator, and attorney. Wherever Mike went, he created lasting positive change for the communities and people with whom he worked.
Since the 1960s, Mike was involved in community and political activism, making waves as a college student at UCLA. He co-founded the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, paving the way for students to learn about their Asian American heritage. Mike also co-founded GIDRA, an Asian American movement publication. He was also a leader in Asian Americans for Peace, Los Angeles Free South Africa Movement, and California Rainbow Coalition. Besides his involvement in the Japanese American community, he was an organizer in South Central Los Angeles for more than two decades. He was Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ district director for 13 years and served as Rev. Jesse Jackson’s campaign director during Jackson’s presidential campaign.
Mike was a part of the core group who founded Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), a social service and community economic development agency serving Little Tokyo and greater Japanese American community throughout Los Angeles. Mike served as its board president for first five years. He remained involved in the Little Tokyo community before joining the staff of LTSC. He served as the director of service programs and the special projects manager of LTSC and also as campaign director of the Terasaki Budokan. He was instrumental in helping LTSC raise close to $30 million to make the more than 30-year dream a reality.
In addition, he advocated for members of Japanese Welfare Rights Organization, Little Tokyo People’s Rights Organization and the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations. He authored Little Tokyo: One Hundred Year History – a tribute to the rich history and growth of Little Tokyo.
On March 18, 2022, Mike retired from LTSC. A retirement celebration on April 14 brought more than 150 people from various stages of Mike’s life together to celebrate a lifetime of bridge-building and uplifting communities in Little Tokyo and in South Central. One of Mike’s longtime friends, poet Ronald Kartoon Antwine, said it best when he shared a heartfelt tribute to Mike. A portion of it reads:
You teach us all how to stand up
You teach us how to speak and never shut up
You taught so many how to fight
The injustices, the wrongs, negative things in life …
Mike stood up for Little Tokyo and has always fought to ensure that the voices and needs of the most vulnerable in our community were raised. As he steps away from his career at LTSC, he’ll continue to mentor young leaders to ensure Little Tokyo continues to thrive as one of the three remaining Japantowns in the United States.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Yoshio Nakamura
Yoshio “Yosh” Nakamura is an influential man in many areas of his life, including his honorable service to the U.S. military, involvement in the creation of numerous key establishments, and in the arts.
In 1944, Yoshio was inducted in the Enlisted Reserve and reported for active duty from Gila River. After training at Camp Blanding, Florida he was sent to France to join the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and saw military action in Southern France and later in Italy to break the Gothic Line.
He received numerous recognitions for his military service such as the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Presidential Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, Congressional Gold Medal, European African Middle Eastern Ribbon with Three Battle Stars, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Medal, and French Legion of Honor Medal. He was one of five Nisei veterans chosen to ride on the “Go For Broke” float in the 2015 Rose Parade.
After his military service under the G.I. Bill, Yoshio attended the University of Southern California and received his B.F.A (Magna Cum Laude), and M.F.A. After receiving his degrees, he began his career as an educator. He started as an art teacher in the Fine Arts Department at Whittier High School and then went on to Rio Hondo College as a professor. At Rio Hondo, he was the founder of the Visual and Performing Arts department, administrator, and vice president. As in many other areas of his life, he has received many recognitions and commendations as an educator such as Teacher of the Year, Outstanding Educators of America, and Fellow of the College.
Yoshio and his wife, Grace, have also been active in the Japanese American community. They were active members of SELANOCO JACL. He helped host the initial formation meeting of the SELANOCO chapter at Rio Hondo College. He was also a founding member of the Go for Broke National Education Center and the Japanese American National Museum.
As an artist, he is represented in over 175 private, corporate and public collections including the Joseph Hirshhorn Collection of the Smithsonian Institute.
He continues to be active as an artist and community supporter of the arts at Hillcrest Congregational Church, Rio Hondo College, and Whittier High School. He has served as the Cultural Commissioner, Advisory Committee, and Hillcrest Festival of Fine Arts.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Heizaburo Okawa
Born in 1939, Heizaburo Okawa was raised in Tokyo. He graduated from Chuo University in 1962. It was when Heizaburo started college at Chuo University that he saw fencing for the first time and became fascinated. One day, he finally asked if he could join the team. That moment marked the start of his influential journey in the fencing world.
At that time, Chuo University was ranked #1 nationally in fencing; Heizaburo’s chance of making the team was slim due to his late start in the sport. However, due to his natural talent and determination, Heizaburo made the school team and the even made the Japan team in 1960 Rome Summer Olympics. The 1960 Olympics was the first time that Japan was sending a fencing team to represent them in the sport.
In 1962, the Japanese Fencing Federation sent Heizaburo and a teammate to Paris to prepare for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by studying at the National Institute of Sport for two years. While in Europe, Heizaburo won two prestigious international competitions: the Foil Challenge Duval in Paris and the Epee Challenge Martel in Poitiers, France.
Heizaburo’s hard work helped him achieve a spot as a member of the Japanese Olympic team three times: in 1960, 1964, and 1968. The team even won 4th place at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, which was considered a significant accomplishment for a non-European team.
Heizaburo was the Japanese national champion three times in Foil (1960, 1963, 1964), twice in Sabre (1961, 1967), and once in Epee (1967). He was twice U.S. national champion in Foil (1967, 1968) and was also the head coach of the Japanese team for international competitions, including the World Championships (1969, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998). In addition, he was chosen to referee at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
In 1966, his training brought him to Los Angeles, where he was coached by Torao Mori, a legendary kendo and fencing master. From 1969 to 1980, he was the head coach at Torao Mori Fencing Academy in Beverly Hills. During this time, he taught fencing to celebrities and choreographed dueling scenes for stage productions. He also was hired as the head fencing coach at University of California, Los Angeles (1974-1980) and California State University, Fullerton (1980-2006). In 2006, he retired from coaching.
In 2004, Heizaburo was inducted into the U.S. Fencing Association Hall of Fame and in 2019, he was inducted into California State University, Fullerton Athletics Hall of Fame. Being recognized as part of these esteemed groups truly showcased what a skilled and influential athlete he was to many in the sport.
Heizaburo not only represented his country with his talent in fencing, but also spent many years sharing his knowledge and skill with others around him. He helped other athletes perform to their potential and made a difference in their lives. Heizaburo’s accomplishments within the sport not only demonstrated his talent, but also served as a reminder that no matter someone’s background, with hard work and determination, anything is possible.
Heizaburo and his wife, Jeanie, have been married for 54 years and have three children and seven grandchildren.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Mario G. Reyes
Mario G. Reyes is the photo editor of the Rafu Shimpo newspaper, the 100-plus-year-old Los Angeles-based Japanese American publication. He first joined the Rafu in 1973 as a mail and pressroom worker while a senior at Roosevelt High School. In 1979, he moved to Mexico City to work at a film company that provided Spanish subtitles to American, Japanese, and Chinese movies.
He returned to the Rafu in 1989, and in short time, became the photo editor. Mario converted an unused storage room into a dark room and had appropriate cameras and lenses purchased for the staff. He also trained the staff on photo composition, light, depth of field, and cropping techniques.
In his spare time, Mario began to organize and archive the Rafu’s photo collection that had been, up to that point, haphazardly stored in file cabinets, unmarked boxes, and trash bins.
He is among the leading photographers to document the Japanese American community in Southern California. No Nikkei organization was too small to be ignored coverage, even if Mario had to sacrifice nights, weekends, and holidays to photograph them. And if a Nikkei organization could not afford to pay for his photographs, he did not charge for reprints.
Mario also does pro bono work for organizations such as Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California (APIDC), Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP), the Southern California chapter of the Asian American Journalist Association, among others.
He documented the evolution of the Manzanar Pilgrimage for close to 30 years and has covered the biennial Tule Lake Pilgrimage nearly 10 times. In the past 34 years he has photographed 32 young women crowned Nisei Week Queen, missing two because of the COVID-19 pandemic, covered countless obons around the southland and gained many friends in the process.
He also recorded the physical changes in and around Little Tokyo: including the completion of the Go For Broke Monument; veterans receiving their Congressional Gold Medals; visitors first walking through the Japanese American Nation Museum, and the emperors of Japan visiting the museum and capturing the look on Keiro residents’ faces when meeting them.
Highlights in Mario’s career include meeting his personal heroes: veterans, draft resisters, the folks who started and built “Nihon machi;” acquiring a taste for raw fish and becoming an honorary Terminal Islander that includes a special happi coat.
In addition to the Rafu, his photographs have appeared in Time magazine, People, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, LA Weekly, and all the major Japanese American publications.
Through the years, Mario has photographed world leaders and celebrities: Heisei Emperor and Empress of Japan, President Barack Obama, Toshiro Mifune, Michael Jackson, Jesse Jackson, among others. He was also lead photographer George Takei’s and Brad Altman’s wedding. Notable events he has covered include: 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest, O.J. Simpson trial, 1994 Northridge earthquake, several presidential elections.
Among the recognitions Mario has received, he is most honored to have been the subject of Steve Nagano’s short documentary film, “More than a 1,000 Words.”
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The Nisei Week Inspiration Award recognizes exceptional individuals who represent the Nisei Week “spirit” by volunteering their time in the Japanese / Japanese American communities.
Patty and Steve Nagano
Patty and Steve Nagano have been residents of Little Tokyo since 2011. Since the move, their involvement has increased with organizations in Little Tokyo, including: Visual Communications (VC), Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR), Little Tokyo Historical Society, Nikkei Progressives and many others.
Patty (Ito) was born at the Japanese Hospital and grew up in Pasadena. She is a retired elementary school teacher who taught for over 32 years. Steve was born in Boyle Heights and formerly taught at Roosevelt High School.
They worked on the VC/NCRR production of the film Stand Up for Justice, the Ralph Lazo Story. Patty worked with the Japanese American National Museum and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center’s co-production video narrating the story of The Bracelet, by Yoshiko Uchida. She conducted many workshops for teachers on the implementation of both, to educate about the Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
Patty assisted with Fandang Obon and was an organizer of Folding for Peace: Remembering Sadako Sasaki, Commemorating the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She also worked with Sustainable Little Tokyo and helped organize Little Tokyo Service Center’s Big Budokan Bash in 2016. During the Covid pandemic she worked with five Little Tokyo restaurants to have meals delivered to Teramachi residents for 70 weeks. It helped sustain these restaurants through the pandemic while feeding the residents.
Steve has been involved with the Visual Communications Digital Histories since 2011 and shown his film shorts in the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival yearly and at various community events and universities. He recently directed the project that made accessible the 23+ hours of testimonies (13 DVDs) before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians in Los Angeles in 1981, where 150-plus people testified about their experiences.
Annually Steve has volunteered many days/hours for the Tanabata Festival to set up the structure to hang the kazari. For the last seven years, he spearheaded the Little Tokyo Sparkle community-wide cleanup where more than 400 volunteers swept, raked, scraped gum, removed graffiti, washed windows and “sparkled” Little Tokyo from Los Angeles St. to Vignes Ave. He has represented Little Tokyo on the Neighborhood Council since 2011.
In addition, they attend and support various camp pilgrimages and events about the incarceration of Japanese during WWII. The unjust experiences of their parents and grandparents is one thread that binds all Japanese Americans and has a large impact upon who they are and what they stand for. Consequently, to learn and to educate against injustice plays a very large part of their lives.
They enjoy time with family and friends and look forward to traveling especially to Japan and enjoy living in Little Tokyo. They volunteered to assist in Tohoku in 2011 after the great Tsunami and feel lucky to live the life they are living in Little Tokyo!
They have been working to build the Little Tokyo Community Impact Fund that seeks investors to help preserve Little Tokyo as a Japanese American enclave to ensure it will be a place for future Nikkei to enjoy.
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The Nisei Week Inspiration Award recognizes exceptional individuals who represent the Nisei Week “spirit” by volunteering their time in the Japanese / Japanese American communities.
Bill Watanabe
Bill Watanabe was born in 1944 at the Manzanar concentration camp and transferred a few months later with his family to the Tule Lake concentration camp near California’s border with Oregon.
He is the son of an Issei father, Rokuro, and a Kibei Nisei mother, Katsuye, from Fukushima, who settled in the San Fernando Valley during the 1930s to grow and sell flowers.
With a bachelor’s degree in engineering that he earned from California State Northridge in 1966, Bill worked a year-and-a-half at Lockheed Missiles in Sunnyvale. From September 1967, he spent a year at the prestigious Waseda University in Tokyo.
Studying in Japan was one of the best years of his life, it was fun, and he enjoyed traveling around the country. Bill visited some relatives he had never met before in Fukushima. And he learned to speak Japanese fairly well, or as much as he could learn in nine months. He was 23 years old and had a great time.
Returning home, he worked two years as an engineer for the City of Los Angeles, and then earned his master’s degree in social work at UCLA in 1972. Following stints with Agape Fellowship (an urban Asian American Christian commune) and Japanese Community Pioneer Center, Bill founded Little Tokyo Service Center in 1980 and served as its executive director for 32 years. LTSC was founded to offer a comprehensive program of bilingual social services in the Little Tokyo area to Japanese and Japanese Americans residents.
During that time he guided its growth, in conjunction with the board of directors, from a one-person staff to a multi-faceted social services and community development program with 150 paid staff, many of whom are bilingual in any of eight Asian Pacific languages and Spanish. LTSC has renovated or constructed a number of projects that have helped to strengthen the Little Tokyo community including projects such as Casa Heiwa, the Union Center for the Arts, the renovation of the Far East building and the newly constructed Terasaki Budokan. Bill retired from LTSC in June 2012.
While at LTSC, Bill helped to establish a number of important service organizations in the Asian American community such as the Asian Pacific Community Fund, the Asian/Pacific Counseling & Treatment Center, and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking. In Little Tokyo, Bill founded or co-founded some key organizations that have had major impact in the historic ethnic neighborhood such as the Little Tokyo Community Council and the Little Tokyo Historical Society.
Bill has an MSW from UCLA, is married and lives in Silver Lake near downtown Los Angeles. While formally retired, Bill is currently the president of a new project called the Little Tokyo Community Impact Fund, a community-based real estate investment fund aimed to help heritage small businesses in Little Tokyo which may be threatened by the impact of gentrification.
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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.
Fugetsu-Do
Opening of the Kame restaurant in 1884 at the current site of Bunkado, was the first Japanese business in Los Angeles, and sparked the creation of Little Tokyo. Soon after, in 1903, Seiichi Kito, who immigrated from Gifu, Japan, opened his Fugetsu-Do Sweet Shop on Weller Street. Fugetsu-Do later moved to First St., and as Fugetsu-Do flourished, so did Little Tokyo. As the oldest family-owned business in Little Tokyo, next year will be its 120th birthday.
During the holidays, comfort foods are in high demands. Manju and mochi are customary Japanese gifts, and during the few weeks before New Year’s Day, the entire Kito family (and nowadays friends too) work around the clock to fill the large number of orders.
Seiichi operated the shop until 1941, when the family was forced to relocate to Heart Mountain concentration camp until the end of World War II. After the war, Seiichi’s youngest son, Roy, re-opened Fugetsu-Do on Boy’s Day, May 5, 1946, with the help of the Tanahashi family.
Fugetsu-Do had to move to Second St. for a couple of years, when the shop’s building was slated for demolition. It returned in 1957 to the current location at 315 E. First St., with Roy as the sole owner.
In 1980, Roy’s youngest son, Brian, took over the family business. Under Brian’s leadership, Fugetsu-Do has continued to emphasize quality and craftsmanship of its products. Fugetsu-Do now sells three types of mochi: traditional, modern versions with a twist, and snacks. The traditional type, range from daifuku to ohagi, while the modern twists incorporate fruit and chocolate with the traditional white or red bean paste. Fugetsu-Do caters beyond the Japanese community, and now has a broader customer base throughout the city.
Through three generations of family ownership, the Kitos have weathered a series of unimaginable challenges from the incarceration to depressions, riots and pandemic, eminent domain from City expansion, and the ever-present threat of gentrification. Fugetsu-Do has an impressive story of resilience and survival and its significance to the community has made it an unquestionable icon of Little Tokyo and the City of Los Angeles. Fugetsu-Do in many ways is Little Tokyo, given that it’s still in existence since the Nisei Week festival started in 1934.
Many times over the past several years, Brian has contemplated remodeling the shop. However, he hesitates. Though the shop looks old and dated, that’s what his customers remember. He recalled a story of a woman who had lived in Los Angeles more than 30 years ago. She was back visiting Little Tokyo and almost burst into tears when she entered Fugetsu-Do. “Everything I remember about Little Tokyo is gone-except Fugetsu-Do. Nothing has changed; the store is just as I remembered it.”
Thus, the Nisei Week Foundation is recognizing this legacy business, its contribution to Little Tokyo history, and its services to the Japanese American community, with the Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award.
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2022 Nisei Week Choreographer
Azuma Kikusue
Kikusue Azuma was born in Los Angeles. She earned a bachelor’s degree in math/computer science from UCLA, a master’s degree in computer science from USC and worked for 11 years as a software engineer, but eventually realized that teaching was her passion.
She studied Nihon Buyō for many years under Sumako Azuma II and earned her natori (master) and shihan (instructor) degrees from the Azuma School headquarters in Tokyo. After receiving her shihan degree, she started teaching dance classes to a few students, and her classes quickly grew through word-of-mouth.
She currently teaches more than 60 students from Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties and 15 students in Kapa‘a and Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i.
She also volunteers for many community organizations, writes a monthly children’s Japanese culture column for the Hawai‘i Herald, and works as an editor and math tutor. She is married and has three children.
Over the years, Sumako, Kikusue and their students have performed both at professional venues – including the Greek Theater, Hollywood Bowl and Universal Amphitheater – and at benefit performances for community and nonprofit organizations.
While still teaching the Japanese dance classics, they broke new ground artistically, reaching out to the Sansei, Yonsei and Gosei by blending traditional Japanese dance techniques with modern influences. Unfortunately, Sumako Azuma II passed away in July 2020, but Kikusue continues Sumako’s legacy. Through their efforts, the Azuma School in the U.S. continues to grow and perpetuate Japanese culture through the art of Japanese dance.
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.