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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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.
Akemi Miyake
Akemi Miyake was born on August 12, 1919 in Arcadia, Calif., to Jitsuo and Makiko Miyake. At age four, Miyake and his family moved back to Japan with his sisters, Akeko and Miyako. His other three siblings, sister Chiyoko and brothers Akede and Tsukimi, were born in Japan. Miyake graduated Shiwa Agricultural high school in 1937. After graduation, he returned to America. Miyake worked at Sawada Farms in Gardena with his older sister Akeko and brother-in-law Yukinao Sawada.
In March 1942, he relocated to Salt Lake City to avoid being detained in a WWII internment camp. Miyake farmed celery during the day and worked at the Grand America Hotel as a dishwasher in the evening. In October 1945, he married Hisako Kurosu and returned to Los Angeles. Along with Yukinao, he first farmed in Long Beach then settled in Stanton under H. Y. Sawada Farms, later becoming Sawada and Miyake Farms. In 1957, Miyake became part of a 10-year farming exchange program between the U.S. and Japan. Approximately 125 Japanese trainees came and lived on the Stanton farm to learn American agriculture. He continued farming strawberries, tomatoes, citrus and vegetables until his retirement in 1995.
With the passing of Yukinao in 1960 and his wife in 1979, he became even more committed to giving back to the community. HIs father taught him the importance of giving back when he first left Hiroshima and honored him by doing so. Miyake served as president of the Nanka Kenjinkai Kyogikai (1981 – 1982), Japanese Pioneer Service Center (1985 – 1989), Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California (1988 – 1990), and Dai Nihon Nokai Southern California Council (1993 – 1998). While serving as the president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, he had the honor of attending the funeral of Emperor Hirohito in 1989 and attending the coronation of Emperor Akihito in 1990.
From 1982 – 1990, he served on the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) board of directors and helped raise funds for the JACCC building, Aratani Theater, and the Japanese American National Museum. In 1990, Miyake continued to support the arts by taking an advisory role in Japanese cultural arts including calligraphy, tea ceremony, and flower arranging.
Many of Miyake’s involvements continue today. He started the Southern California Gate Ball Association in 1987 and served as inaugural president for many years, where he continues to play in his spare time. He also was one of the founding members of the Orange County Japanese American Association and was president from 1987 – 1990; today, he serves as a member of the board of directors. Miyake continues to support the Nanka Kenjinkai Kyogikai, which raises money to benefit orphans in Japan.
Some of Miyake’s many awards and accomplishments include:
1963 – Agricultural Society of Japan – Ryokuhakujuyukosho Award
1982 – Agricultural Society of Japan – Kohakuju Award
1983 – Government of Japan – Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
1984 – Little Tokyo Centennial Honoree
1986 – Little Tokyo Service Center Pioneer Award
1992 – Nisei Week Pioneer Award and Pacific Pioneer Award
1996 – Government of Japan – Order of the Sacred Treasure Gold Rays with Rosette
2000 – Agricultural Society of Japan – the Shihakujuyukosho Award
Miyake resides in Villa Park and has six children, nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He says “Thank you very, very much” to the Nisei Week Foundation for the honor of being selected Grand Marshal of the 79th Nisei Week Japanese Festival Grand Parade.
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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.
Los Angeles Clippers
The L.A. Clippers established its home in Los Angeles in 1984, after starting in New York. Led by Chairman Steve Ballmer, the L.A. Clippers in 2018-19 are competing in the franchise’s 49th season and 35th in Los Angeles. They extended a franchise record, completing its seventh consecutive winning season in 2017-18. The team has logged the NBA’s 5th-best record over the course of head coach Doc Rivers’ five-year tenure.
The Clippers are committed to the city of Los Angeles and through the L.A. Clippers Foundation, provide resources and opportunities that make a positive difference toward leveling the playing field for youth in Southern California. The Clippers also make an effort to engage with the diverse communities of Los Angeles and has partnered with the Nisei Week Foundation since 2005 to put on the Japanese American Community Night.
Visit the Clippers online at clippers.com or follow them on social media @LAClippers.
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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.
Janice Y. Fukai
Janice Y. Fukai was the Alternate Public Defender (APD) and first Asian American woman to serve as a department head in Los Angeles County’s history. The Board of Supervisors praised her momentous 2002 appointment stating, “Janice Fukai has been instrumental in the development and leadership of her department. The entire Board has a lot of confidence in that office and her in particular.” For 25 years, Fukai hired and inspired more than 350 lawyers, investigators, paralegals, administrative, clerical support and IT staff. Today, the office is considered one of the finest defense agencies in the state.
As an Asian woman lawyer who has experienced racism and sexism both inside and outside the courtroom, Fukai remains sensitive to the challenges that continue to face Asian Pacific Islanders, stating, “Throughout my legal career, I was led to believe that I had to work harder and be better, just to be seen as equal to my male and Caucasian counterparts. It was not fair, but the reality. My position as the APD allowed me to provide a fairer and more supportive working environment for our younger generations.” As the County’s first Asian woman department head, Fukai was proud of her diverse staff, which included a large percentage of API employees, far exceeding the norm for local, state or federal government agencies.
Fukai credits her successful 38-year public service and legal career to her father, the late Mas Fukai, a long time public servant for both Gardena City and Los Angeles County. At the young age of 15, her father was interned during WWII and shared his experiences with her. She recalls her father frequently lamenting, “If in 1942 there had been more lawyers, judges, politicians, community leaders to protest the unconstitutional incarceration of more than 100,000 innocent and law-abiding Japanese Americans, that ugly chapter in history would have been avoided.” Janice took her father’s comments to heart and applied to law school.
Her decision to practice public defense was influenced by the late Honorable Robert M. Takasugi, Federal District Court Judge, for whom she served as judicial law clerk after graduating law school and awaiting bar exam results. Judge Takasugi was a champion for the poor and underserved in our society, whom he believed required good and caring defenders, to help them navigate through our criminal justice system, especially with the systemic built in biases already against them. He was a mentor and role model throughout her professional career. and followed his advice to become a public defender and found her calling.
Fukai received her bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degrees from USC. She joined the Los Angeles County Public Defenders’ Office in 1980, where she rose to the rank of special assistant to the late Public Defender, Wilbur Littlefield. Fukai’s work as trial lawyer is featured in the book Public Defender, Lawyer for the People by Joan Hewitt. In 1993, she left the Public Defender for the opportunity to help the county build the newly created Alternate Public Defender department, literally from scratch.
She continues to serve on the board of numerous professional groups and is the recipient of many professional and community service awards. The daughter of the late Mas and Yuriko Fukai, she has one brother Rick and nieces and a nephew: Stephanie, Lauren and Charles.
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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.
Alan Nishio
For the past five decades Alan Nishio has been involved in Little Tokyo and the broader Japanese American community. From his initial volunteer work with the Japanese American Community Services (JACS) organization to his present work with the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC), Nishio has served with many others in defining the history and shaping the future of the Nikkei community.
Nishio has served on the board of directors of LTSC for 35 years and was board president for over a decade. In addition, Nishio’s other community leadership roles include serving as a board member for the JACCC and an advisory council member for Kizuna.
His initial involvement in Little Tokyo was in 1969 as a board member and treasurer JACS. During this time, JACS created the JACS Asian involvement office that initiated and supported a number of community service programs that continue today. In the 1970s, Nishio served as the chair of the Little Tokyo Peoples Rights Organization (LTPRO), who advocated for the rights of residents, small businesses and cultural and community organizations during the Little Tokyo Redevelopment Project.
In the 1980s, Nishio, who was born in Manzanar, was actively involved in the successful campaign to gain redress for Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. He was a founder and co-chair of the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations.
He was also a member and chair of the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council (CJACLC), a statewide organization that sought to preserve and protect California’s remaining Japantowns.
Nishio is a member of the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) and was a delegate in the inaugural Japanese American Leadership Delegation in 2000, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. He also participated in USJC delegations advancing the work of nonprofit organizations in Japan following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In recognition of his work in the Japanese American community and advancing U.S.-Japan relations, Nishio was awarded “The Order of the Rising Sun with Gold Rays and Rosette” by the Government of Japan in 2016.
Retired, Nishio formerly served as the associate vice president for Student Services at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). He also taught in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies. His 40-year career in higher education also included serving as a founding staff member and director of the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA and as assistant director of the Center for Social Action at USC.
In addition to his work within the Japanese American community, Nishio was a past president and member of the board of the California Conference for Equality and Justice, a human relations organization based in Long Beach. He also was a trustee of The College Board, an educational association best known for its SAT and Advanced Placement examinations.
As a cancer survivor, Nishio is active in efforts to raise awareness and funds for research and education regarding leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a rare and aggressive cancer.
Nishio received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Kenneth K. Inouye – Nominated by the Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council
Born in Alamosa, Colo., Kenneth K. Inouye is the only son of George Inouye and Betty (Coddington). Inouye moved to California at an early age with his family, including his older sister Marie (Petrie). He attended public schools in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw district and graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a degree in accounting.
Inouye’s involvement in the Japanese American community spans more than four decades. He served as a member of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) at the national level (national president, vice president for public affairs, and Pacific Citizen editorial board chair), district level (district governor, treasurer, and board member) and chapter level (Southeast Los Angeles/North Orange County [SELANOCO] chapter president and board member). Inouye was volunteer chief financial officer of the Go For Broke National Education Center and board member of the Orange Coast Optimist Club (OCO), South East Youth Organization (SEYO), Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council (OCNCC), and Orange County Japanese American Association (OCJAA). One of his favorite adventures was serving as co-coach of the “gritty” OCO girls basketball team, known as the “California Girls.”
In addition, Inouye has had the privilege and honor of serving numerous community building and social justice organizations, including the Southern California affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He is a co-founder of the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA), founding president of the Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force, and member/chair of the Orange County Human Relations Commission. Currently, he is president of the Orange County Human Relations Council. Inouye was also a member and president of the California Association of Human Relations Organizations (CAHRO) and member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Community Advisory Board.
Inouye served on JACL’s national board when the Japanese American community sought “redress” and reparations from the U.S. government for the illegal internment of 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry following the outbreak of World War II. The successful quest for redress taught him that you can campaign and secure victory for a just cause provided “justice is on your side.” It was this success that motivated him to campaign for civil and human rights and social justice for other organizations and people.
His continued efforts in advocating for the human and civil rights of all the people living in the community is an acknowledgement that “freedom is not free.” It takes many people to make sure America continues to live up to its promise of being the “greatest country in the history of the world,” a country where all are welcomed and treated with respect.
He acknowledges his ability to spend time volunteering with various community groups was made possible by the unwavering support of his wife May (Kondo), three daughters, Nicole, Erin, and Shannon, and their families. He is very proud of their strong sense of community and he continually learns life lessons from all of them. Inouye hopes to help leave a legacy of a respectful Orange County and America to his community, including his grandchildren, Amelia, Grace, David, and Langston.
Pioneer Spirit Award
Shinkichi Koyama
Nominated by the Southern California Gardeners’ Federation, Inc.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Shinkichi Koyama – Nominated by the Southern California Gardeners’ Federation, Inc.
Shinkichi Koyama was born in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, on December 7, 1934. He relocated to California with his wife, Fumiko and two children in 1968 to help his mother who was running a boarding house at the time. Shortly after, he became a landscaping gardener and still continues this work today. Throughout his 50-year career in landscaping and gardening, he has been very active with the Japanese American community, dedicating many hours volunteering for several organizations.
From 1983-1984, he was director of the Sawtelle Gakuen Japanese School and was president of the Bay City Gardeners Association from 1996-1997. He was president of the Southern California Fukushima Kenjinkai from 1996 – 1998 and helped organize a fundraiser to preserve the historical landmark, “Okei no Haka (Grave of Okei).” Okei, who was born in Aizu Wakamatsu City was the very first Japanese immigrant to the United States. Koyama also helped create a bond between the United States and Japan by escorting members of the Fukushima Kenjinkai to Aizu Wakamatsu to do a swordplay performance in front of the gravesite of the Byakko-tai Troop.
Koyama served as the president of the Southern California Gardeners’ Federation from 2006-2008, spearheading many projects to assist the aging membership. He helped to increase the federation’s income by renovating the federation building and conducting various seminars for the Japanese American community. He also helped publish the “Gardener Pioneer Story,” which shares the stories and history of Japanese American gardeners.
In 2008, Koyama received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Fukushima Prefecture Governor Yuhei Sato, for his work and dedication to create a commemorative publication on the 100 year history (1908-2008) of the Fukushima Kenjinkai, and for his contributions to improve the welfare and development for those who immigrated from Fukushima to the United States.
He received the Ryoku Hakujyu Yukou Sho Award in 2009 from Southern California Chapter of Japan Agriculture Society (Dai Nippon Nokai Nanka Shikai) for his dedication to the gardening industry, work with the Southern California Gardeners’ Federation, contributions to strengthening US-Japan ties, and for his volunteer work within the Japanese American community.
The Consul General of Japan honored Koyama in 2014 for his dedication and support of the Japanese American community through his work with the Southern California Gardeners’ Federation, preservation of historical cultural assets, and for his volunteerism with various Japanese American community organizations. He was president of the Southern California Showa-kai from 2013-2014.
In 2015, Koyama received the Kyoku Jitsu Soko Award (the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays Award) from the Emperor of Japan for his many years of service to the Japanese American community.
Koyama is still very involved with the Japanese American community and currently is the president of the Southern California Chapter of Japan Agriculture Society, and an advisor for the Southern California Gardeners’ Federation and Southern California Fukushima Kenjinkai.
Pioneer Spirit Award
Deen Matsuzawa
Nominated by the Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council (Posthumously)
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Deen Matsuzawa – Nominated by the Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council (posthumously)
Deen Matsuzawa was born in Yamanishi ken, Japan, to Atsushi Thomas Matsuzawa and Kazue Matsuno. Immediately after Matsuzawa was born, the family moved to Tokyo, then Osaka and finally to Kobe before returning in 1930 to the United States. Upon returning, the family first moved to Oakland, Calif., then lived in Honeyville, Utah; Brawley, Calif., and finally settled in Gardena, Calif.
In 1942, during World War II, Matsuzawa and his family were evacuated to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, then sent to the Rohwer, Arkansas War Relocation Center. In the weeks before the family was sent to the relocation center, Matsuzawa remembered his father was taken from the family in Gardena by the FBI for questioning. During his internment in Rohwer, Matsuzawa completed middle school and graduated high school in Cincinnati.
Matsuzawa attended Northwestern University in Illinois for one year and then transferred to Miami University of Ohio where he completed a degree in business administration. Upon graduation, Matsuzawa moved back to Gardena and was drafted in the army during the Korean War. Matsuzawa completed his basic training at Fort Ord, Calif., then sent to Korea and participated in the Battle at Inchon, which resulted in the recapture of the capital of Seoul.
Although Matsuzawa was trained as an infantryman, he was soon transferred to a military intelligence unit when it was discovered he was proficient in Japanese, Korean, and partially in the Chinese language. This ability aided his unit to interrogate North Korean prisoners. During his service, Matsuzawa was awarded a Bronze Star and received his United States citizenship with his honorable discharge.
An extremely active member of the Nikkei community, Matsuzawa participated with many community organizations. He served as president of the Suburban Optimist Club of Buena Park from 1984-1985 and remained on the board of directors and performed the duties of chaplain for many years thereafter.
He was commander of the Kazuo Masuda Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3670 in 1992 – 1993. Matsuzawa served on the board of directors and was the active post chaplain for more than 30 years. He was an active board member of the Japanese American Korean War Veterans organization and performed chaplain duties for 23 years.
Among the many organizations he helped, Matsuzawa was proud of being a charter board member of the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Committee. He also served as athletic commissioner for the South East Youth Organization (SEYO) baseball leagues from 1966 – 1970 and scout master for a Boy Scout troop in Orange County.
Matsuzawa was always an active and faithful member of the Wintersburg Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana, Calif., until his passing on February 2, 2019.
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Pioneer Spirit Award recipients are dedicated, long-standing community volunteers and leaders of the Japanese / Japanese American Community.
Yoshihiro Uchida – Nominated by the Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council
Yoshihiro Uchida has given so much for the sport of judo and in the Japanese American community. Uchida was one of two people that had the foresight to change judo, a martial art, into a weight class system with different weight divisions, therefore allowing judo to be practiced by anyone. His efforts helped spread judo nationwide throughout the collegiate circle, and established judo as a sport in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).
Uchida started doing judo at the age of 10 because his parents wanted him to learn more about his Japanese culture. In Japanese school at the time, boys could choose one sport: judo, sumo, or kendo. Uchida chose judo, as did his brother George, who also became internationally renowned as a judo coach.
When the Uchida family was incarcerated in the Poston and Tule Lake internment camps, the young Uchida was drafted during World War II and sent to military camps in the Midwest. Upon serving four years and returning to San Jose after the war, he resumed his studies at San Jose State University (SJSU), graduating in 1947 with a degree in biological science. He continued teaching judo and helped to set up a judo program on campus.
The first National AAU championships were hosted by SJSU in 1953, when Uchida was tournament director. He was able to qualify judo as a sport in the Olympics and was the first U.S. Olympic judo coach in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1970, he was appointed to President Nixon’s Physical Fitness and Sports Advisory Council. Uchida inducted into the USA Judo Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was an Olympic torch bearer, representing the city of San Jose.
He earned numerous prestigious awards and accomplishments because of judo. He was the Silver Medallion winner of Nisei of the Biennium from the National JACL in 1964-1966. In 1986, he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, presented by the Emperor of Japan. In 1991, he was appointed representative to Japan by the American Conference of Mayors and Chamber of Commerce President Sendai. Other awards include: Freedom Award from Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) in 1992, and Kodomo no Tame Ni award from the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in 1993, and Japanese American of the Biennium awarded by National JACL in 1994. In 1997, SJSU honored Uchida by renaming the Spartan Complex to Yoshihiro Uchida Hall and he was inducted into the athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
In addition, Uchida has been involved in the Japanese American community. In 1996, he founded the Japanese American Chamber of Commerce of Silicon Valley (JACCSV) and currently serves as chairman of the advisory board. He has been the chairman emeritus of the board of trustees of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), and the chairman of the JACL advisory board. He started the San Jose Nihonmachi Corp, which worked on the Miraido Village project or Road to the Future, focused on the revitalization of the city’s Japantown.
Uchida believes judo as a discipline also has a philosophical element, emphasizing the strong cultural values of respect, discipline, and responsibility. The word “ju” pertains to gentle physical development, and “do” means a road; so “judo” is the road to gentle development of character that gives confidence and humbleness to an individual.
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The President’s Award is an honor the Nisei Week Foundation President can bestow on an individual or organization for their notable contributions to Japanese arts, culture, or community.
Madame Sosei Shizuye Matsumoto (posthumously)
Sosei Shizuye Matsumoto was born February 21, 1916, in Honolulu, as Shizuye Yagi. After attending high school in Los Angeles, she enrolled in the French American Fashion Design School and graduated in 1941. At that time, she also began training in chado, the “Way of Tea” ceremony. She moved to Kyoto, Japan, and for six years trained under Tantansai, Fourteenth Generation Grandmaster of the Urasenke School of Chado, and Shoshitsu Sen, Fifteenth Generation Grandmaster.
Following World War II, Sosei Matsumoto moved to Los Angeles and saw few practitioners of the tea ceremony. Her desire to start a school was thwarted by the unsettled times, with Japanese Americans returning from wartime internment camps.
On May 4, 1948, she married Edward (Eddie) Tetsuo Matsumoto, an electronic engineer, who built a tearoom for her in their first home on Coronado Street. After moving to her permanent residence on Occidental Boulevard in 1955, he built a new tearoom for her, later to be named “Showaken”.
In 1951, she was invited to the signing of the US – Japan peace treaty in San Francisco, where over a four-day period she served tea to more than 3,000 American and Japanese officials, including President Truman and Prime Minister Yoshida. Later that year, she started teaching the Urasenke Tea Ceremony in Los Angeles, convening the first tea ceremony classes ever held in the US; one of her ceremonies is shown in the Twentieth Century Fox film, “East Is East”.
Throughout the 1950s, Matsumoto Sensei introduced millions of Americans to chado through appearances on CBS and NBC television. In 1968, she presented the tea ceremony at the Olympic Arts Festival in Mexico City. Her more than 60 years of teaching and lecturing resulted in more than 120 chado teachers and thousands more tea ceremony devotees. Over the years, her students included Japanese and American-born people interested in learning the ancient Japanese tea ceremony.
Matsumoto Sensei exemplified the character of a “chajin” or tea person. She not only knew and could teach all the procedures for chado, but she also manifested the true spirit of self-discipline and compassion for others, which only a few students are ever able to attain.
In 1989, she received the title Meiyo Shihan, Honored Master, from her instructor Shoshitsu Sen. This is the highest teaching certificate available for instructors of Japanese tea ceremony. She taught, lectured and demonstrated widely throughout Southern California and the Southwest at a long list of cultural, educational and civic venues, including regular tea classes at UCLA. In recognition of her long service to preserving Japanese culture, she received the Fifth Order of the Merit (The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays) from the Emperor of Japan in November 1990. She was also honored by the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Japanese American National Museum, and other community organizations.
Since 1990, she voluntarily offered Keiro Retirement Home residents tea ceremony classes once a month, which continue to be offered by her students. In 1994, then first lady Hillary Clinton presented her with the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.
Throughout her career, Matsumoto Sensei continued to receive numerous awards in recognition of her great work, including the Chado Bunka Sho award from Urasenke Konnichian in 2010, Certificate of Commendation from the U.S. Senate & Alliance in California Traditional Arts in 2018, and an award from the Smithsonian Institution in 2019. Matsumoto Sensei has left a rich and enduring legacy in the Way of Tea in Los Angeles.
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The President’s Award is an honor the Nisei Week Foundation President can bestow on an individual or organization for their notable contributions to Japanese arts, culture, or community.
Madame Kangiku Sanjo (posthumously)
Kangiku Sanjo was born June Ito on February 8, 1940 in Boyle Heights, California to Jimmie and Alice Ito. In 1942, the family was interned in the camp at Manzanar. When the war ended, the family moved to Bunker Hill in Los Angeles.
At the age of 4 years old, she began taking Japanese classical dance lessons. At the age of nine, she came under the tutelage of Kanya Sanjo V (then known as Miharu Bando) to study both nagauta music and nihon buyo. Kangiku Sanjo reached professional status (natori) at the age of 16 and made her debut performing “Kyoganoko Musume Dojoji” and “Yasuna.”
Within a few years she became an apprentice (uchi deshi) with Kanya Sanjo V (grandmaster) and assisted in instructing and producing the “Kabuki Dance” and “Kayo Buyo Series” programs until the passing of Kanya Sanjo in June 1989. She had also enhanced her study of nagauta music with the late Grandmaster Yajuro Kineya IX.
Kangiku Sanjo was offered and accepted opportunities to advance studies by kabuki dance choreographers and instructors in Japan. She performed with the late Onoe Shoroku II with Kanya Sanjo V at the National Theater of Japan in March 1969 accompanied by bunraku musicians of Osaka in a dance production “Shishi no Yume” (loin’s dream).
Another career highlight includes her appearance in David Bowie’s 1976 film “The Man Who Fell to Earth.” She and Kanya Sanjo V were featured in the Kabuki performance segment. She also performed with then known Senjaku Nakamura as the butterfly in “Kagami Jishi” in 1981.
Kangiku Sanjo appeared in poster ads, television programs and represented Japan Kabuki Theater in television promotions for the World’s Fair held in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1982.
She traveled often to Japan to study the latest techniques and trends in Japanese classical dance, jiutai mai with the late Hide Kanzaki II, percussion instruments (ohayashi) and tea ceremony. From January 2003 through November 2005, Kangiku Sanjo lived and worked in Japan, allowing her to undergo an intense, in depth study of the history, evolution, backstage work, choreography, costumes and props, past and present, all-encompassing the creativity and the production of the kabuki dance with renowned choreographers and instructors.
After the demise of Kanya Sanjo V, Kangiku Sanjo became the artistic director and official representative of the Kanya Sanjo V Kabuki Dance Company dedicated to preserve the culture heritage of a 300-year-old historical traditional art form.
Being named the official choreographer of the 2019 Nisei Week Ondo is a great honor and privilege. All the natori and students are looking forward to creating an exciting and memorable event memorializing Kangiku Sanjo’s great passion and desire to impart the Japanese culture on to future generations.
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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.
Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California
The JWSSC celebrates 115 years of continued active community service this year. The organization began on March 27, 1904 in Los Angeles when a small group of women, known as Rafu Fujinkai, began to send care packages to Japan during the Russo-Japanese War.
In 1930, the Rafu Fujinkai brought Buddhist, Christian and other women’s organizations together under a single women’s organization called the Nanka Fujinkai Renmai (Federation of Southern California Japanese Women) to coordinate activities and to work together as a single group. A golden era followed the Fujinkai volunteer work and it expanded into many areas of social welfare. Fujinkai members also introduced and promoted the Japanese cultural arts to the community to build goodwill and friendly relations between Japan and the United States.
In 1937, more than 3,000 people witnessed the unveiling of the 23.5 feet stone monument at Evergreen Cemetery to honor the deceased Japanese pioneers. In 1953, Crown Prince Akihito recognized the monument with the planting of two trees with a dedication plaque. To this day, a service is conducted at the monument on Memorial Day.
The organization adopted its present name, Nanka Nikkei Fujinkai (Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California) in 1956. As the JWSSC prepares to celebrate its 115th year, it continues to support the community by volunteering in the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California’s annual year-end charity drive and its Oshogatsu Festival; co-sponsoring the Women of the Year Lunch along with the Downtown Los Angeles Chapter, JACL; participating in the annual Memorial Day services at Evergreen Cemetery; supporting efforts to assist after disasters such as 9-11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami; and working with Love to Nippon that remembers the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami with its annual memorials.
The Fujinkai provides annual monetary support to the needs of other organizations as well as visitations to Kei Ai Nursing Home. Our sensei (teachers) and members continue to share the Japanese cultural arts of ikebana, Japanese tea ceremony, calligraphy, koto and odori presentations in our community.
The Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California is a nonprofit organization. Its current president is Itsuko Ramos.
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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.
Okinawa Association of America, Inc.
The OAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote Okinawan culture and contribute to local and international cultural exchanges. The OAA was formed by Okinawan immigrants 110 years ago and has since grown into a multigenerational organization that provides cultural, educational, and social programs for its members and the larger community. Although the OAA has changed its name, structure and mission to reflect the changing times, the basic goals of mutual aid and retention of Okinawan identity have remained the same.
During the period between 1896-1900, the first Okinawan settlement in the continental U.S. was formed in San Francisco. An Okinawan kenjinkai (mutual aid organization) was founded in 1902, but the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 prompted many Okinawans to move to Los Angeles, joining about 30 others who had settled there from Mexico. In 1909, the two groups united to form the Nanka Okinawa Kenjinkai, the predecessor to the OAA.
During World War II, organizational activities were halted as most of the members were placed in American internment camps. Returning from the camps to Los Angeles after the war, the Okinawans started not only rebuilding their own livelihood but also organizing relief efforts to aid war-devastated Okinawa. From 1945 to about 1953, activities were almost entirely devoted to helping rebuild their homeland.
The OAA found a permanent home in 1999 with the opening of the OAA Center in Gardena. A number of volunteer-run groups within the OAA work hard to serve the organization’s mission: cultural and event committees are in charge of creating programs and coordinating performances; different clubs host social and informational gatherings that are geared toward seniors, women, and young people; special committees are tasked with managing membership, preserving the OAA’s history, and developing the center’s growing library of Okinawa-focused books. The organization also presents annual high school scholarships and Okinawa prefecture-sponsored study abroad opportunities for young members of Okinawan descent.
The OAA leadership believes that the Issei (first generation) pioneers would be proud to see how dynamic and diverse the community has become. Factors like an increase in programs, an active internet presence, and the strengthening of local and international connections have helped the organization reach a wider audience. With more than 900 members and more young people taking an interest in their heritage, the OAA continues to abide by its 100th anniversary theme, “Ichi nu ichimadin: from generation to generation,” ensuring that the Okinawan culture will live on for generations to come.
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.