Tu_triky wrote:

The World Heritage Sites in Japan Photography Exhibition Kazuyoshi Miyoshi/PPS From historical monuments to beautiful natural environments, currently, there are a total of 17 cultural and natural sites in Japan registered as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Over 60 beautiful photographs of these sites taken by a renowned photographer, Kazuyoshi Miyoshi will be displayed as a two-part exhibition at JFLA starting January 28th through March 22nd. Part 1: Tuesday, January 28th - Saturday, February 22nd Part 2: Tuesday, February 25th - Saturday, March 22nd Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 12pm-7pm Wednesdays & Fridays 12pm-4pm Every 2nd & 4th Saturday 12pm-4:30pm Closed on Sundays, Mondays, 1st & 3rd Saturdays and holidays Venue: JFLA Auditorium (5700 Wilshire Blvd. #100, Los Angeles, CA 90036) Admission: Free For more information: http://www.jflalc.org/ac-exhibit-heritage.html

There's always something nice going on at JFLA.

bmwracer wrote:

There's always something nice going on at JFLA.

Yeah it seems so. I think it's cool that they offer film screenings and other activities, often for free, to promote Japanese language and culture.

Saw this on EBay, check out those hairstyles!!: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-Nisei-Week-Festival-Little-Tokyo-Los-Angeles-CA-program-Japanese-/321325726638?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ad0817bae

gaijinmark wrote:

Saw this on EBay, check out those hairstyles!!: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-Nisei-Week-Festival-Little-Tokyo-Los-Angeles-CA-program-Japanese-/321325726638?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ad0817bae

Wow that's a throw back if I've ever seen one.

Japan Family Day at Santa Anita two weeks from Saturday: http://www.tokyocitycup.com/japan-family-day/

I was fortunate enough to attend a free cultural event at the Japan Foundation today.

It was a demonstration of Rakugo, the Japanese art of comic storytelling. The performance and lecture was given by Diane Kichijitsu, an English woman who resides in Osaka and performs Rakugo in both English and Japanese.

Here's the explanation excerpted from the Japan Foundation of Los Angeles website:

The kimono-clad performer recounts a tale whilst kneeling on a cushion, using voice inflections, gestures and facial expressions to portray all the characters and using only a fan & handkerchief as props to creatively represent a variety of objects.

The storyteller takes the listener on a magical journey, giving insights into Japanese customs, culture, and traditional lifestyles in a light-hearted, humorous way.

The only limitation is the listener's imagination.

Diane Kichijitsu(�_�C�A���g��):

Born in Liverpool, England and now residing in Osaka, Japan, Diane has been performing rakugo since 1998. Her repertoire ranges from traditional pieces to her own original stories.

Diane was first introduced to the world of rakugo when she was asked to be 'ochako' (stage assistant) for the late and very talented, Katsura Shijaku - the pioneer of rakugo in English. She was mesmerized by Shijaku-san's performance and immediately fell in love with rakugo. Her decision to study the art took her along a path that has changed her life.

Diane's popular rakugo shows and seminars are full of humorous situations and anecdotes drawn from her childhood in England, experiences backpacking around the world, surprising episodes in Japan and cultural differences. Diane is also active outside rakugo giving talks at schools, international exchange events and various groups throughout Japan and overseas.

http://www.diane-o.com/

First, there's 2014 Taste of Little Tokyo: http://www.jas-socal.org/Default.aspx?pageId=849230&eventId=891192&EventViewMode=EventDetails

and then on May 3rd, Godzilla: http://www.jaccc.org/godzilla.php

Cherry Blossom Festival in Monterey Park April 26-27, 2014

http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/673/Cherry-Blossom-Festival

Be at the JACCC on Saturday, June 28th at 10am and bring your ukulele: http://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/news/guinness-world-record-attempt-set-for-largest-ukulele-ensemble

Gourmet Fair at Torrance Mitsuwa next Thursday thru Sunday: https://www.mitsuwa.com/ai1ec_event/japanese-gourmet-fair/?instance_id=1113&lang=en

Any Cosplayers out there? (what a stupid question ):http://www.cooljapanusa.com/english.html

gaijinmark wrote:

Be at the JACCC on Saturday, June 28th at 10am and bring your ukulele

Not to worry Yokohama, your record is safe. I wandered over there around 10:30 and they had about 700 people at that point. They needed 2,135. For one thing there's no way over 2,100 people would fit in the JACCC plaza. I don't know how many they ended up with but I doubt if they got a thousand.

Summer means Obon. First one in Little Tokyo coming up the weekend of July 12th-13th: http://www.japanese-city.com/calendar/events/index.php?eID=32542

For some reason the Nisei Week website doesn't have it, but the Nisei Week Foundation Facebook page does. This years Queen and Court candidates (if Ashley Arikawa or Melissa Kozono isn't named Queen, the fix is in): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152300906733261&set=a.381482968260.163889.106073318260&type=1&theater

gaijinmark wrote:

For some reason the Nisei Week website doesn't have it, but the Nisei Week Foundation Facebook page does. This years Queen and Court candidates (if Ashley Arikawa or Melissa Kozono isn't named Queen, the fix is in): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152300906733261&set=a.381482968260.163889.106073318260&type=1&theater

My vote goes to Lindsey Sugimoto.

Nice article on Little Tokyo's past, present, and future: http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2014/6/30/little-tokyos-revival/

gaijinmark wrote:

Nice article on Little Tokyo's past, present, and future: http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2014/6/30/little-tokyos-revival/

My brother used to play basketball with Chris Komai and his cousin Mike, who I think is currently the publisher of the Rafu Shimpo...

bmwracer wrote:

My vote goes to Lindsey Sugimoto.

Here's the profiles of all the candidates: http://www.niseiweek.org/2014-nisei-week-court/

You could be right about Lindsey, but geez, she went to USC!

gaijinmark wrote:

Here's the profiles of all the candidates: http://www.niseiweek.org/2014-nisei-week-court/ You could be right about Lindsey, but geez, she went to USC!

Nobody's perfect.

Tori Nishinaka-Leon Nisei Week Queen: http://www.rafu.com/2014/08/nishinaka-leon-crowned-nisei-week-queen/

Lindsey is first princess, Ashley is Miss Tomodachi.