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The ninth annual Los Angeles Tanabata Festival was held on Aug. 19 and 20 in Little Tokyo, preceded by an opening ceremony on the night of Aug. 18.

The festival displayed 120 kazari (large paper ornaments) at the outdoor space near the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and the Japanese American National Museum. Anchored by award-winning kazari shipped from Sendai in northeastern Japan, are created by members of the community.

Kazari were judged in six categories: Anime/Manga, Business, Government, Individuals/Families, Japanese Prefectural Association of Southern California, and institutions/nonprofits organizations.

The Founder’s Award is selected from the first-place winners of the six categories. Judges were Leiton Hashimoto, Nisei Week Foundation president; Deputy Consul General Kazutoshi Hayashi, Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles; Gary Mayeda, JACL national president; and Yasumasa Hirayama, Japanese Prefectural Association of Southern California. The People’s Choice Award recipient was chosen by those who attended the festival on Saturday.

Judges for the overall contest were Angela DeGroot, Japanese Village Plaza; Ellen Endo, Little Tokyo Business Association; Nancy Okubo, Union Bank; Maria Kwong, Japanese American National Museum; Kihei Otani, Orange County Japanese American Association; Queen Jaclyn Tomita, First Princess Megan Ono, Miss Tomodachi Julia Tani, Princess April Nishinaka and Princess Shannon Tsumaki of the 2016 Nisei Week Court; Yasue Clark, Little Tokyo Service Center; Helen Ota, Japanese American Cultural and Community Center; Tomoko Sakuta, Japan Foundation; Woody Scofield, Museum of Contemporary Art; Susan Yokoyama, Pacific Citizen.

Many participants entered multiple kazari in different categories or brought kazari from previous years to try to capture an award. First- through fifth-place awards wre bestowed in each of the six categories.

With “Heroes” as the theme, the winning entries were:

Founder’s Award – Overall Winner

All Nippon Airways

Business

1^st—?ANA

2^nd—?Anzen

3^rd—?Japanese Restaurant News

Government

1^st— Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell

2^nd— Consulate General of Japan

3^rd— Supervisor Hilda Solis

4^th—?San Gabriel Valley Service Center

Manga/Anime

1^st—?America Miyazaki Kenjinkai

2^nd—?Nicholas Gladkov

3^rd—?Nerv

4^th—?Yonezawa grandchildren

5^th—?Yonezawa grandchildren

Individuals/Families

1^st —?Landon N. Novo

2^nd—?Gregory Gladkov

3^rd—?Miyako Kadogawa

4^th—?Poppy Kwong

5^th—?Poppy Kwong

Japanese Prefectural Association Of Southern California

1^st—?Nanka Tochigi Kenjinkai

2^nd—?Hiroshima Kenjinkai

3^rd—?Nanka Miyagi Kenjinkai

4^th—?Ehime Kenjinkai

5^th— Nanka Yamaguchi Kenjinkai

Nonprofit Organizations

1^st—?Teramachi

2^nd—?NALC USA

3^rd—?Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California

4^th—?Japanese American National Museum

5^th—?Little Tokyo Historical Society

People’s Choice

Gedatsu Church

Teramachi’s kazari was dedicated to the Issei pioneers. Nanka Tochigi Kenjinkai depicted legendary archer Nasu no Yoichi. Novo’s kazari featured Moana and Maui from Disney’s “Moana.” O’Farrell’s contribution was a model of Los Angeles City Hall. America Miyazaki Kenjinkai depicted Deku from the anime “My Hero Academia,” while Gedatsu Church chose the title character from Disney’s “Big Hero 6.” ANA’s theme was “Anyone can become a hero,” and its kazari included people from various professions, such as doctor, teacher and police officer.

“This colorful event is a tradition throughout Japan, which we are proud to have brought to share with the multicultural Los Angeles,” said festival chairperson Masumi Muya. “It is a festival that celebrates the meeting of two star lovers who are separated by the River Milky Way. Once a year, the two stars are allowed to meet, a day to have wishes granted. This is a romantic folklore story which is hundreds of years old.”

“How fitting that this festival takes place in the historic heart and home of the Southern California Japanese American community, which embodies the inspirational story of sacrifice, perseverance, and hopes and dreams realized,” Consul General Akira Chiba said in a statement.

The opening ceremony featured entertainment by Yuujou Daiko, Minyo Station, musician Scott Nagatani, and Nancy Teramura Hayata and her Japanese classical dance troupe, a kagami-wari ceremony and sake tasting.

The weekend festival included food, a beer garden, games, information booths, and music and dance performances.

Photos by J.K. YAMAMOTO/Rafu Shimpo

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