is an annual festival celebrating Japanese American (JA) culture and history in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Nisei means 2nd generation in Japanese, describing the first American born Japanese, a group which the seven-day festival was originally meant to attract. Though named for the Nisei generation, Nisei Week is no longer targeted at Niseis, nor is the festival still contained within a week. Nisei Week Foundation president for 2006, Michelle Suzuki, described the festival as "the opportunity for people of all backgrounds to celebrate Japanese heritage and culture".Muranaka, Gwen, Nisei Week Kicks Off Annual Festivities, Rafu Shimpo, June 10, 2006. URL accessed on August 3, 2006.
Festivities are held over one month, though the main attractions are held during the primary two weekends of the festival in mid-August. Nisei Week draws tens of thousands of participants each year from both the Japanese community and Southern California area, mostly to its Grand Parade and specialized festivals. The 80th Annual Nisei Week Festival & the Grand Parade were to take place in August 2020. The 12th Annual Tanabata Festival was to be held in Little Tokyo in mid-August 2020, but all of which were cancelled & deferred to 2022.
History and cultural analysis
Nisei Week's history began during the financially difficult era of the Great Depression — Issei, first generation Japanese immigrants, were growing too old and the Gentlemen's Agreement prohibited new Japanese immigration. The English speaking Nisei became a sought after potential revenue source to support Little Tokyo businesses dominated by Issei. With Little Tokyo falling into stagnation, Nisei week was a celebration intended to attract Niseis and to help generate more youthful exuberance in the district.Tanaka, Togo, The History of Nisei Week, 50th Anniversary Booklet, Nisei Week Foundation, 1990. URL accessed on August 3, 2006.
Mihiko Shimizu, original inventor of the festival, and other Issei business owners vied for an alliance with the Nisei run Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) to promote the festival. However, the possibility of being labelled as anti-American by anti-Japanese groups remained a concern, due to the collaboration of the two generations (American citizens and Japanese nationals) and cultural overtones of the festival. The Issei business owners decided to hand over all aspects of the celebration to the independent JACL to settle the problem. The first festival was held August 13, 1934, founded by the JACL.Kurashige, Lon, The Problem of Biculturalism: Japanese American Identity and Festival before World War II,The Journal of American History, March 2000. URL accessed August 4, 2006.
Beyond economic reasons, Nisei Week was created to promote "ethnic solidarity". Utilizing Nisei Week's cultural environment, by centering it in the heart of Little Tokyo and holding cultural events, Issei hoped to bring Nisei back into the cultural fold of the older generation. Issei also hoped for Nisei to become brokers between Little Tokyo and the dominant society around it. The creation of the Nisei Week Queen, one year after the first Nisei Week in 1935, may be seen as the epitome of cultural mediation and broker between the Japanese community and white America. Mike Haigwara, Nisei Week's 2007 Street Arts and Carnival director, attributes Nisei Week with helping foster Japanese American identity and self-esteem.
Japanese internment presented another tumultuous and racially charged period for Nisei Week and the greater Japanese community. Executive Order 9066 was initiated in 1942, relocating and confining Japanese Americans to internment camps, including those running Nisei Week. The festival has been running continuously, except the years during and immediately after internment. Nisei Week celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1990, shifted from 6 years of inactivity during the WWII era. Despite obstacles, Nisei Week is the longest running Japanese festival in California, celebrating its 80th birthday in 2020., sushiandtofu.com, All Japan News, August 2002. URL accessed on August 3, 2006.
Retrospectively, the celebration was seen by Time Magazine as dual reminder: "Unofficially, it recalls an ugly footnote to American history: the World War II evacuation and internment of more than 110,000 West Coast Japanese, most of them native-born U.S. citizens."Time Magazine, , http://www.time.com, Time Inc., August 11, 1961. Lon Kurashige, professor of ethnic studies at USC, proposes that the lingering effects of internment changed Nisei Week's cultural tones and affiliations, in part due to the weakening role of men during the internment period, which again shifted during and after the civil rights period.
Phillip Morris' first promotional event targeted at Asian and Pacific Islander American community events was staged at Nisei Week. The event was part of a larger "PULL strategy" program, which included marketing to increase brand recognition among Asians. A Marlboro booth provided samples and attempted to attract consumers by displaying a McLaren MP4/4 show car (Marlboro sponsored McLaren's F1 team at the time) at the 1988 Nisei Week festival.Muggli, M.E.; Pollay, R.W.; Lew, R.; Joseph, A.M., Targeting of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by the tobacco industry: results from the Minnesota Tobacco Document Depository (pdf), Tobacco Control, 2002.
In 1982, businesswoman Frances Hashimoto became the first woman to chair the Nisei Week festival.
"Aki the Akita", Nisei Week's official mascot, was created by renowned mascot artist Dick Sakahara in 1997 for Nisei Week's now defunct Dog Show . Aki appears as a costumed character to greet and entertain children, or in cartoon form as a symbol for the festival.Aki the Akita,Niseiweek.org, Nisei Week Foundation, 2005. URL accessed on August 3, 2006.
Nisei Week wasn't held between 1942 & 1945 nor 2020; the latter year saw a virtual festival.
Festivities
Nisei Week has many attractions and exhibitions, which change annually, though many traditions remain each year.
Nisei Week Grand Parade The Nisei Week Parade takes place on the primary Sunday of Nisei Week. The parade features many varied participants, mostly from Southern California and Japan, including the following: local high school marching bands, ondo dancing groups, martial art dojos, elected parade marshals (usually celebrities or community heroes), Japanese and local politicians (such as the Mayor of Los Angeles), a mikoshi shrine, floats, pageant queens, taiko players, etc. Spanning several hours, the Nisei Week Parade lasts long due to its many participants and slow walk pace of traditional Japanese dancers.Nisei WEEK Festival Parade and Participants 1996, Nisei Week Festival Parade flyer, Nisei Week Foundation, 1996. URL accessed on August 3, 2006.
Aomori Nebuta, a famous festival within Japan, presented an imported parade float at the 2007 Grand Parade. The parade took place on August 19, at 6pm, in order for the float's lights to be visible after nightfall.
The 2011 parade on August 14 featured former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda as grand marshal. American figure skater Mirai Nagasu, American actress and singer Gina Hiraizumi, Japanese singer and TV personality Kenichi Mikawa have appeared in the parade.
Go For Broke and U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion Exhibits After World War II, exhibits were introduced about internment camps and JA veterans, including those of the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion. Currently, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) and Go For Broke Monument have replaced separate exhibits and the old JANM building. JA veterans still march annually in the Nisei Week Parade.
Nisei Week Car Show The Car Show was introduced in 2000 and is produced by Mainstream Productions LLC. / Showoff Car Show. The show features import cars, exhibits, import models, along with car competitions for cash and sponsor prizes. The Car Show is one of the few admission based events at Nisei Week, covering the cash prize and logistics of a full fledge festival, including live entertainment and exhibits."Mike", Nisei Week Car Show - Little Tokyo 2002, carandmodel.com, 2002. URL accessed August 4, 2006.Nisei Week Showoff Car Show, showoffcafe.com, 2006. URL accessed on August 3, 2006. The import scene is argued as both influenced and originated within the Asian American community and linked to Asian American identity.Kwon, Susan, What's the Story Behind All Those Asians in the Import Scene?, Racingmix, January 13, 1999. A look into the culture and history of the import scene by a graduate student. URL accessed on August 3, 2006.
Nisei Week Queen and Court
The 2nd annual Nisei Week introduced the Nisei Week pageant and Nisei Week Coronation Ball in 1935. The pageant was created to help reinvigorate local business and promote goodwill in the greater Los Angeles community. In early years of the pageant, patrons of Little Tokyo businesses would receive a ballot to vote for the Queen. Today, the queen is crowned for her community service and presentation skills, with a formal coronation held for judging and celebration. New Queens and Princesses are inducted annually and featured prominently on float during the Nisei Week Parade. The Queen and Court are crowned at a formal dinner of 700 guests on the primary weekend of Nisei Week's festival., sushiandtofu.com, August 2003. URL accessed on August 3, 2006Muranaka, Gwen,Liane Takano Crowned Nisei Week Queen, Asian Week, Los Angeles News Publishing Co. August 20, 1998. URL accessed January 25, 2007. During the one-year reign, the Nisei Week court members have the opportunity to gain wide exposure to global dignitaries and local industry leaders and the chance to travel to cities including Nagoya, Japan; San Francisco; and Honolulu, Hawaii to experience the various sister festivals and make life-long connections. +2020sNisei Week Queen1st PrincessMiss TomodachiPrincessPrincessPrincessPrincess2025Kimi LookMegan Ayumi MiyamotoMika Fumiyo Megumi DyoSamantha Kimiyo CirelliEmma Yasuko Shojinaga FukunagaCasey Mariko KuramotoMia Miyoko Takatsuka2024Morgan Mayuko GeeSeia Loraine WatanabeAmy Ryoko KuboAnita Sumi Yayi KomatsuCaitlyn Tera SasakiCarina Aiko Sakimura2023Kaitlyn Emiko ChuSara Emiko KuboNancy Izumi ChinIsabella Rose PolizzottoKamalani “Kama” HigashiyamaKaili Mika InouyeAiko Marie Matsumura Dzikowski2022Kristine Emiko YadaAudrey Emi NakaokaMaile Tabata YanguasEmily Shigeko KumagaiAmanda Akiko HiraishiLorie Hatsuko MezaFaith Sumiko Nishimura2021Jaime Sunny HasamaBrianne Mari YasukochiKiyomi Arimitsu TakemotoKendra Alana MotoyasuMichelle Toshiko MurakamiKiyoko Alicia Nakatsui2020NONE (cancelled by COVID-19 pandemic)