JFC SAKE EXPO

The fifth annual JFC Sake Expo was held on October 16 at the Hilton Orange County. The Sake Expo is a business-to-business event for sake makers to present new products to restaurant and bar owners. While over 200 products were introduced at the event, the most popular was the soy sake. The sake was made by a young worker in Morioka City in Iwate Prefecture. The soy sake has isoflavones, a compound that works similarly to female hormones and is popular among women.

Awayakai 35th Anniversary Concert

The Awayakai, a koto music group in Los Angeles, held their 35th anniversary concert on October 23 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. The concert featured local members of the Awayakai and special guests from Japan. There were 10 songs played, raning from traditional Japanese songs to modern day songs, such as the Ghibli anime Ponyo’s theme song. The Awayakai is currently teaching koto and shamisen in the South Bay area.

BOOM BOOM SATELLITES in Los Angeles

Techno and rock unit BOOM BOOM SATELLITES held a concert at the Troubadour in West Hollywood on October 25. BOOM BOOM SATELLITES consists of guitarist and vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist and programmer Masayuki Nakano. The two have a solid fan base in the U.S., as they recently were featured on the soundtrack of Saw the Final 3D. Over 100 fans attended the event, which is part of their U.S. Tour. The two plan to come back to the U.S. next year.