The 70th Annual Nisei Week’s Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony for the 70th Annual Nisei Week festivities was held at the Japanese American National Museum on July 18th. Nisei Week is held every summer in Little Tokyo as a way of celebrating the Japanese and Japanese American cultures. Sponsors and community leaders attended the ceremony, and joined in prayer for the success of this year’s Nisei Week. The seven candidates for this year’s Nisei Queen were announced. They will serve as cultural ambassadors of the Japanese American community at local events. This year’s Nisei Queen will be crowned on August 14th at the Coronation Ball held at Little Tokyo’s Aratani Japan America Theatre.

United States Martial Arts Festival

The United States Martial Arts Festival, which featured martial arts from 5 different countries – Japan, China, Korea, America and Israel, was held on July 18 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. This is an annual martial arts charity event to promote the arts and celebrate the international cultural community. Proceeds from the event were donated to the Shin Koyamada Foundation, a nonprofit organization led by actor and martial artist Shin Koyamada. The event included performances from 12 martial arts groups.

Hiroshima University Medical Examinations

Doctors from the Hiroshima University Hospital is holding medical examinations at the Hiroshima Kenjinkai Office in Little Tokyo from July 20th to August 5th. This medical examination is part of Hiroshima University’s research to compare the differences of health conditions between the Japanese and Japanese Americans. Twelve doctors will perform examinations for diabetes, heart disease and dental diseases for $20 until August 5th.