Red Bull Soapbox Race 2011

On May 21st in downtown Los Angeles, a crowd of over 115,000 people gathered to watch this year's Red Bull Soapbox Race. A course of about 300 meters was blocked off from the top of Grand Avenue, making the hairpin turn and finishing at the bottom of the hill on 5th Street.

All cars entered were handmade within the size requirements and, after the initial man-powered push at the top of the hill, could only be powered by the pull of gravity. The course consisted of a series of s-curves and small jumps, but the biggest obstacle by far was the sharp, banked 90-degree curve at the corner of Grand and 5th.

The crowd roared with excitement as cars competed against each other and the course to put on the best show and get the best time. Many teams tackled the 90-degree turn. Most of them crashed.

In the end, of the 35 teams that participated, it was the Lakers Fan Wagon that came away with the victory. Though they were defeated in the NBA Playoffs, this LA crowd was still able to cheer a Lakers victory!

JCHI Sponsored Radiation Seminar

On the 21st of May, the Japanese Medical Association sponsored a seminar entitled “I Want to Hear It Now! Easy to Understand Radiation Stories” at the Miyako Hybrid Hotel in Torrance.

Even in America, there has been an increased interest in the issues of radiation.
Using pictures and diagrams, Dr. Noriko Salamon gave an easy to understand explanation of the basic knowledge of the effects of radiation exposure to the health of the human body and state-of-the-art medical treatment applications to the 200 attendees who listened intently.

Attendees also wrote on a board, messages of hope and speedy recovery to the disaster stricken area in Fukushima Prefecture. Support messages sent to JCHI through to next month will be delivered to the affected areas in Fukushima.

Nibei Doctor's Club Meeting

The Nibei Doctor's Club meeting was held on May 21st. The 35 members who came to the meeting listened to two guest speakers as they showed slides and spoke about their experiences assisting in areas struck by the tsunami in Japan.

This meeting is held once a month and is open to those who have come to Los Angeles from Japan to research medicine and their families.

Special Report: Hydrogen Station

Cameraman Scott Russell reports on the new hydrogen gas station, which opened 190th Street in Torrance on May 10th. The state-of-the-art station is only available to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Ito Jakuchu: A Man With No Age

Many people would instantly recognize the famous image of the big white tile-like elephant on the folding canvas. The painter of the piece is the Edo period, Japanese painter, Ito Jakuchu.

There are currently 25 of Ito Jakuchu works of art from the Price collection on display at the Bower's Art Museum in Santa Ana. The collection has been on display in 5 Japanese cities between 2006 and 2007 and over one million people have been to see it.

The collection will be on display at the Bower's Art Museum until June 12th.