Lil Tokyo 4 Peace and the Lil Tokyo Peace Vigil have announced date changes for March and April.
The new March date is Friday, March 23, a week later than originally scheduled. The vigil has been moved up a week to Friday, April 13.
The time and location, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Sakura Crossing on San Pedro Street between 2nd and 3rd streets in the heart of the ’Machi (J-Town), remain the same.
The reasons for the date changes have to do with the pick-up of the Hiroshima Eternal Peace Flame. The flame is housed and cared for, kept burning and prayed to for world peace at Koyasan Buddhist Temple for the U.S., just as it is in Japan.
The pick-up person for the flame, which is a significant and inspirational symbol to the vigilers and a spiritual tie to the worldwide anti-war/pro-peace forces, cannot make the pick-up on the regular dates.
Mo Nishida will not be available on the regular date because Fred Ho will be in town from March 15 to 20. Ho is a creative jazz saxman, author, playwright, revolutionary theoretician and revolutionary cultural worker who is struggling with cancer. He will come to Los Angeles to share his music, philosophy and persona.
He is the author of “Wicked Theory, Naked Practice” and “Diary of a Radical Cancer Warrior.”
Ho was at UCLA on Friday, March 16; on Saturday, March 17, at Eso Won Bookstore; and on Sunday, March 18, at Southern California Library. The latter event was sponsored by the Labor/Community Strategy Center, and featured Diane Fujino, Eric Mann and others.
The vigil has been rescheduled because the pick-up man will be participating in the 21st 250-mile Lil Tokyo to Manzanar Spiritual Unity and Prayer Run. This year, as with the last couple of years, most of the “runners” will be walking. The event will start a day earlier to make up for the slower pace. The Hiroshima Eternal Peace Flame will also be carried on the Spirit Run.
From the month of May, the Peace Vigil will revert back to every third Friday of the month, same time and same place.
For more information, contact Nishida at (323) 371-4502.