The 17th Los Angeles Tanabata Festival was held as the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Little Tokyo from Aug. 9 to 17 as part of the Nisei Week Japanese Festival.
The venue change was the result of the Japanese American National Museum being closed for renovations.
The kazari (decorations) created by the community were unveiled in Isamu Noguchi Plaza as part of the JACCC’s Nisei Week activities.
For the 2025 Tanabata Festival, 49 kazari were submitted by the community. This year’s contest had three categories: Kenjinkai (prefectural associations), Families and Individuals, and Nonprofit Organizations. First-place winners were awarded $50 cash prizes; second- and third-place winners received gift certificates.
The winners are as follows:
Japanese Prefectural Association of Southern California (Kenjinkai Kyogikai) — First place: Kanagawa Kenjinkai; second place: Miyagi Kenjinkai; third place: Akita Kenjinkai
Families/Individuals — First place: Poppy Wong (BTS); second place: Yoshie Sato; third place: Poppy Kwong (CAT)
Nonprofit Organizations — First place: NALC USA; second place: City Councilmember Traci Park; third place: Rinri Kenjinkai USA
People’s Choice (voted on by festival attendees on Aug. 15) — Yoshie Sato by an overwhelming margin of over 100 votes
Judges from the community included Michael Okamura, Little Tokyo Historical Society; Kristin Fukushima, Little Tokyo Community Council; Susan Yokoyama, Pacific Citizen; Yuko Makuuchi, JACCC; Coleen-Tamny Uchida, Japanese American National Museum; Nancy Takayama, Little Tokyo Business Association; Kevin Onishi, Keiro; 2024 Nisei Queen Court; and Gail Matsui, The Rafu Shimpo.
Corporate sponsors ($1,000): Japanese Village Plaza, Kiyo Fukumoto, Nanka Kenjinkai Kyogikai, Yoshihito Yonezawa
Amanoawa ($500): Junko Yamaguchi, Kunimitsu Nagatoshi, Michael Gonzalez, Miyako Kadogawa, Momo’s Kids
Orihime ($200): Anne Altherr, Benett Kawata, DDS, For Weavers Momo & Poppy, Syndicated Arts, Ryo & Yoshie Sato
Hikoboshi ($100): Allen & Uzuko Shiroishi, Ann Peifer, Eruvin & Katelynn Kanemori, Hiroko Takano, Hisamorii Iwashita, Kanagawa SoCal, Manuel & Kiyomi Yonezawa, Michele Hamilton, Midori Matcha Café, Mr. & Mrs. Yoshiyuki Yonezawa, Musashi & Sachiko Kanemori, Nanka Mie Kenjinkai, Nanka Miyagi Kenjikai, Richard Watanabe, Sushi-Gen, Dahlgren family, Henken Gallery, Trish Johnson, Zix 1848 Brewery
Tanzaku ($50): George Mori, Hiroko Oyama, Jax & Ryder Kanemori, Julee & Glen Cunningham, Korey Kito, Midori & Tsuyoshi Yonezawa, Mr. & Mrs. Jube Kanemori, NALC USA, Tampopo Club, Terry & Danny Wong, Toshiko Yamashige, Yoshiko Ehara-Pioneer Center
Tomodachi ($25): Glenn Umemoto, Grace Mayeda, in honor of Lynda Obst, in honor of Mitsuo Mori, Katsuko Sakihahama & Yoshiko Nishihira, Lisa Humnewell, Masako Ujiye, Pamela Ventura, Setsuko Kitabayashi, Yo Hashimoto, Yoko Oishi
Special thanks to kazari sponsor Shiramatsuga Monoka Confectionery, which provides the award-winning kazari from the Tanabata Festival in Sendai, and facility sponsor Quon Yick Noodle Co., JACCC, Nisei Week, Central Boeki Calif. Ltd. and bymDESIGN.
The Tanabata Festival provides workshops on how to make kazari at their office at the JACCC, 244 S. San Pedro St., Room 405A. For more information, contact Miyako Kadogawa at miyako1@att.net. For office appointments, call Junko Yonezawa at (323) 742-2494 or (323) 721-8523.
Follow the L.A. Tanabata Festival at: https://sites.google.com/view/latanabatafestival/home
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