Miss Orange County JA Queens with recognition certificates from Rep. Young Kim – back row, from left: Casey Kuramoto (2025); Sarah Hutter (2015); Kristine Yada (2022); Emily Folick Koko (2012); Kara Ito (2019); Kaitlyn Emiko Chu (2023); Michelle Ito Hatsushi (2005); Christine Kimoto Tanaka (2007). Middle row, from left: Karen Karasawa Eto (1979); Karen Takeguma Woo (1977); Sandra Fukushima Ninomiya (1989); Denise Higuchi Bjorn (1990); Marissa Ishii Yamashita (2008); Dominique Mashburn (2014); Alice Amano (2018); Caitlyn Sasaki (2024). Front row: Joanne Ono Castillo (1976); Patti Hirahara (1974); Dianne Kubota Hamano (1961); Doris Reiko Fujino Pultz (1960); Carol Nishizu Matsuoka (1962); Gwen Okumura Martino (1969); Gail Konishi Shibayama (1970); standing: Abigail Fachtmann, district director of Rep. Kim’s office.
The second Miss Orange County Japanese American Queens Reunion took place on Sept. 20 at Tabiji Japanese Restaurant in Orange with 25 queens attending.
The Orange County queens were sponsored by Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670 (1958-1970), Suburban Optimist Club of Buena Park (1974-1982), and Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council (1989-2025).
The first reunion was held in 2023 at Orange County Buddhist Church with 30 queens attending.
At this year’s event, 2025 Miss Orange County JA Queen Casey Kuramoto, a member of the current Nisei Week Court, served as emcee and Marsha Hamamoto, president of Orange County Sports Association, gave welcoming remarks.
Deputy Consul General Naoko Kamitani delivered greetings on behalf of Consul General Kosei Murota. The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles was also represented by Consul Aya Ishii.
Abigail Fachtmann, district director for Rep. Young Kim (R-Orange), presented certificates of recognition to the queens on behalf of the congresswoman.
Seated at the head table were VFW queens Mary Murai Nakayama (1958), Doris Reiko Fujino Pultz (1960), Dianne Kubota Hamano (1961), Carol Nishizu Matsuoka (1962), Gwen Okumura Martino (1969), and Gail Konishi Shibayama (1970),
An “In Memoriam” table honored VFW queens Carol Kunitsugu Itatani (1965) and Beverly Hayashida Chien (1968).
The queens gave presentations on “My Favorite Photo During My Reign” and posed for group photos.
Patti Hirahara, 1974 Optimist queen and coordinator of the reunion with 2007 OCNCC queen Christine Kimoto Tanaka, gave a talk on the queen program in the context of Japanese American history in Orange County, which dates back to the 1900s.
She discussed the Orange County Japanese Garden and Teahouse, dedicated in 1970; the Orange County Japanese Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum, which opened in 2006; the “I Am an American” exhibition presented by Anaheim Public Library and Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in 2019; and Crystal Cove’s plans to develop a Japanese garden and a Go For Broke Walking Trail.
Special guests included Commander James Nakamura of Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670; Norio Uyematsu, 94-year-old Korean War veteran, three-time VFW post commander, and member of VFW Queens Committee; Keiko Sadakane, first president of Ladies of VFW Post 3670 and last remaining board member of Orange County Japanese American Community Services Inc.; Linda Honda, charter member of VFW Youth Group; and Kimiko Fujita, past president of Orange County Japanese American Association.
The Miss Orange County Queen Story
In 1958, the Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670 decided to sponsor a Miss Orange County Nisei Queen in the Nisei Week Japanese Festival in Little Tokyo. The VFW post had been chartered on Nov. 2, 1957 and they had not celebrated their first-year anniversary, but they felt Orange County should be represented in the Los Angeles festival.
They sponsored a total of 13 queens, ending in 1970. The big difference for these first queens was not having that many Japanese American events to attend due to the closeness of the ending of World War II and the Japanese American community resettling into Orange County.
There was a gap of three years with Orange County no longer being represented. Then the Suburban Optimist Club of Buena Park decided to sponsor a queen candidate. Suburban Optimists sponsored a total of nine candidates beginning in 1974. They decided to end their sponsorship with their last queen in 1982.
There was a six-year gap, from 1983 to 1988, to have a queen candidate from Orange County. In 1989, the Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council, through its member affiliates, have sponsored a total of 35 candidates through 2025.
Their active participation has allowed young women the opportunity to raise awareness on several Japanese American community platforms, represent Orange County in many Japanese American events in Southern California, and travel to other Japanese American communities and Japan.
Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670
1958: Mary Murai
1959: Irene Morioka
1960: Doris Fujino
1961: Dianne Kubota
1962: Carol Nishizu
1963: Terri Kakuda
1964: Gwen Fujino
1965: Carol Kunitsugu
1966: Marilyn Wada
1967: Patrica Kasuda
1968: Beverly Hayashida
1969: Gwen Okumura
1970: Gail Konishi
Suburban Optimist Club of Buena Park
1974: Patti Hirahara
1975: Susan High
1976: Joanne Ono
1977: Karen Takeguma
1978: Jaime Kajiki
1979: Karen Karasawa
1980: Judean Karimoto
1981: Frances Shima
1982: Barbara Vollmer
Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council
1989: Sandra Fukushima
1990: Denise Higuchi
1991: Shannon Suzuki
1992: Staci Hashimoto
1993: Kimberly Stapchuk
1994: Stephanie Iwamasa
1995: Maki Ichiroku
1996: Maggie Fukumoto
1997: Janelle Hamabata
1998: Nicole Inouye
1999: Traci Murase
2000: Erin Nomura
2001: Norie Nakase
2002: Kimberly Hayashi
2003: Kristi Higa
2004: Heather Nagano
2005: Michelle Ito
2006: Lisa Shimabukuro
2007: Christine Kimoto
2008: Marissa Ishii
2009: Whitney Itano
2010: Christy Sakamoto
2011: Melissa Nishimura
2012: Emily Folick
2013: Laura Higashi
2014: Dominique Mashburn
2015: Sara Hutter
2016: Megan Ono
2017: Kaitlin Hara
2018: Alice Amano
2019: Kara Ito
2022: Kristine Yada
2023: Kaitlyn Chu
2024: Carolyn Sasaki
2025: Casey Kuramoto