Kyodo Taiko was among performers during the day-long event.
By KATHEE YAMAMOTO
The first student-led Tsunagi Matsuri in Little Tokyo was held March 8 in the JACCC Plaza.
The inaugural event, held last year on the UCLA campus, attracted more than 8,000 attendees. Expanding into a larger, all-day festival, organizers sought to “connect generations, campuses and the Little Tokyo community through shared culture.”
“Tsunagi,” meaning “to connect,” was chosen to exemplify the spirit of the festival, which celebrated heritage, spotlighted community organizations and local businesses, and raised critical funds to support the Little Tokyo Community Impact Fund (LTCIF).
Activities at the event included an anime cosplay contest.
Jonah Hirata and Jared Nakahara were co-chairs for the event, hosted by the UCLA Nikkei Student Union (NSU) in partnership with the Intercollegiate Nikkei Council (INC)
According to organizers, over 12,000 attendees — “families, students and community members from across Southern California” — enjoyed the festival’s entertainment, food and craft vendors, games, free giveaways and community booths.
“Tsunagi is more than a celebration. Little Tokyo is facing real pressure from gentrification and displacement. We’re a new generation stepping up, not as outsiders looking in, but as community members who call Little Tokyo a second home,” they said.
Half of online donations and 25% of event profits are being donated to LTCIF “to support preservation efforts and combat displacement, with remaining proceeds benefiting student-led Japanese American organizations.”
In making this decision, Hirata explains, “We found that LTCIF would give NSU a stake in the community so even after Jared and I graduate, we hope the next generations of NSU and student leaders understand the importance of continuing to be active in Little Tokyo.”
Ahead of bringing the festival to Little Tokyo, Tsunagi Matsuri’s Instagram gave details about the event, and introduced their Interview Series, which for now is still available to view: “Hear from local business owners and community leaders on the importance of protecting our neighborhood.”
Interviewees include Bill Watanabe, president of LTCIF; Far Bar owner Don Tahara; Philip Hirose and Joann Hirose speaking about both their restaurant Azay and Anzen Hardware; Nancy Yap, executive director of CAUSE (Center for Asian-Americans United for Self-Empowerment).
Jonah Hirata (right) with Tsunagi Matsuri volunteers from UCLA, the UCLA Nikkei Student Union (NSU) and the Intercollegiate Nikkei Council (INC)
In first announcing the event, organizers encouraged support for the matsuri and its goals. “When we show up together, it sends a powerful message about who we are and what we stand for.”
Hirata considers those goals fulfilled. “I definitely believe we made an impact for the community. We raised $2.5K for the LTCIF and we hope we can continue to hold this festival each year to continue to bring awareness and support Little Tokyo. So many people were inspired by our mission and we are amazed by all the support.”
Volunteers from UCLA, the UCLA Nikkei Student Union (NSU) and the Intercollegiate Nikkei Council (INC) manned the “freebies” booth, giving away ramen, curry mix, gummy candy and more.