Boyle Heights Community Partners will present the fifth annual Nikkei Celebration in Boyle Heights on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 5 to 10:30 p.m.
Parade starts at 5 p.m. in front of Tenrikyo Church, 2727 E. First St. The celebration will feature performances by Hikari Taiko, The Neighborhood Music School, and Japanese classical dancers, plus appearances by the consul general of Japan, the president of Boyle Heights Community Partners, and the Nisei Week Court; the singing of “Sukiyaki”; and public ondo.
For more information, visit: https://boyleheightscommunitypartners.com/
Boyle Heights Community Partners celebrates in August, keeping with the tradition of the first Nisei Week celebration during the Great Depression in August 1934. Nisei Week originally aimed to revitalize community businesses and unite generations, making August a historic and meaningful time for these cultural celebrations. And this is why we celebrate in August, leading into Nisei Week.
Before the expansion of the community, as Little Tokyo established itself as the primary urban hub for Japanese immigrants in Los Angeles following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Boyle Heights transformed in the 1910s and 1920s. Because Boyle Heights was one of the few communities in Los Angeles without restrictive housing covenants that discriminated against people of color, it became an attractive residential haven.
This established a daily dynamic where Japanese families chose to live in the more affordable and welcoming neighborhoods of Boyle Heights east of the Los Angeles River; many traveled across the bridge to work, shop, and access economic and cultural institutions centered in Little Tokyo.
Over time, this flourishing cross-river connection inspired the growth of local churches, language schools, and community landmarks directly within Boyle Heights, allowing residents to plant permanent roots along East First Street while maintaining their vital ties to Little Tokyo.
As a historical society serving Boyle Heights, BHCP — in partnership with the Los Angeles Conservancy — landmarked Otomisan, which is one reason we celebrate. Otomisan is the longest-running authentic Japanese restaurant serving not only Boyle Heights since 1956 but all of Los Angeles from the same location, and our Nikkei Celebrations honor all generations of Japanese in front of it.
This corridor on East First Street, from Soto Street to Evergreen Avenue, Fourth Street/Saratoga, and Konko Church on East First Street/Savannah Street, Tenrikyo/Rissho Kosei-Kai Church, Rafu Chuo Gakuen School, L.A. Tenri Judo Dojo, and Yoshimoto Real Estate (formerly Hayashi Realty), continues to serve as a Japanese historic cultural heritage.
At Evergreen Cemetery rest Medal of Honor recipients and brave soldiers including Pfc. Sadao “Spud” Munemori, Ted Tanouye, Kiyoshi Muranaga, and Joe Hayashi. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team Memorial is a prominent monument at the northwestern corner of the cemetery where Munemori and other Nisei soldiers are interred.
Garden of Pines is a dedicated section established in 1966 honoring Issei pioneers in Los Angeles. The historic 60-acre, 1877-established cemetery contains over 300,000 total interments, with a dedicated section for Issei, Nisei, and Japanese American World War II members, and is one of the few early Los Angeles cemeteries that did not ban non-white burials.
And this is why it is important for us to continue to honor, respect, and celebrate our Japanese history in Boyle Heights on, and the surrounding area of, East First Street.
Every milestone is built on a community that believes in the vision. As we mark five wonderful years of the Nikkei Celebration, we extend our deepest gratitude to the generous donors, partners, and friends whose steadfast support makes this gathering possible. Your commitment preserves our shared history, honors our collective heritage, and ensures that our community continues to thrive for generations to come. Thank you for being the foundation of our past, present, and future.