The Nisei Week Foundation proudly hosts its 84th summer event featuring free cultural activities for all ages. As part of its first weekend of events, the historic Nisei Week Japanese Festival Grand Parade will make its way through the streets of Little Tokyo on Sunday, Aug. 16, starting at 4 p.m.
The parade will be led by the 2026 grand marshal, U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, and 2026 parade marshal, acclaimed mural artist Robert Vargas. The parade procession will start at Central Avenue and head west on Second Street, turning north on San Pedro Street, turning east on First Street, then turning south and ending on Central Avenue.
The Nisei Week Grand Parade will feature traditional taiko drum performers, local community groups, high schools, elected officials and representatives, and the newly crowned 2026 Nisei Week queen and court. Additionally, celebrating nearly 20 years in the U.S., two large Nebuta floats – “Tsugaru Straits, Yoshitsune Crossing the Sea” and “Kintoki” – will illuminate the Little Tokyo streets.
Takano and Vargas will be honored on Saturday, Aug. 15, 6:30 p.m., during the Coronation and Awards Celebration. Additionally, Alan Miyatake will be honored with the Nisei Week President’s Award. The celebration takes place at the Los Angeles Theatre Center’s Tom Bradley Theatre, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles. Tickets are $105 (orchestra) or $75 (balcony) per person. For ticket information, visit the NiseiWeek.org website.
Rep. Mark Takano was the keynote speaker at the Japanese American Veterans Joint Memorial Service held in May 2025 at the Japanese American National War Memorial Court in Little Tokyo. He paid tribute to great uncle Monso Takahashi, a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, whose name is inscribed in the World War II section of the memorial.
Grand Marshal – Rep. Mark Takano
For more than 20 years, Rep. Mark Takano has worked to improve the lives of Riverside County residents, both as an elected official and as a teacher at Rialto High School.
Born and raised in Riverside, Takano’s commitment to public service began at an early age. His family roots in Riverside go back to his grandparents, who, along with his parents, were removed from their respective homes and incarcerated along with thousands of other Japanese Americans during World War II. After the war, these two families settled in Riverside County to rebuild their lives.
Takano attended La Sierra High School in the Alvord Unified School District, and in 1979 he graduated as the school’s valedictorian. He attended Harvard College and received his bachelor’s degree in government in 1983. As a student, he bussed tables to help make ends meet. During his senior year, he organized a transcontinental bicycle ride to benefit the international development agency Oxfam America.
Upon graduation, Takano returned home to Riverside and began teaching in the Rialto Unified School District in 1988. As a classroom teacher, he confronted the challenges in our public education system daily.
In 1990, he was elected to the Riverside Community College District’s Board of Trustees. At RCC, Takano worked with Republicans and Democrats to improve higher education for young people and job training opportunities for adults seeking to learn a new skill or start a new career. He was elected board president in 1991 and helped the board and the district gain stability and direction amid serious fiscal challenges.
In 2012, Takano became the first openly gay person of color to be elected to Congress. He represents the people of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley and Perris in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves as the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and as a senior member of the Education and Workforce Committee.
As former chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Takano authored the Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or the Honoring Our PACT Act, comprehensive toxic exposure legislation that addresses the full scope of issues affecting toxic-exposed veterans’ access to VA care and benefits.
The Honoring Our PACT Act expanded VA healthcare eligibility for over 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn pits, established a presumption of service connection for over 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers, and also eliminated the requirement that veterans prove exposure to toxic substances – a requirement that has often prevented many from accessing the care and benefits they have earned and deserve.
Takano lives in Riverside and Washington, D.C.
Robert Vargas in March 2024, paint-splattered and nearly finished with his “L.A. Rising” mural featuring Dodgers star Shohei Othani. The artwork has become a globally-recognized icon of Little Tokyo.
Parade Marshal – Robert Vargas
Robert Vargas is an acclaimed Los Angeles muralist known for his monumental free-hand portraits and his commitment to public art that reflects the cultural identity of the communities he serves.
Raised in Boyle Heights, He began painting murals as a child and quickly emerged as a prodigy, earning early museum recognition and public commissions before the age of 18. His formal training includes the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and Pratt Institute in New York, grounding his instinctive free-hand style in strong technical foundations.
Vargas’ murals appear throughout Downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights and across the world. His signature approach – painting entirely free-hand without grids or projections – allows the public to witness the artwork unfold in real time. Works such as “Our Lady of DTLA” and “Angelus” have cemented his reputation as one of the city’s most influential contemporary muralists.
His connection to Los Angeles’ Japanese American community deepened significantly through his tributes to Japanese baseball icons. In 2024, Vargas completed “L.A. Rising,” a towering mural of Shohei Ohtani on the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo, which quickly became a cultural landmark and a magnet for Japanese tourists.
In 2026, Vargas expanded this legacy with “Samurai of the Diamond,” a 12-story mural in Torrance featuring Ohtani alongside fellow Japanese stars Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Installed on the DoubleTree Hotel, the mural honors Torrance’s deep Japanese American heritage and symbolizes the global reach of Dodgers baseball.
Vargas has emphasized that these works celebrate unity, representation and the cultural bridges between Los Angeles and Japan. His broader portfolio includes tributes to community figures such as Fernando Valenzuela, further reflecting his dedication to portraying the diverse stories of the city.
His community engagement includes contributions to Project Angel Food, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. His work has earned numerous civic proclamations and an honorary doctorate recognizing his artistic and cultural impact.
Several days have been designated in his honor, including: Robert Vargas Day, City of L.A. (Sept. 8), Robert Vargas Day, County of L.A. (Jan. 24), and Robert Vargas Day, L.A. Unified School District (May 12).
His legacy is also reflected in public landmarks Robert Vargas Square at First and State streets in Boyle Heights and the Robert Vargas Library & Media Center at Mendez High School in Boyle Heights.
Alan Miyatake has photographed generations in the community, including Kaitlyn Chu at the 2003 Nisei Week Baby Show (seen on the phone), then at her coronation as Nisei Week Queen 20 years later.
President’s Award Honoree Alan Miyatake
Alan Miyatake was born in Los Angeles in 1953. He attended elementary and high school in Montebello after growing up in Boyle Heights. He is the son of Archie and Takeko Miyatake and grandson of Toyo Miyatake, a photographer best known for his images documenting Manzanar and Nisei Week.
Being a part of a family business, Toyo Miyatake Studio, Alan was around Little Tokyo his entire life. Every activity revolved around Little Tokyo and the Japanese American community, and he has been involved with Nisei Week since he was born. Alan participated in the Baby Show, marched in the Nisei Week Grand Parade as a scout, and photographed Nisei Week events for more than 50 years.
Alan never missed the Nisei Week carnival when it was around. He always brags about being “picked up by Nisei Week Queen Akemi Tani” in 1960 when he got lost as a Cub Scout trying to get back to the studio after the parade.
Alan’s three-generation family business, Toyo Miyatake Studio, has proudly photographed every Nisei Week since 1934. He has been the owner and photographer since 1992. He and his wife, April, have two daughters, Sydney and Lindsey.
The Coronation and Awards Celebration promises to be a memorable evening, hosted by actor Tamlyn Tomita and ABC7 Eyewitness News anchor David Ono. Along with presentations of the grand and parade marshals and President’s Award, the Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service honorees will also be recognized. And after months of preparation, seven candidates will take the stage to vie for the title of Nisei Week Queen.
For the festival schedule, visit NiseiWeek.org, call the Nisei Week Foundation office at (213) 687-7193 or email info@niseiweek.org.