Nisei Week 2010/Tanabata Festival

Nisei Week, the grand tradition for Japanese Americans living in the greater Los Angeles area, is in full swing.

Since 1934, (except during years of Internment) Japanese Americans have made their way to "Little Tokyo" (Lil' Tokyo; J-Town; Japanese Town) in Downtown Los Angeles, in the month of August to give the area businesses support and to enjoy a variety of cultural celebrations. These celebrations include things Japanese, American, and Japanese American. Nisei Week has only expanded over the years to include more and more events that reflect the growing interests of the community; tea ceremonies, ikebana, ondo, a [beauty] pageant, a parade are now flanked by karaoke contests, car shows, anime exhibitions, the off-and-on gyoza-eating contest, hip-hop gatherings, youth-oriented taiko group performances, films, etc.

How do all these events fit within the span of a week? It doesn't. Nisei Week is now FOUR WEEKS LONG, but "Nisei Month" doesn't have the same ring to it. Nor is it organized or geared toward actual Nisei who probably quietly shake their heads at the very inclusion of scantily clad women and even the existence of a car show during Nisei Week.



To me, one of the funniest aspects of the Nisei Week of today--besides the fact that it's actually a month--is the inclusion of other festivals within a festival. Nisei Week, a festival in itself, is also host to: JANM Summer Festival, Plaza Festival, a Film Festival, until recently the Tofu Festival, Nebuta Festival, and the Tanabata Festival.

The nebuta and tanabata are recent adoptions by our community from Japanese festivals in Aomori and Sendai, respectively. I have been to both in Japan and can say our Los Angeles fests are as one would expect, watered down. However, the inclusion of these traditions has been overwhelmingly successful in bringing back a younger generation by giving them something new (to us) and collaborative to work on.

After work and before heading home yesterday, I walked by the Tanabata celebration taking place in the JANM courtyard. It was lovely. Many handmade tanabata kazari hung overhead--each worked on by individuals and community organizations. A taiko group played as people began to gather. A stage was set up and LAPD Deputy Chief Terry Hara was on the mic introducing emcee actress, Tamlyn Tomita--both are very active in the community. I saw a lot of people I know from working in the area for years.

Here are some photos.
More on Flickr.

Tamlyn Tomita waiting for her cue to go onstage.

The purple one in the center has a JANM logo.

That one in the foreground is shaped like a hamburger!
I like the soda cups too. 

That's definitely a Japanese American one.

I ran into a friendly face: Ms. Letsugo, maker of a beautiful kazari.

Crafty Thingamahoozy Number One.

recently completed: linens (one pair; pillowcases).

Unique L.A. Report.

This is kind of a big deal...I finally met textdrivebys. Known her for awhile now online, but only met in person for the first time last week. Good news is she is as cool in person and it kind of felt like meeting an old friend. We have crazy stuff in common.

Worth noting: textdrivebys and I both took public transit to Union Station then walked together to the Fashion District. Beat that! She took the train in from Orange County and I rode the buses from the Empire. It took forever, yes. Do you think you could do it? It took HOURS.

I've described Unique L.A. as a craft fair for hipsters. I still think that's pretty accurate. It was a lot more crowded this year which is good news. The selection was not a whole lot better though. Mostly purses, jewelry, shirts. Really nice stuff, but anyone offering something DIFFERENT were the booths that got my attention. When I saw a lonely booth with a lone seller in it with one table, I felt sad, but I also ran in the other direction. Some vendors need help making their displays more inviting and a smile might help. You'd be surprised how many scowling girls and boys I saw trying to sell their wares. I think maybe they spend all their time producing their things, and forget that they have to sell it afterward? Maybe they are resentful that customers don't think their merchandise is worth what they are priced? Or that the booth across the way is stealing everyone's interest and they can't figure out why.

I was having this conversation with a friend earlier this week...I bought a piece of jewelry from a woman that I thought was a little bitchy. No one else was selling what she had. I should have walked, but I wanted the product. Should I have said something to her?

I only bought a few items in the end, but we browsed everything. I went through the same thought process as usual which goes like this...

Pfft! I can make that.
I should make more things.
I should make something.
I will make something.
I could have a booth.
What am I going to make?
I'm not going to buy that because I can make it myself.
My stuff will be cooler than most stuff here.
Fuck, I should go back and buy that thing.
I'd make stuff if I had more time.
...I'm never going to make this shit myself.
But I could!
Fuck, I am a lazy asshole.

Here are some photos and there are more here.

Unique L.A.

Do you like crafts?
This is the second year of Unique L.A. and it happens this weekend.
I went last year and it was a little rocky, but had promise.
Hoping to check it out again.
Got an email a couple weeks ago from an old friend who will be exhibiting this time around--sounds pretty exciting.

UNIQUE LOS ANGELES
DEC 5-6, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the California Market Center
Downtown Los Angeles
uniquelosangeles.com

Here are my photos from last year: LINK

IKEA TAX-FREE.

This weekend, IKEA Covina [serving the Inland Empire] is hosting a tax-free event. Check the website, your local IKEA may be doing the same. Good news especially with all the recent sales tax increases in the area. While on the IKEA site, check if there are any other promotions in your local store. Example: Saturdays this month, IKEA Covina will reimburse your cafe meal valued at $10 and up if you buy other merch. I believe it's just a matter of showing your meal receipt at the store checkout. You should double check, I didn't read all the details.

This changes my weekend plans. It's possible I will not be going to the Thai Town Curry Festival as planned but bringing a major haul home from IKEA. Or I may battle the swarms of bargain seekers later today.

Other plans...

Feeling a bit domestic. I just dug up a never-used stand mixer from the hall closet. May do a little baking today.

Yesterday, Citizenrobot and I were talking crafts. I think we are both pretty fired up about creating something but our ideas are all over the place. If I get any ideas, I might do some needlework later.

Only slightly past the halfway mark on The Watchmen. Had to put the book down for awhile since work has been very busy. Catching up.

Should file taxes. Will have paperwork done by Monday.

Netflix discs are piling up. Want to get those out on Monday with the tax forms.

We'll see how the IKEA sale goes. I may be assembling furniture tomorrow.

Determined to do some stuff this weekend! Skipping (postponed) Ren Faire this weekend. Luckily, no jury duty on Monday. I was worried about the early call.

2 a.m., Cutting Patterns.

There's nothing on television at 2 a.m.
So I did the sensible thing. I started measuring and cutting patterns for my crafty project. Haven't cut any fabric yet--that's tonight's work. I've just curated my materials and have the pattern ready to go.

Stauts on the other project: the movie is not going well. I have eight hours of unwatchable material to sift through. Not unwatchable. Unbearable. That might seem scary to any friends who read this who know they will be forced to watch the end product at some point. Well, if I don't want to sit through some horrible movie either, I sure as hell wouldn't want to spend hours making one. I'm really cutting it down to interesting things. If my feature length movie turns into a 2 minute clip, then so be it.