Published August 31, 2026

The Nisei Week Foundation has been a cornerstone of the Little Tokyo community, preserving and celebrating Japanese American traditions for nearly 100 years. But as leadership roles transition from one generation to the next, it raises the question of how one can uphold tradition while remaining relevant to the times. Keiro spoke with Helen Ota, 2026 Nisei Week Foundation president, and Sarah Fukui, 2027 Nisei Week Foundation co-president, about their journeys, the traditions they carry forward, and the legacy they hope to leave for those who follow.

A Zig-Zag Path

Helen has worn various hats throughout her involvement with the community. In addition to her work at the Nisei Week Foundation, you can also find her singing with Asian Persuasian and taking center stage as an emcee for galas and events, such as the Keiro no Hi Festival. Sarah grew up attending Little Tokyo events as part of her family’s legacy business, Fukui Mortuary. But being connected to a well-known family sometimes meant people focused on the Fukui name before they saw Sarah. Sarah decided to carve her own path away from Little Tokyo to work with children with developmental disabilities. Although she loved that work, the COVID-19 pandemic and a deeper appreciation for her family’s legacy brought her home. This time, she returned on her own terms.

Changing of the Court

As part of the Nisei Week Court in 1989, Helen participated in the program when it focused more on pageantry than leadership. A decade later, when she became co-chair of the Queen & Court program with 1986 Nisei Week Queen, Jennifer Yoshitake, they envisioned something different for the upcoming courts. However, their early ideas were met with hesitation and even rejection. “Even though we were denied, we realized it wasn’t the big changes but the small, incremental changes that would make a difference.”

Those incremental changes Helen helped to initiate transformed the Nisei Week Court into a leadership program that prepares young women to become community ambassadors of tomorrow. Now Sarah hopes to continue building on that foundation as she takes on the role in 2027. “I hope that every year we can make tiny improvements… because they are the future,” Sarah shared.

As Helen steps down as president, she hopes the lessons and traditions she inherited will continue to be passed on to the next generation.

To the Next Generation

As Sarah prepares to take on the role of co-president, Helen offered a few words of advice for Sarah: “Just be authentically you. Know and trust your instinct. But know that you are surrounded by a whole group of people who are behind you 100%. Our goal is to make sure that you succeed, so when it comes to your time to pass it on, you can allow those to also succeed as well.”