Keiro no Hi Festival

2023 Keiro no Hi Festival
Sunday, September 17, 2023
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Japanese American National Museum (JANM)
100 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Click here to view this page in Japanese / 日本語でご覧になる方はこちらから。

Since 2018, Keiro has hosted its Keiro no Hi Festival in Little Tokyo, at various community centers, and virtually. We are excited to announce that our 6th Annual Keiro no Hi Festival will be hosted on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM). Join us for a day filled with live entertainment featuring local older adult performers, Quality of Life Classes featuring local subject matter experts, access to JANM exhibitions, food and more!

Download the 2023 Keiro no Hi Festival
Flyer Here (English & Japanese)

Registration

Registration is closed. For questions, please contact [email protected].

We are prioritizing registration for older adults 60 years old and older. Attendance will be limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is required to attend and includes attendance to this year’s festival, opportunities to participate in the various festival experiences, bento lunch, snacks, and beverages.

Complimentary Transportation

Attendees will also have the option to register for complimentary transportation to and from the festival from across Our Community. Buses will pick up registered attendees from designated hubs at:

East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center
Southeast Japanese School & Community Center
Oxnard Buddhist Temple
Providence Home Health – Los Angeles County South
San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center
Venice Japanese Community Center

NOTE: Buses will only accept attendees who have registered and received an email confirmation for complimentary transportation. If you did not select the complimentary transportation option during registration, you will not be allowed to ride the bus. You must present your transportation confirmation email on the day of the event to ride the bus.

Transportation & Arriving

Public Parking

The Japanese American National Museum does not have a parking lot available for attendees who wish to drive themselves or carpool to this year’s festival. Please expect to pay for parking at one the many public parking lots throughout Little Tokyo which include, but are not limited to:

Aiso Parking Garage (0.2 Miles from JANM)
- Judge John Aiso St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Japanese Village Plaza (0.1 Miles from JANM)
- 115 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Sho Tokyo (Joe’s Parking) (0.2 Miles from JANM)
- 350 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Note: Keiro will not be responsible for providing reimbursement of any parking fees.

Metro

Festival attendees now have the option to take Metro’s A and E Lines to and from the new Metro Regional Connector which is located across the street from the Japanese American National Museum. Please visit Metro’s website to plan for your trip.

Complimentary Transportation

Attendees will have the option to register for complimentary transportation to and from the festival from across Our Community. Buses will only accept attendees who have registered for complimentary transportation. If you did not select the complimentary transportation option during registration, you will not be allowed to ride the bus.

Event Details

Upon entering the festival, attendees will find themselves enjoying and actively participating in experiences that will help them explore, rediscover, and showcase their individual purpose, which is one of the five elements of quality of life defined by Keiro. Here are a few things we have in store for this year’s festival:

Entertainment and Music

Attendees will hear live music provided by local older adult performers to showcase their purpose that they have found in the music and arts. From taiko to singing, our performers will keep attendees entertained and singing along to their music.

Click here or see below for Entertainment and Music Details.

Food

Food plays an important part in defining who we are, and many of us consider food as a driving part in our purpose. Far Bar, a restaurant in Little Tokyo, will deliver you familiar Japanese flavors on this special day.

Quality of Life Classes

Every month, Keiro facilitates Quality of Life Classes that help attendees explore one of the five elements that influence your Quality of Life. We have invited some familiar faces across Our Community to lead their own Quality of Life Class where they will show you what they consider their purpose is. From pickling vegetables to crafting, these individuals will hope to inspire you to discover new passions in life.

Click here or see below for Quality of Life Class Details.

Portrait Studio

Purpose can be people we spend our time with. Take a commemorative photo at the studio setup to capture the fun day with your loved ones and friends!

Click here or see below for Portrait Studio Details.

JANM Exhibitions

We invite all of our attendees to make the most out of their festival experience by browsing the various Japanese American National Museum exhibitions, including the popular Ireichō and Glenn Kaino: Aki’s Market exhibitions.

Wellness Room

Looking for a place to rest? We will be hosting a Wellness Room for attendees to take a break from the various experiences. Inside the Wellness Room, attendees will be able to enjoy some light refreshments and learn some relaxation techniques that you can take home with you.

Festival Schedule and Map

Aratani Central Hall

11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Bento Pickup

10:30 a.m. – Ukuleles for Little Tokyo & Nishi Hongwanji Child Development Center

11:30 a.m. – San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center Meiji Ondo Group

12:30 p.m. – Asian Persuasion

1:15 p.m. – Sakura Gardens Ukulele

1:45 p.m. – Fujima Kansuma Classical Japanese Dance School

2:30 p.m. – Makoto Taiko

Nerio Classroom

11:00 a.m. – Fishing Across Generations presented by Ron Dyo and Bobby Ota

12:30 p.m. – Tsukemono Making presented by Yoko Maeda Lamn

~~2:00 p.m. – Crafting for the Community presented by Mary Ellen Wong~~ – Due to unforeseen circumstances, Crafting for the Community has been canceled. Thank you for your understanding.

Event Sponsors

Sponsors updated as of August 15, 2023.

Click here to download the 2023 Keiro no Hi Festival sponsorship packet

For sponsorship questions, please contact Michelle Hirano at [email protected]

Entertainment and Music Details

Additional entertainment to be announced.

Asian Persuasion

Asian Persuasion is a five-member Asian American vocal harmony group. They sing favorite songs from doo-wop, Motown, and pop songs of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Kenny Itagaki and Gary Asamura started the group over 40 years ago with Jeff Louie, Marlene Yamane Chao, and Helen Ota completing the group today. They invite their audiences to join them in bringing back the classic sights, sounds, and memories of those “oldies but goodies” of their youth.

Fujima Kansuma Classical Japanese Dance School

Madame Kansuma is a pioneer in bringing Japanese classical dance to the United States. For the past 8 decades, she has taught 5 generations of Japanese Americans and has been recognized by the governments of Japan and the United States. Although she is no longer with us, her daughter and students strive to meet her high standards in presenting her beloved art and culture to the future generations, and it is their hope and desire to continue her incredible legacy. They are honored and humbled to have this wonderful opportunity to share and preserve the art of kabuki dance and hope their performance encourages everyone to appreciate its beauty, mystery, and humor.

Makoto Taiko

Makoto Taiko is a Pasadena-based nonprofit organization whose goal is to connect and empower people of all backgrounds through taiko classes, workshops, and performances to inspire artistic creativity and greater cultural understanding in our community. Makoto Taiko welcomes people of all ages, cultural background, faiths, and gender identities. Their Taiko for Older Adults program offers a fun, energizing, mentally-stimulating, and interactive weekly activity for those 65+. They also offer taiko workshops and performances to senior residential facilities.

Nishi Hongwanji Child Development Center

Established in 1983, the Nishi Center provides day care services for preschool to kindergarten aged children from two to six years old. The school was established for the Nikkei/Buddhist community in order to:

Provide an early childhood education that prepare the child academically and emotionally for the entry in the elementary school system
Cultivate a sense of and familiarity with Buddhist teachings.

Sakura Gardens Ukulele

Sakura Gardens Ukulele is a kanikapila group comprised of residents and volunteers that meets once a month to play ukulele and sing hawaiian songs. The group was founded in 2014 by Kensuke Yoshihara and Paul Tokuda with Pearl Tokuda leading the group starting in 2022.

San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center Meiji Ondo Group

The San Fernando Japanese American Community Center Meiji Ondo Group was founded in 2000 by the late Masako Rodriquez and Sam Kimura for the benefit of enjoying low impact exercise through traditional Japanese festival dancing (ondo) and promoting camaraderie among community members in the graceful movement of dancing to classical Japanese music. The Meiji Ondo Group has enjoyed many years of practice and performances especially during the summer Obon seasons and has occasionally led the Nisei Week street dances in downtown Los Angeles as well.

Ukuleles for Little Tokyo

Ukuleles for Little Tokyo is geared towards engaging Japanese and Japanese American older adults while providing free ukulele instruction in Japanese and English. By providing in-language services, they also help break down cultural barriers and provide a space where participants can feel welcome and at home at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center and Little Tokyo.

Quality of Life Class Details

Fishing Across Generations

Fishing has been a popular activity in the Japanese American community for generations and is a pastime many families do to spend time together. Ron Dyo runs “Kids Gone Fishing”, an intergenerational program for all ages that teaches the fundamentals of fishing and provides connection and engagement across generations. Ron and Bobby will share how fishing can bring together different generations, passing down knowledge and stories, and providing invaluable opportunities for families, friends, and communities to spend time with one another.

Presenter: Ron Dyo

Ron Dyo was born at the Japanese Hospital of Los Angeles and raised in Pasadena, California. In 2014, Ron and his wife Cindy kicked off Kids Gone Fishing, a program for kids to learn how to fish in a pond stocked with trout. As a former Boy Scout Scoutmaster, Ron knows the best ways to keep the kids and adults engaged. The kids and their families are treated to a great day of fishing and fine cuisine cooked by Ron, Cindy, and friends.

Presenter: Bobby Ota

For over 35 years, Bobby Ota has been the owner and manager of Johnny’s Sports Shop, founded by his parents Johnny and Itsy in 1958 in Pasadena. Bobby has enjoyed fishing the ocean out of San Diego – taking 16-day trips in past years, but 2-day trips now – and Alaska; fly-fishing at Pyramid Lake in Nevada; and best enjoys the Eastern Sierras. He has also crewed on a yacht. Bobby loves sharing his passion with others.

Tsukemono Making

Yoko Maeda Lamn will demonstrate tsukemono-making, including opportunities for attendees to sample seasonal tsukemono and ask questions. Yoko will explain the health benefits of koji fermentation, how to make healthy meals using Japanese fermented and preserved foods, and more!

Presenter: Yoko Maeda Lamn

Yoko Maeda Lamn is a certified fermentation expert, founder of Hakko, and a mother of 3 children. Born and raised in Nara, Japan, she hopes to bring the joy of traditional Japanese fermentation to the homes of Los Angeles through workshops on Japanese preserved foods such as miso, sake, soy sauce, and pickles. She has taught a workshop for Delicious Little Tokyo which was included on California Live NBC.

Crafting for the Community

Crafting has long been popular in the Japanese American community – from sewing and knitting circles to pottery and origami classes, these hobbies can bring people together. Mary Ellen Wong, a popular past virtual Keiro presentation speaker, will share how she finds purpose in and gives back to her community through crafting. She will also lead a demonstration of a craft project.

Mary Ellen Wong

Mary Ellen Wong was born and raised in Los Angeles, where she attended Dorsey High School. She graduated from UC Irvine and earned her teaching credential from CSU Fullerton. Mary Ellen is a retired elementary school teacher and happy grandma to five grandkids! During the COVID-19 pandemic, she shared her talents in crafting and baking as a guest speaker at several virtual Keiro presentations.

Portrait Studio Details

Toyo Miyatake Studio

Toyo Miyatake Studio was started by Toyo Miyatake, photographer, acquired his studio in 1923 in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA. Along with businesses in LT they created the Nisei Week event to attract the local community to be aware of the business community they developed. His son, Archie and the Nisei generation followed suit adding the second generation’s ideas and culture. Archie’s son, Alan started working for the family business and quickly was involved in community events. Alan, along with his daughter Sydney continues the tradition into the fourth generation. Toyo Miyatake is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2023 by being honored to photograph 4 generations of families in Southern California area.

Nadeshikokai

Nadeshikokai, founded in 2011, is a volunteer organization and NPO 501(c)(3) promoting Japanese culture and traditions. Kimono culture has more than 1,000 years of history in Japan. The Nadeshikokai organizes workshops and events throughout the year to showcase the beauty of kimono as well as Japanese traditional culture. Nadeshikokai activities include lectures on kimono and kimono-dressing demonstrations, presentations of kimono culture at schools and libraries. Nadeshikokai has been hosting the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, a long-held tradition in Japan celebrating those reaching adulthood, every year in January since 2013 in Los Angeles, CA. Its membership is open to anyone with volunteering spirits.

Past Keiro no Hi Festivals

The Keiro no Hi Festival is FREE to the community and is made possible by Keiro with support from the Aratani Foundation, our sponsors, donors, volunteers, and partnership with community organizations and partners.

For questions or concerns, please contact the Programs Team at [email protected] or 213.873.5700.