This year the Nisei Week Grand Parade took place on Sunday, August 11th. Dances, songs, and performers traveled throughout Downtown Los Angeles in the Little Tokyo District, filling the streets with Japanese and Japanese American culture and tradition. Once again, the Japanese American National Museum was proud to be a part of this year’s Grand Parade, and also proud to be a part of the Ondo & Closing Ceremony on Sunday, August 18th.
Here are some photos from the Japanese American National Museums’ participation in both the Grand Parade and the Ondo & Closing Ceremony! A big “thank you” to the National Museums’ staff members, volunteers, and friends for being a part of the Grand Parade, and for your hours of practice in preparation for the Ondo & Closing Ceremony!
Click on the photos to see the full images.
Nisei Week banner, marking the start of the Grand Parade.
Welcoming the Japanese American World War II Veterans
Honoring Japanese American WWII Veterans
Hitoshi Sameshima served with the Military Intelligence Service during WWII. He now proudly serves as a volunteer docent at JANM!
Proudly carrying the Japanese American National Museum’s banner!
JANM President & CEO Dr. Kimura and his family cruise through the streets of Little Tokyo
Bombu Taiko drum their way through the streets of Little Tokyo
Will, Louis, and Mike, pose in front of the National Museums’ Historic Building while waiting for the Ondo to begin.
Volunteers Barbara Keimi, Marge Wada, Sadako Sogioka, and Ondo dance teacher, Teri Kishimoto, are excited to perform Ondo dances after weeks of practice.
JANM’s Assistant Collections Manager, Tomi Yoshikawa, dances along the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.
WWII Nisei Veteran, Hitoshi Sameshima, dances alongside an Ondo dancer.
The National Museums’ Director of Community Affairs, Nancy Araki, dances along fellow staff members and volunteers.
“We’re all in this together!” JANM staff and volunteers dance in unison.
A long line of JANM staff and volunteers dancing through the streets with their purple JANM happi coats.
JANM staff and volunteers enthusiastically high-five Aki the Akita, the Nisei Week mascot
Ondo Dance teacher, Teri Kishimoto, concentrates on her posture and footwork.
Showing off JANM’s happi coats while dancing to the Ondo rhythm.
Thank you to all of JANM’s staff, volunteers, and friends for your time and participation in the Grand Parade and the Ondo & Closing Ceremony!
Esther graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in the Summer of 2013 with a Bachelor's degree in History and a minor degree in Japanese. She was the curatorial intern at JANM for the 2013 Getty Multicultural Undergraduate Internship Program, and has also completed a marketing internship at the museum. Esther currently works as a Development Assistant for JANM.
