Nisei Week (2013)

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Kris Caballero • Aug 11, 2013 • 0 comments • 88 photos

I met someone online who notified me about this event. It's an annual event celebrating the Japanese-American heritage "Nisei Week!" I wished I knew about this last year.

As you can tell from the photo albums, I attended the LA Korean Festival [2012] last year and this year happens to be the Japanese festival. By no means am I playing favorites, but as geographically small as the town of Little Tokyo is, I enjoyed this event a lot. What also highlighted the event is the appearance of cosplayers! All of you anime and video game fans will find this a fascinating sight, making that Japanese cultural experience that much more satisfying.

Attending this event was done for two reasons: first, I've never attended such event before. Second, I had a date (unfortunately, she invited her friends making it unenjoyable as it is). One lousy date deteriorated my first-time experience with her thirty-something year-old roommate who still acts like an immature teenager, leaving me back in my true nature: introverted, reserved and tight-lipped. Why bother talking, you know?

Anyway, I arrived an hour early before the parade started as I walked through the town getting a better feel for the surroundings. The more I scoured through, the more I felt like I'm in Japan. On a personal, but random, note, my friends have been saying I look Japanese (I'm Filipino). Perhaps that may be why I blended in so well. Nevertheless, the Japanese people, whom I don't often meet in the area where I live, are incredibly nice people. I've also never dated a Japanese girl, but they look well-dressed and take very good care of themselves, along with having clean skin much like Korean girls (all of whom made my date look like she had no game, and she's a fashion major too). Then again, if it wasn't for my date, I wouldn't have known about this annual event. On the other hand, I entered in a Japanese book store for the very first time. Lots of books, manga, magazines, DVDs, CDs, all in Japanese. I forgot the name of the store but that place felt like a teleportation pad—it's a piece of Japan itself. It was so nice to see.

Nisei Week, this year, lasts until August 18. Each day has a different event like a car show and a Gyoza (potsticker) eating contest, so whether you live by the area, out of the city or a tourist, this is one you must attend! The atmosphere is electric, the food is amazing, the Japanese people are super friendly and the parade is a lot of fun. Speaking of the parade, my all-time favorite has to be the beats of the drums with the cymbals and flutes (see below: Picture 51-95). Do they have that on CD? I really couldn't stop listening to those beats; That's how much I loved the sounds. It's rare I listen in to foreign rhythm and beat, with the exception of JPop and JRock, but there was something soothing about that instrumental combination.

Enjoy this wonderful album!

Note: If you are one of the cosplayers featured on this album, contact us with your name so I may give credit where due.