Accompanied by taiko drums and guitar, 20 members of Team Kawachi Ondo, clad in colorful yukata and happi coats, transformed the theater into a joyful celebration at the 43rd Friendship Performing Arts Festival on October 19, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the L.A. Kansai Club. Photo by Sharley Oomori)
Uploaded by Shige Higashi on December 28, 2025, at 8:15PM
Japanese Term Translations:
Shinboku Engeikai = Friendship Performing Arts Festival
Nanka Kenjinkai Kyogikai = Japanese Prefectural Association of Southern California
The 43rd Friendship Performing Arts Festival, hosted by the Japanese (Home) Prefectural Association of Southern California, unfolded on October 19 at the Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo with a vibrant display of culture, tradition, and community spirit. Among the many memorable performances, the L.A. Kansai Club stood out—not only for its energetic stage presence, but for its ongoing commitment to uniting prefectural associations through music, dance, and joyful collaboration.
Since 1976, the Japanese Prefectural Association of Southern California has provided scholarships to young people aged 15 to 35, selecting between four and ten recipient each year. The proceeds of a charity program of the Friendship Performing Festival are used for the scholarship fund. The 2025 festival brought together 13 Japanese prefectural associations, offering a rich program that ranged from folk songs and traditional dance to jazz and contemporary interpretations.
Yet it was Team Kawachi Ondo sponsored by the L.A. Kansai Club that truly embodied the festival’s spirit of shared enjoyment. Taking the stage with three carefully selected pieces—club member’s original song “Super Woman,” Osaka’s beloved folk tune “Kawachi Ondo,” and the Showa-era classic “Osaka Rhapsody”—the club delivered a performance brimming with humor, warmth, and unmistakable Kansai flair.
Accompanied by taiko drums and guitar, 20 members of Team Kawachi Ondo, clad in colorful yukata and happi coats, transformed the theater into a joyful celebration. Notably, only five performers hailed from the Kansai region. This diversity was no coincidence, but rather a reflection of the club’s inclusive philosophy: Kansai culture is not limited by birthplace—it is something to be shared, experienced, and enjoyed together.
The L.A. Kansai Club’s relationship with the Friendship Performing Arts Festival has deepened over time. Their regular participation began in 2019, when then-club-president Akira Fujimoto’s passionate rendition of “Kawachi Otoko Bushi” marked a turning point for the group. After a pandemic hiatus, the club returned triumphantly in 2023, performing despite having traveled overnight from an event in Arizona. In 2024, their Bon Odori performances drew participants from other prefectural associations onto the stage, turning spectators into fellow dancers and reinforcing bonds across communities.
Behind the scenes, the L.A. Kansai Club’s contribution extends far beyond its own performances. The club actively supports other prefectural associations—such as Tottori, Kumamoto, and Tokushima—by sharing practice spaces, coordinating performers, and even offering yukata dressing assistance. These horizontal connections have helped strengthen the association as a whole, making the festival a truly collaborative endeavor.
While creativity and polish are evident in every L.A. Kansai Club performance, the group’s true objective lies elsewhere. Their guiding principle—“to make the audience happy and enjoy together”—captures the essence of Kansai-style entertainment: laughter, openness, and shared joy. This philosophy resonates deeply with the festival’s mission of fostering exchange and cooperation.
Following the performances of the 43rd Friendship Performing Arts Festival, a scholarship award ceremony was held. Scholarships were presented to five young individuals studying Japanese culture, arts, and martial arts, including Okinawan folk music, Japanese dance, Japanese language studies combined with volunteer activities, and kendo.
In the second half of the program, a charity show took place featuring special guest Yoko Koshiba, a recitation singer from Wakayama Prefecture. She captivated the audience with her powerful renditions of “Ako Roshi Rokyoku” and “Ganpeki no Haha.”
The Japanese Prefectural Association of Southern California was established in 1964 as the Nanka Kenjinkai Renrakukai (Southern California Prefectural Liaison Meeting), following a proposal by then–Consul General Toshiro Shimauchi in Los Angeles. Since its founding, the association has continued its activities with the goals of mutual support among prefectural associations and the promotion of understanding and exchange between Japan and the United States.
(Source: L.A. Kansai Club)
Japanese Text in The Rafu Shimpo:
https://rafu.com/ja/2025/12/kenjinkaikyogikai-engeikai-12-05-25/
