Bunka-Sai Performance Schedule - April 18-19, 2026
Ken Miller Recreation Center Stage/Assembly Room and Torino Plaza Outdoor Stage*
SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026
Emcee: David Gelbaum (Torrance Student Delegate 1993, Torrance Adult Leader 2014)
Outdoor 11:00 am - 11:25 Taiko: Mudaiko and LA Miyake Kai
Outdoor 11:25 am - 11:30 Welcome Speeches
Outdoor 11:30 am - 11:55 Martial Arts: Wado-Ryu Karate Do Renmei
Outdoor 3:10 pm - 3:25 Dance: Bando Ryu Mai No Kai (Children’s Japanese dance)
Outdoor 4:30 pm - 5:00 Taiko: Prota
Indoor 11:35 am - 11:50 Announcement: Anime Contest Winner Presentation
Indoor 11:50 am - 12:20 Tea Ceremony: Urasenke Tanko Kai Los Angeles
Indoor 12:40 pm - 1:10 Martial Arts: Torrance Kendo Dojo
Indoor 1:20 pm - 1:50 Music: Matsutoyo Kai Folk Songs and Dance
Indoor 1:45 pm - 1:50 Music/Dance: Kashiwa Odori (Everyone welcome to dance)
Indoor 2:00 pm - 2:30 Martial Arts: South Bay Judo Club
Indoor 2:40 pm - 3:10 Music: Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko (Okinawan Drums)
Indoor 3:25 pm - 3:55 Music: LA’s 33 Strings (Japanese Music Ensemble)
Indoor 4:05 pm - 4:25 Dance: Azuma Kotobuki Kai (Japanese dance)
Assembly Room Demonstrations and Activities (Ken Miller Recreation Center)
11:45 pm to 12:15 Ikebana Ikenobo: Flower arrangement by Minamitani Semho
1:00 pm to 1:30 Kamishibai: Japanese story reading for children
2:00 pm to 3:00 Bonsai: Horticulture demonstration by Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai
3:30 pm to 4:00 Kamishibai: Japanese story reading for children
Assembly Room Hands-On Workshops (Ken Miller Recreation Center)
12:00 pm to 3:00 Hands-on Japanese calligraphy-Beikoku Shodo Kenkyu Kai
12:00 pm to 4:00 Hands-on origami paper folding led by Yoko Sekine
Program subject to change without notice
SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2026
Emcee: David Bissiri (Torrance Student Delegate 1978)
Outdoor 11:10 am - 11:35 Taiko: ASANO TAIKO US Youth
Outdoor 2:45 pm - 3:00 Dance: Rin No Kai (Children’s Japanese Dance)
Indoor 11:40 am - 12:05 Music: Shakuhachi by Shawn Schroeder
Indoor 12:05 pm - 12:15 Game: Kendama by Nishiyamato Academy Students
Indoor 12:15 pm - 12:45 Music: Fuji Japanese Music
Indoor 12:55 pm - 1:25 Kimono: Nadeshiko Kai (Japanese Culture and Traditions)
Indoor 1:35 pm - 2:05 Calligraphy: Beikoku Shodo Kenkyu Kai (Brush Writing)
Indoor 2:15 pm - 2:45 Martial Arts: Torrance Naginata Dojo
Indoor 3:00 pm - 3:30 Music: Yoko Awaya Koto Conservatory
Indoor 3:40 pm - 4:10 Dance: Bando Hidesomi Japanese Classical Dance
Indoor 4:20 pm - 5:00 Taiko: ASANO TAIKO US and Los Angeles Taiko Institute
Assembly Room Demonstrations (Ken Miller Recreation Center)
11:30 pm to 12:30 Bonsai: Horticulture demonstration by Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai
12:45 pm to 1:15 Kamishibai: Japanese story reading for children
1:30 pm to 2:30 Bonsai: Horticulture demonstration by Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai
3:00 pm to 3:30 Kamishibai: Japanese story reading for children
Assembly Room Hands-On Workshops (Ken Miller Recreation Center)
12:00 pm to 3:00 Hands-on Japanese calligraphy-Beikoku Shodo Kenkyu Kai
12:00 pm to 4:00 Hands-on origami paper folding led by Pam Miike and Georgette Jenkins
Program subject to change without notice
TORRANCE, CA - Visitors will enjoy one of the best Japanese cultural arts programs in the South Bay with performances by students of many certified instructors who have studied in Japan.
The Bunka-Sai will open and close with the thunderous roar of the various taiko groups who practice at Asano Taiko, U.S. There will be presentations by groups representing martial arts; tea ceremony; kimono dressing; brush calligraphy; and Japanese and Okinawan dancing and music.
For those who enjoy the beauty of nature, there will be exhibits of Bonsai by Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai and Ikenobo (flower arrangement) by Minamitani Semho as well as mini lectures and demonstrations of these arts.
In the Assembly Room, fans of Japanese storytelling, or “kamishibai,” will be captivated by the presentation, and children and adults can engage in hands-on activities of origami and brush calligraphy.
In the plaza, there will be games with prizes for children. Also at the festival will be an Asian-themed arts and craft boutique with over twenty vendors selling hand-made items—pottery; home decor; clothing; jewelry; purses and decorative bags; stationery; and a gift booth with great bargains on new and gently-used items.
The Saga Art Center will exhibit student work, and children can participate in a free bead craft.
Since every festival is for foodies—shaved ice, cotton candy, dangos (donuts), BBQ grilled plate lunches, spam musubi, chicken curry with rice, and vegetable yakisoba are standard food items for sale at the Bunka-Sai.
Presented by the Torrance Sister City Association (TSCA), the Bunka-Sai is a major fundraiser supporting the student cultural exchange program with its sister city of Kashiwa (Chiba Ken) in Japan.
The festival will be from 11 am to 5 pm on April 18-19, Saturday and Sunday, at the Torrance Cultural Arts complex, 3341 Torrance Blvd., near the corner of Madrona Avenue and Torrance Blvd.
Please visit the TSCA website at https://torrancesistercity.org/ for more information and the schedule of stage performances for both days.
