NW26 Grand Marshal | U.S. Rep. Mark Takano of Riverside to Lead 84th Nisei Week Grand Parade in Little Tokyo | Sunday, August 16
LITTLE TOKYO, Los Angeles– The Nisei Week Foundation proudly hosts its 84th summer event featuring free cultural activities for all ages. As part of its first weekend of events, the historic Nisei Week Japanese Festival Grand Parade will make its way through the streets of Little Tokyo on Sunday, August 16, starting at 4 p.m.
The parade will be led by the 2026 Grand Marshal, U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, and 2026 Parade Marshal acclaimed mural artist Robert Vargas. The parade procession will start at Central Avenue and head west on 2nd Street, turning north on San Pedro Street, turning east on 1st Street, then turning south and ending on Central Avenue.
Rep. Takano and Vargas will be honored on Saturday, August 15, 6:30 p.m., during the Coronation and Awards Celebration. Additionally, Alan Miyatake will be honored with the Nisei Week President’s Award. The celebration takes place at the Los Angeles Theatre Center’s Tom Bradley Theatre, 514 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles. Tickets are $105 (orchestra) or $75 (balcony) per person. For ticket information visit the NiseiWeek.org website.
Grand Marshal – Rep. Mark Takano
For more than 20 years, Rep. Mark Takano has worked to improve the lives of Riverside County residents, both as an elected official and as a teacher at Rialto High School.
Born and raised in Riverside, Rep. Takano’s commitment to public service began at an early age. His family roots in Riverside go back to his grandparents who, along with his parents, were removed from their respective homes and sent to Japanese American Internment camps during World War II. After the war, these two families settled in Riverside County to rebuild their lives.
Rep. Takano attended La Sierra High School in the Alvord Unified School District, and in 1979 he graduated as the school’s valedictorian. He attended Harvard College and received his bachelor’s degree in government in 1983. As a student, he bused tables to help make ends meet. During his senior year, he organized a transcontinental bicycle ride to benefit the international development agency Oxfam America.
Upon graduation, Rep. Takano returned home to Riverside and began teaching in the Rialto Unified School District in 1988. As a classroom teacher, he confronted the challenges in our public education system daily.
In 1990, he was elected to the Riverside Community College District’s Board of Trustees. At RCC, Rep. Takano worked with Republicans and Democrats to improve higher education for young people and job training opportunities for adults seeking to learn a new skill or start a new career. He was elected board president in 1991 and helped the board and the district gain stability and direction amid serious fiscal challenges.
In 2012, Mark became the first openly gay person of color to be elected to Congress. Rep Takano represents the people of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley and Perris in the United States House of Representatives. He serves as the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and as a senior member of the Education and Workforce Committee.
As former Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Rep. Takano authored the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or the Honoring our PACT Act, comprehensive toxic exposure legislation that addresses the full scope of issues affecting toxic-exposed veterans’ access to VA care and benefits. The Honoring our PACT Act expanded VA healthcare eligibility for over 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn pits, established a presumption of service connection for over 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers, and also eliminated the requirement that veterans prove exposure to toxic substances – a requirement that has often prevented many from accessing the care and benefits they have earned and deserve. Rep. Takano lives in Riverside and Washington, DC.