NW26 | Little Tokyo Service Center’s Okaeri Program is First LGBTQ+ Group to Walk in Nisei Week Grand Parade | August 16,2026
LOS ANGELES – On August 16, 2026, Okaeri, a Nikkei LGBTQ+ program of Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), became the first LGBTQ+ group to walk in Little Tokyo’s historic Nisei Week Grand Parade.
This year marked Nisei Week’s 84th Japanese Festival, a 9-day celebration promoting Japanese and Japanese American heritage and traditions. Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI), and LGBTQ+ communities in the parade was a tremendous milestone. Over 75 Okaeri community members marched in Little Tokyo, waving pride flags and holding signs encouraging diversity and inclusion. Okaeri Steering Committee Chair Eric Arimoto helped usher in this historic moment.
“Marching in the Nisei Week parade is historic and incredible. We’re here in strength in numbers, and in coalition. We’re so proud to be able to show the community who we are and just to continue this conversation and dialogue.” –Eric Arimoto, Okaeri Steering Committee Chair
Okaeri (meaning “welcome home” in Japanese) supports, empowers, and celebrates LGBTQ+ Nikkei and their families; creates spaces for visibility and storysharing; offers culturally rooted education and advocacy; and builds compassionate community connections. Founded in 2014 by Marsha Aizumi, Okaeri became a program of Little Tokyo Service Center in 2025.
Join the Okaeri community for Queer Obon at Terasaki Budokan from 4 pm – 9 pm on Sunday, September 20, 2026. Queer Obon brings together the Nikkei LGBTQ+ community to celebrate the community and honor queer ancestors. Sliding scale tickets are on sale now at: give.LTSC.org/QueerObon2026.
About Little Tokyo Service Center
For over 45 years, Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) has provided a safety net of social welfare and community development services to empower people and communities in need. Starting with its home in Little Tokyo, LTSC preserves and strengthens the unique ethnic communities of the Southern California region, where people, culture, and collective future matter. www.LTSC.org
About Okaeri, A Program of Little Tokyo Service Center
Okaeri is a place for LGBTQ+ Japanese Americans, parents, and allies of all backgrounds to find support, explore resources, and build a community where LGBTQ+ Japanese Americans are embraced and allowed to be their full, authentic selves. Learn more about Okaeri at: www.okaeri.org/