Cultural News’ December issue is just published. The contents are following:
Meet Japan without leaving Los Angeles
LA Kimono Club, kimono enthusiast association, will present the 4th annual Miss Kimono LA contest and the 1st Mr. Kimono LA contest on Jan. 1, 2013 in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles in conjunction with “Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo” New Year’s celebration events sponsored by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California.
Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo will hold the first fire rite at its mail hall on Jan. 1, 2013 at 10 am. The temple will be open from Jan. 1 through Jan. 3, from 10 am to 5 pm to accept the public for the first offering.
The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will present annual New Year program Kotohajine, or The First Performance on Sunday, Jan. 6, 1 pm at Aratani Theatre. JACCC’s artistic director Hirokazu Kosaka will direct the stage performances along with his own arrows shooting. Tickets are $20.
To coincide with the Kotohajima event, the Annual Shikishi Exhibition will open on Jan 6 and run through Feb 24 at Doizaki Gallery in the JACCC building in Little Tokyo. Finished shikishi will be received by the JACCC by Dec 21.
California Aiseki Kai Annual Viewing Stone Exhibition will be held at Huntington Library in San Marino from Dec 27 through Dec 31, and Jan 2. Closed on Jan 1. Admission free because the exhibition will be held at Friends Hall before the museum enterance.
The Japanese Garden at Huntington Library marks 100th anniversary. After a year -long renovation, the garden becomes more attractive place.
The winter exhibition at the Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in Hanford, Central California, will open Jan 6. The second rotation of “Near and Far: Landscapes by Japanese Artists” will be shown under the theme of “Idealization of Reality.” The opening lecture will be held on Jan 6 at 2 pm.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Japanese Pavilion is exhibiting “Three Perfection: Poetry, Calligraphy, Printing” through January 2013.
Sogetsu Ikebana Association will hold its major event North American Seminar in April 2013 at JW Marriott Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. The highlight of the seminar will be “Iemoto Ikebana Live” by Sogetsu’s headmaster Akane Teshigawara on April 27 at Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo. Tickets are $60.
Nisei Week Queen legacy series feature the 1961 Queen, Dianne Kubota Hamano. When Dianne represented the Japanese American community in Orange County, Disneyland had just opened and put them on the map.
Frances Hashimoto, driving force behind Nisei Week Queen program, passed away on Nov 4 at age of 69. The queen program committee members remember Hashimoto’s devotions.
San Diego – Yokohama Sister City Association’s president was commended by the Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles on Nov. 26. Japan-born Mrs. Kaneko Bishop devotes for the sculpture exchange program, the Japan earthquake relief, and more.
Japanese culture specialist Frederick Schodt’s latest work is “Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe” published in November. Schodt rediscovers the history of Japan and its relationship of the world. The book depicts how an American acrobat introduced circus to Japan and Japanese acrobat was introduced to the West.
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