Community Event Calendar

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MARDI GRAS ONDO PARTY in LITTLE TOKYO / DTLA - COMMUNITY EVENT - ALL WELCOME TO ATTEND.  

All are welcome to attend Angel Nishinaka’s Celebration of Life which will be held at Centenary United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 2:30pm. Centenary is located at 300 S. Central Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles (Little Tokyo / Skidrow-kyo).  Please feel free to share this invite with others.  The planned program will include Taiko, Ondo Dancing, singing, etc. a spectacle designed to keep everyone entertained and in great spirits.

Angel’s wish was to have a Mardi Gras-themed Celebration of Life in which no one wore formal black funeral attire, but rather the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, or gold.  The family has  since added “Angel red” and Japanese hapi coats.  Or just come in anything you feel comfortable, it’s going to be a PARTY not a funeral…  This is a COMMUNITY EVENT and everyone is invited to share in SPIRIT CULTURE COMMUNITY as we celebrate the life of Angel Nishinaka, the “matriarch” of the Nishinaka / Itomura family…

Tasting, shopping and learning about Japanese culture.  Demonstrations, performances, games, etc.

Ryujin Taiko and LTDC  Ondo Workshop TBD at Nakamise stage.  Ondo Demonstration TBD on Main stage

Anime Expo 2025 at the Los Angeles Convention Center - opening ceremony,  Ondo Workshop,  closing ceremony.  Time TBD

Parade Dances and Street Dancing Practice

July 22 (Tues) & July 24 (Thurs) - practicing only the two parade dances

July 29 (Tues) & July 31 (Thurs) - practicing parade dances the first half and street ondo the second half

August 5 (Tues) - practicing the street ondo for the public dancers (this practice is optional for the dance groups)

6:30pm - 9:00pm

6:30-7:30 - ondo practice

7:30-7:45 - break

7:45-9:00 - ondo practice

Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC)

244 San Pedro St,

Los Angeles, CA  90012

4th  Annual Nikkei Celebration in Boyle Heights - Parade and public ondo.  Saturday August 2, 2025  4pm to 10pm.  Event location in front of the Boyle Heights historic Japanese restaurant Otomisan located at 2506 1/2 East First Street, LA  Ca 90033

2025 Nisei Week Grand Parade 4pm to 6pm - 1st and 2nd Street in Little Tokyo DTLA

2025 Nisei Week Closing Ceremony and Street Ondo - 1st Street in Little Tokyo DTLA. - Live entertainment, and public ondo.  4pm to 8pm.  The public is invited to Nisei Week’s finale, the Japanese tradition of dancing in the street with live entertainment, to close out the festival on August 17, beginning at 4 p.m..

This will be followed by the Ondo and Closing Ceremony. Everyone is welcome to join Japanese dancing in the street, led by the 2025 Nisei Week Choreographer Bando Hidesomi.

2025 Orange County Optimist (OCO) Natsu Matsuri at Tanaka Farms in Irvine California.  Enjoy a lineup starting with OCO Kibou Taiko,  entertainment, martial arts demo,  games, lots of great food, a beer garden, ondo dancing lead by LTDC featuring Ryujin Taiko, and (drum roll, please)…a Parade!

2025 OC Japan Fair at the OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa CA

Anime Expo Chibi at the Ontario Convention Center

6 pm at the Terasaki Budokan in Little Tokyo DTLA  the Little Tokyo Business Association will host the Worthy Of Love  children with a Birthday Party Celebration for "unhoused" children and their families.  300+ children and their families are expected to attend this event.

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