LTScene MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

August 2018 Issue

From left: Akira Chiba, Consul General of Japan in LA; U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez; Anne-Marie Jones, LA84 Foundation; Suzanne Toji, Feast from the East; Charlene Paez, US Bank; Atsuko Kanai, Mutual Trading Co. Inc; Erich Nakano, LTSC

Thank you to everyone who supported Sake on the Rocks 2018, Little Tokyo Service Center’s 12th Annual Sake and Food Tasting Event. On Friday, July 20, a sold-out crowd of over 800 guests enjoyed sake from 23 breweries provided by Mutual Trading Co., Inc. and delicious cuisine from 20 restaurants and food providers. Photos from the event can be viewed on the Sake on the Rocks 2018 Facebook photo album.

Tina Takemoto presents at the closing event.

Last month, Susu Attar, Dan Kwong, Tina Takemoto and Kuniharu Yoshida publicly unveiled their creative projects as part of the inaugural LTSC +LAB Artist Residency Program at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo. The event marked the conclusion of a three-month residency in Little Tokyo for the four California-based artists. During this residency, the artists immersed themselves in the Little Tokyo community by living at the historic Daimaru Hotel on First Street North. Guided by the overarching theme of “Community Control and Self-Determination,” the artists collaborated with Little Tokyo-based non-profit organizations to promote community engagement and to explore creative place-making strategies through their artistic practice.

The public presentation featured short films, photographic exhibits, and a staged reading of Dan Kwong’s theatrical piece “Tales of Little Tokyo.” Click here for pictures from the event.

Artists interested in participating in the 2019 Artist Residency should expect a +LAB announcement this fall.

Alex Bowen (water polo) and Katie Lou Samuelson (basketball) join local youth.

On July 24, over 120 kids from LTSC’s Casa Heiwa and Angelina affordable housing communities and from Japanese American basketball league teams throughout Southern California gathered at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) Plaza in Little Tokyo for an event marking the two-year countdown to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

The young players had a great time dribbling and shooting in a basketball mini-clinic put on by SoCal Supreme and eating Spam musubi while cheering for “Team USA.” Kids walked away happy with autographs of Olympic athletes, Team USA t-shirts, hats and water bottles.

This event was organized by Terasaki Budokan, a community-driven project of LTSC, and provides a glimpse at the type of events we hope to hold at the new gym, currently under construction. Little Tokyo organizations Kizuna and JACCC co-sponsored the clinic.

Young Leaders Plan Paint Night to Promote Mental Health

Changing Tides, an initiative dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental health and normalizing healthy discussions within the Asian American community, will hold a free event, “CT Paint Night,” at the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, 6-9 p.m. Youth ages 14-24 are invited to channel their creativity in an activity that promotes mental well-being. The event will include a short talk with an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, an interactive painting workshop and a light meal.

Changing Tides is a partnership initiative between a youth/young adult outreach group led by founding members Teryn Hara, Max Kaito, and Moet Kurakata, Katie Mitani, Courtlyn Shimada and Ty Tanioka and Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC). “While there are many ways to accentuate the importance of mental and emotional well-being, we believe that art is a relaxing and fun way to introduce this concept”, said Tanioka.

Create a Small Business Plan

Do you have a great business idea, but don’t know where to start? Then, this 8 part series is for you.

The Los Angeles Small Bizcubator, in partnership with LTSC, the Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program and the U.S. Small Business Administration, is launching a training program for aspiring entrepreneurs to develop the skills necessary for a successful business launch.

This is also a great opportunity for new entrepreneurs to apply for the LA Small Bizcubator’s FREE retail pop-up space in Little Tokyo. Applicants who attend 70% of these workshops will receive a preferred status in the applications process for the LA Small Bizcurator retail pop-up space program.

Through the Seasons: National Suicide Prevention Month

No one enjoys thinking about the last stage of their lives, but being proactive about choosing our preferred medical plan makes it easier for our families to carry out our wishes. In California, it is beneficial to make a document stating our treatment preference, while we have the capacity to make those decisions.

Read more in the summer edition of LTSC’s Social Services newsletter Through the Seasons (p.4)opens PDF file .

Tuesday Night Project Director/Co-Founder traci kato-kiriyama and Tuesday Night Cafe Lead Curator/Producer Sean Miura, hosting Tuesday Night Cafe. Photo credit: Quincy Surasmith.

Tuesday Night Project celebrates 20 years of existence by continuing to grow within the Little Tokyo community through the power of art. Their flagship program, Tuesday Night Cafe, ended the campaign season with a show themed around “Gratitude” last night in the Aratani Courtyard to thank the community for driving them forward through these past 20 years and beyond. If you’d like to support/donate to Tuesday Night Project, please view their campaign page here and follow them on social media @tnproject. Tuesday Night Project sincerely thanks you for being the roots that enable them to continue growing.

Events

Aug. 11 – Changing Tides Paint Night

Aug. 21, Aug. 28, Sept. 4, Sept. 11, Sept. 18, Sept. 25, Oct. 2, Oct. 9 – Small Business Workshop: Create Your Business Plan in 8 Weeks

Oct. 6 – Asian Small Business Expo

Green Tip

Plant a tree. Trees absorb carbon dioxide.

Donors

Thank you to all our supporters for your contributions last month!

July 2018 Donors

Anonymous
Dennis Arguelles
Jeffrey and Lorraine Dohzen
Elite Graphics
Paul Jay Fukushima
Miyeko Hasegawa
Lisa Hasegawa
Tamotsu Ikeda
Dorothy Imai
Toshio Kamei
Jessica Kanai
Yuka Kimbell
Evelyn Kita
Charles and Jean Kuniyoshi
Gary and June Masada
Robert and Teresa Matsushima
Florence Mikawa
Nichi Bei Fujin Kai
Jean and Kenneth Nishihara
Taeko Okada
Fred and Yumiko Ong
William Ota
Stephen Suzuki
Carolyn Takeshita
Michi Tanioka
Keith Umemoto
Tamiko Uyehara
Marsha and Gary Watanabe
Emiko Yabuta
Linda and Gary Yamauchi
Tad Yoshimura

In Honor of Mabel Fujita Harman
Arlene Dootson
Michael and Margie Odanaka

In Memory of Gary S. Mikuni
Margaret Narumi

In Memory of Tsutomu Maehara
Anonymous

In Memory of Jeannette Kyoko Sanderson
Emily and Dan Weaver

Terasaki Budokan

Anonymous
Akemi Arakaki
Laura Blosser and Chris Argyros
The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation
Robert and Laverne Cohen
Mark and Tracey Doi
Scott Ito and Nan Lee
Yukio Kawaratani
Brent Mori and Jessie Kikuchi
Ken and Priscilla Mui
Mike Murase and June Hibino
Ann Nomura and Dale Freyberger
Michael, Margie and Katherine Odanaka
Pasadena Bruins
Grant Sunoo and Emily Maeda
Raymond and Janice Waldorf
David and Michiko Watanabe

In Honor of Bill Watanabe
Mabel Fujita Harman

In Memory of Philip Ito
Jenni Kuida and Tony Osumi

In-kind Donations

Baby2Baby
IPG Mediabrands
Adina Mori-Holt and Whitman Holt
Yo Wakita
Linda and Gary Yamauchi

Vehicle Donations

Mark and Loreen Uyehara