Nisei Week Festival/Little Tokyo/Related

bmwracer wrote:Hakujin guy playing the shamisen... And he was quite good. :thumbsup:

he looks pissed.

:hehe:

Tu_triky wrote:

he looks pissed.

That's because 5 minutes earlier I walked by and asked him if he could play Layla[/list:u]

gaijinmark wrote: That's because 5 minutes earlier I walked by and asked him if he could play Layla[/list:u]

:lol:

dood u crack me up.

Tu_triky wrote:I forgot to mention this yesterday. After eating at Daikokuya Ramen, I did a little grocery shopping at Mitsuwa and discovered they will be opening a Beard Papa's Pastry Shop @ the Mitsuwa Marketplace on Third St. and Alameda.

On the shopping center, I noticed there was a big banner that said "Coming Soon" and there was a big drawing of some guy that looked like a cross between Santa Claus and the Gorton's fisherman. I needed to have somebody explain to me what it meant.

At least something is opening up in that shopping center. It used to be really nice. Now, it's just sad.

Super No. 1 wrote:

On the shopping center, I noticed there was a big banner that said "Coming Soon" and there was a big drawing of some guy that looked like a cross between Santa Claus and the Gorton's fisherman. I needed to have somebody explain to me what it meant.

LOL...very funny...but I can appreciate that if you weren't familiar with the Beard Papa log.

At least something is opening up in that shopping center. It used to be really nice. Now, it's just sad.

You are so right. It's been a veritable "empty shell" for a long time...I know with some confidence that will change soon because of all the residential developments that have sprung up in Little Tokyo...the question is will the new future tenants of the Mitsuwa Marketplace Mall have anything to do with Japanese culture at all.

gaijinmark wrote: That's because 5 minutes earlier I walked by and asked him if he could play Layla[/list:u]

He didn't have his Fender Strato-Shamisen and Marshall amps with him.

Here are some bon-odori clips.

The first gal is Erin from my space.... she hangs out on the Runboard forum.

After a while you can hear me talking to another young lady spectator which is not Erin but the daughter of one of the dancers. She was teaching me some of the movements.... Next year I'm definitely dancing. :jumpie:

There is a problem with it playing all the way through. I'm reuploading.
Will post the link shortly.

Still uploading the bon odori.
Here is a short clip strolling thru Japanese Village on the way to bon odori.
I wish I could afford a steady cam outfit:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1061214ywMkQ4w9

bmwracer wrote:
He didn't have his Fender Strato-Shamisen and Marshall amps with him.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Was his name Eriku Karaputon?

ralphm1999 wrote:Here are some bon-odori clips.

The first gal is Erin from my space.... she hangs out on the Runboard forum.

After a while you can hear me talking to another young lady spectator which is not Erin but the daughter of one of the dancers. She was teaching me some of the movements.... Next year I'm definitely dancing. :jumpie:

There is a problem with it playing all the way through. I'm reuploading.
Will post the link shortly.

OK. Finally got the bon odori montage video uploaded and working:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v10649008WfNKYwc

:sweat:

Anime Dad wrote: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Was his name Eriku Karaputon?

He does fit the description a wee bit. :beaten:

The New Otani Hotel (now under new ownership... :sweat:)

[image]

[image]

i hope the New Otani Hotel keeps the Beer Garden intact....

new ownership for better for worse...we'll see what happens to the surrounding areas of Little Tokyo too.

qilver wrote:i hope the New Otani Hotel keeps the Beer Garden intact....

Same here... Who knows what the new owner will turn it into... :sweat:

It's all about making bucks... Everything else be damned. :(

bmwracer wrote:
Same here... Who knows what the new owner will turn it into... :sweat:

It's all about making bucks... Everything else be damned. :(

i hope this is not the beggining of the end of Japantown... :puppydog:

qilver wrote:i hope this is not the beggining of the end of Japantown... :puppydog:

That might have started a while ago.... :sweat:

I think more of the younger, hip Japanese crowd hangs out at Sawtelle in West L.A. now...

[image][/list:u] Another can't miss spot when visiting

gaijinmark wrote:[image][/list:u] Another can't miss spot when visiting

kono syashin wa nan desu ka?

Go east on Alameda and make a left on the first street before the freeway(I can't remember the name of it). Or, if you're going south on the 101, exit @ Alameda and you run right into it. [/list:u] What cracks me up is that the cops use that lot right next to it for their cars. I wonder who made THAT decision? :naughty:

gaijinmark wrote:Go east on Alameda and make a left on the first street before the freeway(I can't remember the name of it). Or, if you're going south on the 101, exit @ Alameda and you run right into it. [/list:u] What cracks me up is that the cops use that lot right next to it for their cars. I wonder who made THAT decision? :naughty:

interesting i don't recall every seeing that building. i can't even make out the words on the wall...little tokyo something...