Nisei Week Festival/Little Tokyo/Related

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

I can't even read the text on that image... :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:
I can't even read the text on that image... :sweat:

that's what i said...it seems to say little tokyo something.

the last word is "Showgirls"

http://ladowntownnews.com/articles/2007/05/28/news/news02.txt

krim wrote:the last word is "Showgirls"

krim wins 1st prize! (we'll figure out what it is later) sorry about the lack of "quality" but I wanted to make sure the cop cars were in the picture as well. :beaten: [/list:u]

Murakami exhibit at MOCA LA, at the Geffen Contemporary

MURAKAMI

10.29.07 - 02.11.08

Arguably the most internationally acclaimed artist to emerge from Asia in the postwar era, Takashi Murakami effortlessly navigates between the worlds of fine art and popular culture and is best known for his cartoon-like, gsuperflath style. This large-scale retrospective includes key selections that span the early 1990s to the present. More than 90 works in various media—painting, sculpture, installation, and film—will be installed in three sections, occupying over 20,000 square feet of exhibition space at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. The first portion will be an immersive, theatrically lit environment, recreating the annual gWonder Festivalh comic market convention. It will feature many of Murakamifs acclaimed large-scale otaku-inspired figure projects of the late 1990s, including a new version of Second Mission Project Ko2 (2000-07). The second section will comprise a grid-like shelving display of all of Murakamifs merchandise, including multiples, collectibles, and maquettes, among other items. The final section will trace Murakamifs artistic development since 1991, including early works that engage branding and the evolution of his signature character, DOB. Of particular importance will be the premiere of a new animated film, kaikai & kiki, and the debut of Buddha Oval, an enormous self-portrait sculpture in the guise of a Buddha. The exhibition is organized by MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel with Research Assistant Mika Yoshitake and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

© MURAKAMI is made possible by endowment support from the Sydney Irmas Exhibition Endowment.

The exhibition and publication are made possible by generous support from Maria and Bill Bell.

Major support is provided by Blum & Poe, Los Angeles; Steven and Alexandra Cohen; Kathi and Gary Cypres; Gagosian Gallery; Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris and Miami; The Peter Norton Family Foundation; Dallas Price-Van Breda; Janet and Tom Unterman; Marianne Boesky; David Teiger; The MOCA Contemporaries; The Japan Foundation; and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

This exhibition is presented as part of the Millennium on View program. The Millennium Biltmore Hotel is MOCAfs Official Hotel Sponsor.

The main waterfall at the beer garden.

[image]

shin2 wrote:
The nisei owner of a Japanese furniture store located a few doors down from Masumi once declared to me that the three best Japanese confectionary shops in California were Masumi, Sakura-ya, and a place in San Jose whose name I have unfortunately long forgotten.

That would be Shuei-do, a very good manju shop.
http://www.japantownsanjose.org/shueidomanjushop.html

Sakura-ya is my favorite in LA for manju, go to the one in Gardena. I like Mikawaya and Fugetsu-do for mochigashi.



Cheers, :drink:
PCM

J-Town Strip Club: Did Community Pressure Make a Bad Situation Worse?

Heard Penthouse Media Group planned to open some kind of high-end ggentlemenfs clubh near the Nishi Hongwangji Buddhist Temple in L.A.fs Little Tokyo last fall. Predictably, Japanese American community groups rose as one to express their outrage. I, Yellowkid, relaxed a bit.

After all, Japanese Americans are the group that fought for and won redress and reparations from the federal government, right? Theyfd surely be able to keep a sleazy ggentlemenfs clubh from defiling our sacred J-Town. No problem.

Not set for a protracted battle, Penthouse Corp. suddenly pulled a cut and run maneuver out of the deal last year and took its high-falutinf Penthouse brand and gVIP clientèleh to another ehood, but what came in Penthousefs place may prove 1000% worse.

Instead of a non-obtrusive, Penthouse Gentlemenfs Club with its subtle signage and below-the-radar persona what has come to L.A.fs cultural Nihonmachi instead is the Mohammad Ahmadi/SP Star Enterprises-owned Little Tokyo Showgirls, a full-blown nude strip club with sticky poles, topless lap dances, sofa dances, nude lap dances.

I, Yellowkid, broke out my reporterfs notepad and headed for Little Tokyo Showgirls to investigate. Parked the company M3 in the clubfs covered parking lot and went inside around 11 p.m. on a Thursday night.

Dead on arrival.

Inside, Showgirls doesnft seem as sleazy as it does from outside. Itfs about the same as any strip club in the Valley, fancy computerized lights, thumping sound system. Think Spearmint Rhino. Think a lot of Prince.

Two or three bored looking, not too attractive dancers—not an Asian girl to be seen—were going through the motions to canned rock. gJayh was behind the counter, multitasking as ticket taker, non-alcoholic beverage dispenser, DJ. gOnce we win our lawsuit against Little Tokyo, wefll get our liquor license back.h

Dancer gBritnyh tried to sell me a lap dance. As if reading from a script she ran down the price points—topless $20, nude $40 and three-song gVIPh $120. BTW, songs run about 3 minutes each. Thatfs right. Yellowkid always carries a stopwatch for this kind of investigative reporting.

I, Yellowkid, declined the private dance, finished my over-priced Coca-Cola and left.

Blasting back to Epicanthus Studios afterward, I, Yellowkid, concluded that Little Tokyo Showgirls/hGeisha Girls of Little Tokyoh is a joint that could be out of business by the end of the year.

But how, I, Yellowkid, wondered: Couldnft the good folks of Little Tokyo have blocked any kind of nude- or semi-nude club altogether based on its proximity to a Buddhist temple? Nobody asked me, but Ifd keep an eye on the campaign contributions going to local officials from anyone affiliated with SP Star Enterprises.

All of this is not to say that Little Tokyofs history is so pious pure. Part of J-Townfs secret past is that it was the pre-WWII home to the notorious Tokyo Club gambling hall and dozens of shady B-girl bars which served more than drinks. What I, Yellowkid, wonft tolerate is a J-Town strip club with no Asian girls dancing

bmwracer wrote:The main waterfall at the beer garden.

They should make it a beerfall during the summer time

I finally got all of my Nisei Week stuff up. :woot:

http://www.super-no1.com/niseiweek2007/index.html

Now, I can enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend.

Tu_triky wrote:They should make it a beerfall during the summer time

Don't be ridiculous: You can't possibly keep all that beer ice cold.

bmwracer wrote:
Don't be ridiculous: You can't possibly keep all that beer ice cold.

It wouldn't last very long in any event....it's doable.

The tranquil beer garden pond.

[image]

bmwracer wrote:The tranquil beer garden pond.

[image]

Wrong, that's actually the Japanese wave pool.

On the last Sunday of the Nisei fest, there was a 5 hour taiko drum rotation on JACC pavilion stage. It was a mix of college and more advanced Taiko ensembles. There were about 20 groups in the rotation.

Try and get a seat under the awning... impossible. This was really a big drawing card.... Must have been 300 to 500 spectators. So I stood. No not for the whole thing. About an hour's worth. But it was excellent. The more I listen to these groups the more I become fascinated with their rythems and coordination and physical endurance. I can see I'll be going to many Taiko concerts in the coming year.

Zendeko though is still my super favorite which I showed in an earlier clip.
They always perform as a preshow to the Bon-Odori.

:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

Here's a sampling of a few of the groups:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1081002P94tXNKD

bmwracer wrote:
You have my sympathies. :beaten:

I still haven't made it out to the Lantern Festival in Toronto. I think it's only on for another week. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:The main waterfall at the beer garden.

Thanks for the pics, B-san! They've really made my day, because I can imagine myself there having a good time. I really appreciate you taking your camera. :glomp:

@Ralph: Thanks for the clips! My net is really crappy at the moment so it's slow, but I could make out some. Awesome.

Tu_triky wrote:Wrong, that's actually the Japanese wave pool.

Literally, a wave pool? :headscratch:

bmwracer wrote:
Literally, a wave pool? :headscratch:

more like a trickle pool.

Tu_triky wrote:more like a trickle pool.

I didn't even notice a trickle... Just a large pond with water that was smooth and clear as glass...