Love to Nippon 2018
Love to Nippon 2018 -7th Anniversary 3.11 Memorial Event, Honor the Past, and Celebrate the Future
The rain had stopped as we began the day and by afternoon, the sun was shining as upwards of 400 people gathered to pray, to learn and to enjoy the special performances.
With your love to Nippon (Nippon means Japan), we were able to fulfill our mission of not forgetting the people who suffered from the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
3.11 Memorial -Honor the Past & Celebrate the Future!
“Love to Nippon 2018”, 7th Anniversary Memorial Event Pays Tribute to the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami
Sunday, March 11, 2018 at LAPD HQs
#1 Stage (1st Street Side)
MC: Janet LeBlanc, Co-President of NBFK
12:00 - 3:30 pm Registration Desk Opens:
Love to Nippon Project Information, Media Desk, Merchandises Desk
12:00 - 12:20 pm Shinto Ceremony:
Izumi Hasegawa, Senior Priest of Shusse Inari Shrine of America
Michael Van Hartingsveldt, Assistant
12:00 - 3:00 pm Booths:
Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate Prefectural Organizations of Southern California
L.A. County Fire Department Fire Truck: 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
Bazaar Booth
12:20 - 12:45 pm Japanese Taiko Tribute:
UCLA Kyodo Taiko First Performance
Brandon Wang, Catherine Lumintang, Minami Sasaki, Elise Umetsu, Kyle Nakahira, Yi-Ling Loo, Gianna Furumoto, Lindsay Masukawa, Isacc Caldas, Jason Muljadi , Emily Pham, Niveda Tennety, Micah Flores, Kiana Shibata
3:00 - 3:30 pm Japanese Martial Art Demonstrations:
Southern California Kendo Organization (SCKO)
Yusuke Sakuma, Kenichi Kamimoto and many more!
3:15 - 3:35 pm Japanese Taiko Tribute:
UCLA Kyodo Taiko Second Performance
Kelly Dekitani, Justin Shinn, Producers of UCLA Nikkei Student Union
#2 Stage (LAPD HQs Main Entrance Area)
MC: Richard Fukuhara & Janet LeBlanc, Board Members of Love to Nippon Project
1:00 - 3:00 pm Booths:
The Japan Search & Rescue Dog Association, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region, Home Depot, Los Angeles County Fire Department Preparedness Information
“Kata tataki” by Dr. Doann Kaneko
12:55 - 1:05 pm Opening Remarks: Richard Fukuhara & Janet LeBlanc, Board of Love to Nippon Project
1:05 - 1:20 pm Art Performance: Dance & Calligraphy by Rizumu, Kuni, Phil & Shoji
Dancers: Rizumu Masuda, Phil Garvin, Shoji Takeuchi
Calligrapher: Kuniharu Yoshida
1:20 - 1:30 pm Presentation: The Japan Search & Rescue Dog Association from Japan
Title: "What the Earthquake Taught Us, Looking Ahead to the Future"
Mrs. Naoko Kawano, Shinya Kawano, Hiromi Suzuki, Naomi Hosono and Isso Takahashi
1:30 - 1:45 pm Music Tribute: Jazz Music by Nori Tani & Friends
Nori Tani (Alto Saxophone), Albert Elegino (Trombone), Masatoshi Sato (Bass), David Cheung (Drums), Hiro Morizumi (Piano), Takako Uemura (Vocal), Maurice Gainen (PA Engineer)
3:00 - 3:30 pm Music Tribute: Jazz Music by Nori Tani & Friends
Nori Tani (Alto Saxophone), Albert Elegino (Trombone), Masatoshi Sato (Bass), David Cheung (Drums), Hiro Morizumi (Piano), Takako Uemura (Vocal), Maurice Gainen (PA Engineer)
3:30 - 3:35 pm Closing Invocation:
Rev. Mark Nakagawa, Centenary United Methodist Church
#3 Stage (LAPD HQs Upper Garden)
MCs: Lori Gardea, Toby Mallen of NBFK and Kay Kayoko Inose, Kitty Sankey of Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California
12:00 - 3:00 pm Flower Offering Desk
1:45 - 1:55 pm Love to Nippon Project Greeting & Introductions
National Anthems of the United States of America and Japan: Sung by Erika Mariko Olsen
1:50 - 2:15 pm Introduction of Fire Chief Daryl L Osby, Los Angeles County Fire Department
Presentation on Natural Disaster Preparedness by Fire Chief Osby
2:15 - 2:40 pm Interfaith Service:
Rev. Timothy Yee, Union Church of Los Angeles
Rabbi Shalom Rubanowitz, Pacific Jewish Center “The Shul on the Beach” in Venice
Nikkei Interfaith Group of Little Tokyo and Los Angeles Buddhist Temple Federation
Rev. Nobuko Miyoshi, Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple
Rev. William Briones, Rev. Kazuaki Nakata, Nishi Honganji LA Betsuin Buddhist Temple
Rev. Shumyo Kojima, Rev. Daiki Toho, Zenshuji Soto Mission
2:40 - 2:45 pm Appreciation Remarks:
Deputy Consul General Hiroki Matsuo, Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
2:45 - 3:00 pm Music Tribute:
“Hana Wa Saku” & “Amazing Grace” by Union Church of Los Angeles and Friends
Keiko Suga (Conductor), Dan Taguchi (Saxophone), Shobi Kitamura (Piano)
Closing Remarks:
Doug Erber, President, Japan America Society of Southern California (JASSC)
Masako Unoura-Tanaka, Founder of Love to Nippon Project & Board of Governors, JASSC
Presented by: Love to Nippon Project
Love to Nippon 2018 is generously hosted by LAPD HQs
Supported by: Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
Japan America Society of Southern California, NBFK,
ANA: Inspiration of Japan, with many other individuals and organizations
