Access to this collection is generously supported by Arcadia funds. The first year of the Nisei festival was 1934. The term Nisei was used to signify the second generation, or American-born Japanese who were American citizens. The festival is now [2012] known as Nisei Week. In 1935 the second annual Nisei festival included a banquet, fashion shows, an ondo (folk dance), kendo contests, a pageant tracing Japanese history, flower and tea ceremonies and a parade. Tadao Amemiya may be the same person as Thomas Amemiga, of 2164 W 27th St, Los Angeles, CA, who has the same life dates. Similar photographs appear in the Los Angeles Times. One on 7/22/1935 with the caption: "Nipponese Youths Play Ancient Game, Japanese youths playing the ancient game of kendo which will be a feature of the annual Nisei festival to be held in Los Angeles Japanese colony next August 12 to 17. More than 200 will take part in a mass demonstration." And the second on 8/11/1935, with the caption: "This is Kendo, traditional Japanese fencing. This week in costume, it will be a feature of the nisei festival" (in the article titled: "It's The Nisei Festival, Now"). Harry Andow, Hideuki Yasudo, Yasushi Hara, and Tadao Amemiya engaged in Kendo with their shinai (swords) raised together in one point. They are dressed in kendo uniform, which includes the: men (helmet), keigoki (jacket), do (breastplate), kote (gloves), tare (protects waist and groin), and hakama (trousers). Handwritten on negative: Harry Andow, Hideyuki Yasudo, Yasushi Hara, Tado Amemiya, 8/2/35 Text from negative sleeve: Harry Andrew, Hideuki Yasudo, Yasushi Hara, Tado Amemiga, Chinese Fiesta, 8/2/35, 1739, [stamped:] AUG 22 1935
Type
image
Format
b&w nitrate negative
Identifier
uclamss_1429_10110 ark:/21198/zz002ddw21
Language
No linguistic content
Subject
Youth Events Festivals--California--Los Angeles Culture Kendo--California--Los Angeles Nisei Week (Los Angeles, Calif.) Yasuda, Hideyuki, 1921- Amemiya, Tadao, 1921-1999
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