*Third Annual LA Tanabata Festival in Little Tokyo August 12-14 - Register Now Kazari Design Contest! (Deadline August 6)NEW

Held in conjunction with the Nisei Week Annual Japanese Festival, the Third Annual Los Angeles Tanabata Festival is set for August 12-14, 2011, in Little Tokyo.� Admission is free and the festival is located in front of the MOCA Geffen Contemporary Museum on First Street and Central Avenue and the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo, downtown, Los Angeles.� Opening Ceremonies will be� held on Friday (12) at 5pm and the festival hours are Saturday (13) 11am to 8pm and Sunday (14) 11am to 5pm.

Important Dates
Aug 6: Deadline to Register Kazari Contest
Aug 12: Opening Ceremonies - 5:00 pm
Aug 13: Festival Hours - 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Aug 14: Festival Hours - 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

The festival is a fun and festive event with colorful kazari, food, arts & crafts vendors, and live entertainment. Sponsored by the Little Tokyo Public Safety (Koban, Brian Kito), the Nisei Week Foundation (Reverend Mark Nakagawa), and the Nanka Kenjinkai Kyogi kai (Chogi Higa), the Festival brings together diverse segments of the Japanese American Community to celebrate apart of Japanese culture.� Southern California organizations, families, and individuals are encouraged to join in by creating their own Tanabata decorations.

"This year the Festival pays tribute to the Japanese spirit, it simply amazing how they are dealing with the massive devastation and destruction caused by the recent tsunami and earthquake," according to Brian Kito, general chair of the Tanabata Festival. "The Theme, 'Uplifting our Spirits' is meant to serve as a message to us all to face adversity with perseverance and strength," Kito continued.

"Hundreds of youth and adults worked on the Daruma kazari for this year's entry at the JACCC Children's Day Celebration in May," said Kito. "The popular red-colored Daruma tumbler doll was chosen this year because it symbolizes resilience, when knocked on its side it always pops back to the upright position. And, the Daruma also is believed to bring good luck," offered Kito.

"We invite everyone to come participate and enjoy the amazing Tanabata Festival a true community celebration with, entertainment its food, and arts and crafts booths. And, we will take donations for the on going Japan Relief effort at the Festival," Kito concluded.

Tanabata Comes to Los Angeles
Yoshihito Yonezawa, president of the Miyagi Kenjinkai, had a dream to bring the Tanabata Festival to Los Angeles. Working together with the Nisei Week Foundation, Nanka Kenjinkai Kyogikai, and the Little Tokyo Public Safety Association (Koban), they made Yonezawa-san's wish a reality in 2009.

Last year, 240 colorful kazari were proudly displayed in front of MOCA's Museum of Contemporary Art's Geffen Contemporary Museum. The decorations were made by members of various organizations, including churches, Kenjinkai groups, community centers, non-profit organizations, businesses, and youth groups. Senior residents at Keiro and Little Tokyo Towers made multiple kazari to display. Many multi-generational groups and families participated, forging stronger community and familial ties. As people worked together to fold flowers and assemble their kazari, conversations flowed. As a cultural tradition was shared, friendships were renewed and strengthened.

Workshops & Supplies
The making of the kazari is a fun and easy project. Tanabata Planning Committee members will be on hand for workshops at the Koban in Little Tokyo on Saturday, July 16 and 22. Participants can drop by between 10am to 4pm.� It takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour to learn how to assemble the kazari and select materials.� The Koban is located at 307 First Street in downtown, Little Tokyo.

Design Contest
The kazari will be judged in six categories and participants will automatically be entered in the design contest.

Register Now!
Deadline to register is August 6, 2010. Registration per kazari is $10. Kits, tissue paper, and washi paper are available for sale at the Koban. Information and registration forms are available at the Little Tokyo Koban at 307 E First St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or call 213-613-1911.� For more information or to download forms go to the jhills website http://www.jhills.com

The Tanabata Tradition
In Japan, communities celebrate the story of Tanabata by writing wishes on pieces of paper and attaching them to bamboo branches. The city of Sendai in Miyagi-ken holds the biggest celebration each year with neighborhoods and businesses creating colorful decorations made from paper flowers and washi paper streamers. In Brazil and other countries around the world, Nikkei communities also participate with festivals. However, until last year, the traditions were largely unknown in America.

The Tanabata Festival was inspired by a popular legend in which a goddess, the weaver maiden Orihime who wove clothes for the heavenly beings, fell in love with a divine ox herder named Hikoboshi. When both of them-too consumed by their mutual love-began to neglect their respective duties, the gods punished them by turning them into two stars and put them on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Noting their sadness at being so forcibly parted, the gods agreed to one conditional respite: that once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month ("Tanabata" in Japanese), magpies would fly up into the sky and form a bridge across the galaxy, allowing the lovers to reunite for just one day each year.