2012 Nisei Week Grand Parade on Sunday - Little Tokyo NEW

Nisei Week Parade, plan on waiting on curb along with everyone else, bring snacks and/or dinner to pass time.  This is one of the highlights during Nisei Week.  Nebuta Float will be last.

Nisei Week Dance Choreographer
Azuma Sumako II and Azuma Kikusue

Nisei Week Parade Date
Aug 12, 2012 - Little Tokyo

Nisei Week Parade Time
5:00 pm

Parade Dance Music
Kawachi Otoko Bushi by Mitsuko Nakamura
One Wish by Hiroshima

Nisei Week Parade Route
The parade starts at Central and turns right on 2nd Street.  On 2nd Street and Japanese Village Plaza, the Nisei Week announcers will sit. 

Things to Bring (While Waiting for Parade)
1) Cash - You may want to buy dinner, snacks or drinks while waiting
2) Camera, video camera, extra batteries
3) Snacks and/or dinner to pass time
4) Drinks: water, juice
5) Book, magazines
6) Kids: electronics
7) Blankets for Parade (it will get cold)
8) Chairs for Parade or sit on curb

2012 Nisei Week Festival Grand Parade Dance Choreographers
Azuma Sumako II & Azuma Kikusue

The 2012 Nisei Week co-choreographers are Sumako Azuma and Kikusue Azuma, both instructors of the Azuma Ryu style of dance. They have over 45 years of teaching experience between them, and they seek to preserve and promote Japanese culture in the United States through the art of Nihon Buyo.


Sumako Azuma-sensei was born in Tokyo, Japan, but was raised in Southern California. Her mother, Sumako Azuma I, a dance instructor, and grandmother, Setsu Okawa, a tea ceremony instructor, surrounded her with Japanese language and culture as a child. She showed tremendous talent in dance at a young age, and studied in Japan for many summers under the Soke (Grand Master) of the Azuma school, Tokuho Azuma. At age 14, she was awarded the natori (master) degree as a direct student of Mme. Tokuho Azuma.

After the untimely death of her mother a few years later, young Sumako returned to Japan for one year and was a live-in student under the Soke (Grand Master). She received her shihan (instructor's) degree at age 19, and honored her mother's legacy by returning to Southern California and continuing her mother's dance school. She has also earned the senmombu (specialty instructor's) degree, was honored as a Woman of the Year by the Downtown chapter of the JACL, and currently balances teaching with her full-time job as a corporate insurance broker (Senior Client Representative) for Marsh & McLennan Companies.


Kikusue Azuma-sensei was born and raised in Los Angeles. She earned degrees in Math and Computer Science and worked for 11 years as a software engineer, but eventually realized that teaching was her passion. She had studied Nihon Buyo for many years under Sumako Azuma sensei-earning her natori and shihan degrees from the Azuma School headquarters in Tokyo, Japan-and after receiving her shihan degree, she started teaching dance classes in Ventura County. She currently has over 50 students from Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange Counties. She is married, has three children and also works as a math teacher and tutor.

Sumako-sensei, Kikusue-sensei and their students have performed both at professional venues-including the Greek Theater, Hollywood Bowl and Universal Amphitheater-and at benefit performances for community and non-profit organizations. Although they still teach the Japanese dance classics, they have broken new ground artistically, reaching out to the Sansei (third generation), Yonsei (fourth generation) and Gosei (fifth generation) by blending traditional Japanese dance techniques with modern influences.  Through their efforts, the Azuma School in the U.S. continues to grow and helps perpetuate Japanese culture in this country through the art of Japanese dance.