From Ikebana to Taiko Drums: A Sensory Immersion into the Rich Tapestry of Japanese American Culture

LA’s historic Little Tokyo hosts the Nisei Festival every August. This year was my first time attending. At the festival, there’s a pageant/parade, Japanese art and culture exhibits, food vendors, and music performances (including the famous taiko drum line). 

Little Tokyo is a Japanese American district and a cultural hub in downtown LA. There are two Zen gardens, lots of public artworks, the Japanese American National Museum, and many restaurants and historic shops. But what most interests me about Little Tokyo is the mix of modern and traditional architecture.

Modern buildings are adorned with Japanese style roof tiles, and small buildings were transformed into quaint boutiques. I loved the bright red paper lanterns that lined the streets. People wore hybridized clothing styles. I saw people in everything from urban streetwear to traditional silk kimono and yukata. What was especially gratifying to see was the range of people wearing the kimono and yukata. They weren’t exclusively Japanese, but also Asian, white, and Hispanic. The overall effect left me feeling like I wasn’t in America or Japan, but in a dazzling multicultural city set sometime in the future.  

Our first stop at the festival was the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center. Inside were kiosks selling Japanese products from brands such as Eat Sleep Work and Uprising, food stalls, and musical performances. Most of the groups played contemporary Rock music. Some of the younger performers were high school students. There was also a charming Japanese-style beer garden decorated with stools, traditional Japanese curtains, and paper lanterns.

I checked out the Ikebana Teachers Association’s exhibition where the groups showed off their collection of stunning flower arrangements (ikebana). The arrangements really fit my style. They were very detailed yet minimalist, and they looked like miniature Zen gardens. It must take an incredible amount of time and care to maintain these arrangements.

Our next stop was a Japanese tea ceremony, which was the highlight of the festival.

The teahouse was a small, wooden hut that was built for the ceremony. The host, a Japanese American woman wearing a kimono, told us about the ancient tea ceremony. Following a strict protocol, the tea ceremony is considered classical Japanese art. Preparation for each stage of the ceremony takes hours to set up and follows a strict rules. There is intention in even the smallest details. The planners carefully select everything from utensils to the flower arrangements. Still, the décor is minimalist.

The host explained that there are usually two guests: a primary and a secondary guest. Before entering, guests must wash their hands as a gesture of respect. The ceremony starts with the cleaning of the utensils. After inspecting the utensils, the host must ensure they’re properly set. Then the tea is prepared. The tea and water are carefully mixed together with a whisk in a bowl. When it’s ready, the host presents the bowl of prepared tea to the main guest. The guests admired the bowl before drinking the tea. Afterward, the main guest wiped the rim of the bowl and offered it to the secondary guest.

Everyone was quiet and respectful throughout. It seems that the point of emphasizing these small, seemingly insignificant rituals was to invoke a calm, meditative state. The slowness of everything forces us to stay in the moment and develop patience. After the two guests took their sips, the rest of us were finally free to enjoy our tea.

After everyone had finished their tea, the host cleaned the bowl and utensils. The guests must then show respect for the hosts by inspecting the utensils. Afterward, the guests are to admire anything else the host has on display, such as a flower arrangement or a scroll. Guests then bow their heads to the hosts one last time before leaving. With that final gesture, the ceremony’s complete. It was such a treat for me to learn about this beautiful, ancient tradition.

After the tea ceremony, I walked through the James Irvine Japanese Garden. The garden is small but charming with a pretty bridge. I saw quite a few people dressed in kimono enjoying themselves in the Zen garden.

From there, we caught the Kimekomi doll exhibition. These lovely traditional dolls are handmade with painted porcelain heads and dressed in gorgeous kimono made of silk crepes, twills, brocades, and other luxurious fabrics. For anyone interested in learning more about Kimekomi dolls, there are classes for it in Gardena and Monterey Park.

Before leaving Little Tokyo, we took a walk through the restaurant row. In addition to all the Japanese restaurants, street vendors were selling all kinds of Japanese items, such as chopsticks and bonsai. We didn’t stay too long because it was very crowded and I don’t do well with crowds, but I plan to return someday soon to try some of the food.

We ended the day at the Obon Festival at the Gardena Buddhist Church. The annual festival is celebrated to commemorate deceased ancestors. It’s believed that spirits return during this time to visit living relatives. Paper lanterns called chochin are lined up on strings to guide the spirits to their families who wait for them at the graves of their deceased loved ones.

I was thrilled to catch a performance of the Bon-Odori (a ritual dance). The dance’s performed on a raised platform called a yagura. On the yagura is a band with one vocalist and several instrumentalists who play traditional Japanese instruments.

Some music was pre-recorded but there were also a couple of lute players and a woman on a taiko drum. The dancers, who were from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, wore traditional Japanese clothing, and performed a synchronized dance while moving in a large circle. I was surprised to see that among the dancers were three men in Elvis wigs. The dance was a joy to watch.

Afterward, I toured the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temple. The large altar at the head of the temple was painted in shades of gold and was covered with ornaments. It felt like I was at a royal palace.

It was a wonderful day and I really loved attending the two festivals. But the Japanese tea ceremony at the Nisei festival was my favorite event.

If you’ve never been to either festival, I encourage you to attend at least one of them next year. Until then, there’s plenty to see and do in LA’s Little Tokyo.

#3rdCulture #EastMeetsWest