The Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute partnered with the South Coast Botanic Garden to present performances and displays last Saturday at SCBG on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Demonstrators included the Southern California Naginata Federation (above) under the direction of Helen Nakano and the GVJCI Kyudo Renmei (below), which showed audience members how to handle a bow. The event also included singing by GVJCI Japanese Language School students, ukulele and hula by GVJCI’s Tomo no Kai, drumming by Prota Taiko, and odori by Bando Hidesomi in the Upper Meadow; demonstrations of yoga by Nicole Fagone, tai chi by Angie Sierra and gentle yoga by Tomo no Kai in the Lower Meadow; Evelyn Mayewaki of Tomo no Kai’s Karaoke Club, Michael Murata and VoCoLoCo from GVJCI’s Second Sunday Jam, and Tanoshii Tanka by Genie Nakano in the Amphitheater.

Arts and crafts for kids included calligraphy (above) and making paper cherry blossoms (below). Indoor displays included Manzanar paintings, GVJCI Japanese Language School, Sansei Stories and Meito Calligraphy, South Coast Bonsai Association, and ikebana and watercolors by SCBG.

Photos by J.K. YAMAMOTO/Rafu Shimpo

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