"The Big Games in Little Tokyo"
2021/7/19
On Sunday, July 11, 2021, the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles joined the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), the Terasaki Budokan – a Project of Little Tokyo Service Center – and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) to celebrate the Olympic games in Little Tokyo past and present through performances, exhibitions, and other activities.
Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles MUTO Akira spoke at the day’s Opening Ceremony, which also featured remarks from JANM President and CEO Ann Burroughs and Olympic medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani, along with a performance by L.A. Taiko Ichiza.
Consul General Muto cited the upcoming opening of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo on July 23, noting that Japan has placed the highest priority on delivering safe and secure Games. Furthermore, he expressed a wish for the Games to be a beacon of hope for all people around the world. He added that the remarkable legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are the stories that continue to inspire and bring communities and people together, even after the period of competition ends.
Consul General Muto also visited the exhibition Torch: 1932 Los Angeles Olympics Photos by Toyo Miyatake, an exhibit at the George J. Doizaki Gallery at the JACCC that opened on July 11 and is open to the public through Aug. 8. 2021. Toyo Miyatake was a photographer hired by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun to document the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.
Consul General Muto (Credit: Toyo Miyatake Studio)
Exhibit at JACCC (Credit: Toyo Miyatake Studio)