September 1-3 - Japan vs. USA Baseball Tournament @ Urban YouthBaseballAcademy U.S.-Japan High School Baseball Tournament presented by the Japanese Educational Resource Center (JERC) in cooperating with the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy. Sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan and Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California. Sept 1 - 12:00pm – Opening Ceremony / Sept 1 - 1:00pm - Japan vs. USA Sept 2 - 1:00pm – USA vs. Japan / Sept 3 - 1:00pm – Japan vs. USA For more information and tickets, please call JERC at (310) 373-4888,
email office@jerc.org or visit www.jerc.org.
September 13 - Celso Duarte & Sonex @ First & Central Summer Concert Series The First & Central Summer Concert Series (in Little Tokyo) concludes on Thursday, September 13 at 6:30 pm with a fandango jarocho featuring Celso Duarte and Sonex. Best known for his stunning work with Lila Downs, virtuoso harpist and multi-instrumentalist, Celso Duarte, simply dazzles. The Los Angeles Times calls Sonex a vibrant testimony to the wealth of talent among Mexico’s emerging artists. Both are gaining a well-deserved reputation for invigorating son jarocho with their infectious rhythms and dynamic lyrics. Made possible, in part, by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; the James Irvine Foundation, and the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. FREE!
September 15 - The Sushi Economy by Sasha Issenberg On Saturday, September 15, author Sasha Issenberg will speak about her book, The Sushi Economy, at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. The talk will take place from 2-4 pm. Over a generation, sushi in the United States has gone from the unknown to ubiquitous, but even aficionados will be surprised at the true history and complex economics behind the business of sushi. The Sushi Economy jumps from Mediterranean docks to the multimillion-dollar tuna auctions of Japanese fish markets, and from the shopping streets of Shanghai to the cargo holds of intercontinental jumbo jets -- all while making a surprising case against eating local. A sushi tasting and book signing will follow. Free with Museum admission. The book will be available from the Museum’s online store in September. (213) 625-0414, or janm.org.
September 16 - Japan America Kite Festival The Japan America Society presents the 11th Annual Japan America Kite Festival on Sunday, September 16 from 10:00 a.m. to sunset. The festival takes place at the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach. In just five years, the festival has grown to be the second largest kite festival in California. It attracts over 5,000 people of all ages and has developed an international reputation as the “most family-friendly kiting event in the world.” Join the fun and enjoy Japanese and international kites of all sizes, shapes, and colors. There will also be Japanese food booths, taiko drum performances, raffle prizes, kite flying demonstrations, and much more. Admission is free. The Seal Beach Pier is at Main Street and Ocean Avenue. kiteclub.org
September 22 - Yoichi Sugawara & Tomoko Kuwae @ Marsee Auditorium The 5th LA Charity Concert to benefit the Keiro Senior HealthCare Living Treasures Endowment Fund will be held at Marsee Auditorium on Saturday, September 22 at 2:00 pm. The concert will feature Veteran Japanese popular singer Yoichi Sugawara and Okinawan popular singer Tomoko Kuwae. Sugawara’s career spans from the 1967 hit “Shiritakunai No” to this year’s release of ”Arigato, Gomen Ne.” The Yokohama-born singer has appeared on NHK’s Red-White Song Competition 22 times. Tomoko Kuwae began her career in 1979 with a song for a cosmetics commercial, “Watashi no Haato wa Stop Motion.” Her latest album, “Kajimaya Kazaguruma,” was released in 2005. Tickets are $45 and $80. Children 5-12 are $10. Marsee Auditorium is on the campus of El Camino College at 16007 Crenshaw Blvd. in Torrance.
September 29 - FOREST OF WORDS: Origin of Japanese KANJI Ideogram@JACCC
Through the Japan Foundation’s international program, two outstanding figures working in collaboration, Tesuji Atsuji, Professor, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University and Hirokazu Kosaka, Artistic Director, JACCC, will explore the evolution of Chinese ideogram with an intimate lecture and calligraphic demonstration. Accompanying the is a collection of calligraphy brushes, including those made from the whiskers of rats, eyelashes of an ostrich and the hair from a boy’s first hair-cut. a variety of specialty calligraphic inks, traditional papers and scrolls from distinguished calligraphers of Japan.
Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC)
244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
For more information, please call (213) 628-2725 or visit www.jaccc.org
September 30 - Samurai Films in Little Tokyo Four classic Samurai films will be screened on Sunday, September 30 at the Aratani/Japan Theater in Little Tokyo. The first film, Three Outlaw Samurai, (1967), will start at 11:00 am. It stars Tetsuro Tamba as a masterless samurai who joins together in a fight to the death against a cruel magistrate. Next up at 1:00 pm is Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron (1978) in which Tatsuya Nakadai portrays a former samurai warrior who abandons his class to become the leader of a gang of thieves. The 5:00 pm film is Samurai Rebellion (1967) featuring Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai in a film that sets love as the backdrop in a determined, yet seemingly futile battle for justice. The final film, to be shown at 7:30 pm, is Throne of Blood (1957), starring Mifune as a feudal lord whose bloodthirsty ambition is surpassed only by that of his wife’s. For more information, call the Aratani Theatre Box Office at (213) 680-3700. The films are in Japanese with English subtitles and are recommended for mature audiences only. Single Tickets (per film): $10, $8 JACCC Members, $6 Students. General Admission: Festival Pass: $30, $25 JACCC Members.
September 1-3 - 
September 13 - Celso Duarte & Sonex @ First & Central Summer Concert Series 
On Saturday, September 15, author Sasha Issenberg will speak about her book, The Sushi Economy, at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. The talk will take place from 2-4 pm. Over a generation, sushi in the United States has gone from the unknown to ubiquitous, but even aficionados will be surprised at the true history and complex economics behind the business of sushi. The Sushi Economy jumps from Mediterranean docks to the multimillion-dollar tuna auctions of Japanese fish markets, and from the shopping streets of Shanghai to the cargo holds of intercontinental jumbo jets -- all while making a surprising case against eating local. A sushi tasting and book signing will follow. Free with Museum admission. The book will be available from the Museum’s online store in September. (213) 625-0414, or janm.org.
The Japan America Society presents the 11th Annual Japan America Kite Festival on Sunday, September 16 from 10:00 a.m. to sunset. The festival takes place at the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach. In just five years, the festival has grown to be the second largest kite festival in California. It attracts over 5,000 people of all ages and has developed an international reputation as the “most family-friendly kiting event in the world.” Join the fun and enjoy Japanese and international kites of all sizes, shapes, and colors. There will also be Japanese food booths, taiko drum performances, raffle prizes, kite flying demonstrations, and much more. Admission is free. The Seal Beach Pier is at Main Street and Ocean Avenue. kiteclub.org
The 5th LA Charity Concert to benefit the Keiro Senior HealthCare Living Treasures Endowment Fund will be held at Marsee Auditorium on Saturday, September 22 at 2:00 pm. The concert will feature Veteran Japanese popular singer Yoichi Sugawara and Okinawan popular singer Tomoko Kuwae. Sugawara’s career spans from the 1967 hit “Shiritakunai No” to this year’s release of ”Arigato, Gomen Ne.” The Yokohama-born singer has appeared on NHK’s Red-White Song Competition 22 times. Tomoko Kuwae began her career in 1979 with a song for a cosmetics commercial, “Watashi no Haato wa Stop Motion.” Her latest album, “Kajimaya Kazaguruma,” was released in 2005. Tickets are $45 and $80. Children 5-12 are $10. Marsee Auditorium is on the campus of El Camino College at 16007 Crenshaw Blvd. in Torrance.
Four classic Samurai films will be screened on Sunday, September 30 at the Aratani/Japan Theater in Little Tokyo. The first film, Three Outlaw Samurai, (1967), will start at 11:00 am. It stars Tetsuro Tamba as a masterless samurai who joins together in a fight to the death against a cruel magistrate. Next up at 1:00 pm is Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron (1978) in which Tatsuya Nakadai portrays a former samurai warrior who abandons his class to become the leader of a gang of thieves. The 5:00 pm film is Samurai Rebellion (1967) featuring Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai in a film that sets love as the backdrop in a determined, yet seemingly futile battle for justice. The final film, to be shown at 7:30 pm, is Throne of Blood (1957), starring Mifune as a feudal lord whose bloodthirsty ambition is surpassed only by that of his wife’s. For more information, call the Aratani Theatre Box Office at (213) 680-3700. The films are in Japanese with English subtitles and are recommended for mature audiences only. Single Tickets (per film): $10, $8 JACCC Members, $6 Students. General Admission: Festival Pass: $30, $25 JACCC Members.