Autumn Festival
Aquarium of the Pacific
November 4th & 5th, 2006
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
A Glance Back At Autumn Festival II
The 2nd Annual Aquarium of the Pacific Autumn Festival,
a joint project of the Aquarium of the Pacific and RYOMA was
a huge success with 8,000 people attending. The 2nd Annual
Autumn Festival celebrated the arts and culture of Japan,
China, Korea and Cambodia amongst the beauty of the Aquarium.
 We
thank many for this successful event! They include:
Our lively and very popular ENTERTAINMENT: Art Nakane and
his One Man Band; Northern Shaolim Kung Fu Association &
their Lion Dance; Hikari Taiko Drummers Association; Spirit
of Khmer Angkor; Southern California Korean Dancing School;
Acorbatic Balancing Acts & Magic by Sha Sha Lui &
Pedro Chan; Phyllis Chang’s Contemporary Pop/Jazz; Bando
Misuhiro Kai-Japanese Dancing; Samolnori Korean Percusssion
Ensemble; Cambodian Khmer Arts Academy; Ikazuchi Dojo Aikido
Demonstration; Long Beach Ondo – Japanese Dancing; Orange
County Buddhist Church Daion Taiko; Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW) Nisei Post Award Presentation; Immortals Lion Dance;
Orange Country Chinese Cultural Club; Koshin Taiko; and Fujima
Seiyumi Kai-Japanese Dancing.
 As
that weekend was Veterans Weekend – we had a special
recognition ceremony by The Aquarium of the Pacific (who provided
beautiful plaques) and RYOMA to acknowledge and honor the
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) – which included Los
Angeles Nisei Memorial Post 9938 represented by Immediate
Past Commander Thomi Yamamoto; Kazu Masuda Memorial Post 3670
(Orange County) represented by Commander Robert Anuba; 4th
District Nisei Memorial Post 1961 (Gardena) represented by
Commander Tohoru Isobe; San Fernando Valley Nisei Memorial
Post 4140 represented by Commander Johnny Yamada ; and the
6th District Nisei Memorial Porst 9902 (East Los Angeles).
Our always we thank our witty, funny and ever able to ‘think
on his feet’ emcee – Actor Rodney Kageyama.
 DEMONSTRATORS/VENDORS:
Pinky Paws; Pasadena Cherry Blossom Festival; Angi Ma Wong-Feng
Shui; Michael Ujin Sanders Orgami; Kawasaki Designs; Kimekomi
Dolls; Cookie Lee Jewelry; Heritage Source Multicultural Books;
Teresa Chen Palm Leaf, A3M Bone Marrow Drive; and Chinese
Knotting with Betty Chow.
Thanks to Heritage Source Multicultural Books for donating
‘kids’ story books for our Cultural Storytellers
– Pinky Paws, Rodney Kageyama and Joyce Ducharme to
read to the kids in the Marine Life Theater.
 RYOMA
provided fun and popular crafts with our volunteers helping
them make Origami (Fish & Underwater origami), Lanterns
and Fish Kites for the kids and adults too!
The Aquarium provided special “Cultural Dive Presentations”
with their divers Jane Nguyen, Debbie Sam and Shirley Parry.
THE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE Producing RYOMA’s
segment were: Jill Lee (Event Coordinator), Dorothy Tamashiro
(Director of Volunteers), Joe Quan (Stage Manager & Lead
Trouble Shooter), Kevin Lee (Stage Manager & Lead Trouble
Shooter), and Wendy Fujihara Anderson (Producer).
And the FABULOUS RYOMA VOLUNTEERS: Laura
Amiot, Denise Arakaki, Dean Candia, Virginia Deprez, Joyce
Ducharme (2 days), Nancy Haase, Frank Hall, Greg Hall, Ruth
Hern, Grace Ishihara, Fay Jew (2 days), Helen Jew (2 days),
Jimmy Jew (2 days), Craig Lee (2 days) Jill Matsunaga, Diane
Matsuno, Lauren Michioka, Jeff Mio (2 days), Jocelyn Perez,
Reggie Sakurai (2 days), Patricia Sedlacek, Judy Sokua, Rose
Tafaoimalo, Carol Takafuji (2 days – Volunteer Coordinator),
Nina Takata, Billy Wing, Pamela Yerkes (2 days) and Masako
Yoneyama (2 days – Photographer).
 EVENT
CHALLENGE: The Aquarium was holding a wedding on
Saturday night and a special event on Sunday night after the
Aquarium closed at 6:00 p.m. – our challenge was to
close our vendors by 5:00 p.m. and have their cars packed
up and vendor areas torn down by 6:00 p.m. Our Volunteer Crew
went into a phenomenal and efficient zoom power and helped
vendors pack, take items to their cars, pack their cars and
have the area cleared by 5:30 p.m. each day to the amazement
of everyone at the Aquarium! Sunday morning our Volunteers
greeted vendors, helped them unload their cars, take their
items into the Aquarium and helped them re-set up. Our Volunteers
have become legendary at the Aquarium due to their dedication,
resourcefulness and helping to make the Autumn Festival smooth
running and flawless!
VOLUNTEER DRAWING: Following the close down
– we held a DRAWING each night for our volunteers as
well as had Goodie Bags for each of them in appreciation!
Thanks to donations from The Aquarium of the Pacific, RYOMA,
Dorothy Tamashiro and Wendy Fujihara Anderson.
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