A Fun Bus Ride

A capacity crowd turned out for a screening of the documentary “Flo’s Bus” on Sept. 8 at the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute. Flo Matsuda, who was 77 when the film was made, organized quarterly bus trips from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for her gambling buddies for 15 years before asking a friend to take over. Once they hit the highway, these seniors sang and played Hawaiian music, danced hula, and shared food they’d prepared. These excursions bonded them like family and became a cherished ritual. After the screening, Matsuda and director Dean Ishida discussed the making of the film and took questions from the audience. (J.K. YAMAMOTO/Rafu Shimpo)