Amamikai SoCal to Celebrate 40th Anniversary

TORRANCE — Southern California Amamikai will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a show on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m. (doors open at 12:30 p.m.) at the Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Dr. in Torrance.

The Amami Islands belong to Kagoshima Prefecture, and are located between Kagoshima and Okinawa. The Amami Association consists of people from the islands, people who have any relationship with the islands, and people who simply love the islands.

Mizuki Nakamura

The event will include shimauta or island folk songs by Mizuki Nakamura and Hisana Kasari from Amai, Oshima-tsumugi kimono show, an appearance by Mayor Tsuyoshi Asayama from Amami, and more.

In the lobby of the theater, a photo exhibition of Tokunoshima’s bullfighting will be presented. The Amami Islands’ local foods and accessories made of tumugi fabric will be available for sale.

The event also commemorates the 60th anniversary of the islands’ reverting to Japanese sovereignty. The islands were occupied by the U.S. Army immediately after World War II.

Suggested donation: $20. For more information, call Yoshiko Ueda at (213) 680-9321.