PILGRIMAGE: Bus transportation available, but seats are going fast
LOS ANGELES — UCLA Kyodo Taiko will perform at the 49th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Manzanar Committee, on Saturday, April 28, 2018, at the Manzanar National Historic Site, located on U.S. Highway 395 in California‘s Owens Valley, between the towns of Lone Pine and Independence, approximately 230 miles north of Los Angeles (see map below).
UCLA Kyodo Taiko will open the program at 11:30 AM PDT, while the main portion of the program will begin at 12:00 PM.
The theme for this year’ Pilgrimage is, Silent No More! Liberty and Justice For All.
Each year, over 1,000 people from diverse backgrounds, including students, teachers, community members, clergy and former incarcerees attend the Pilgrimage, which commemorates the unjust incarceration of over 110,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry in ten American concentration camps, and other confinement sites, located in the most desolate, isolated regions of the United States, during World War II. Manzanar was the first of the American concentration camps to be established.
Making their 12th consecutive appearance at the Manzanar Pilgrimage this year, UCLA Kyodo Taiko is the first collegiate taiko (Japanese drum) group in North America. They made their debut at the Opening Ceremony of the University of California, Los Angeles‘ commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Japanese American Internment, which was held in February 1992 at UCLA‘s famed Royce Hall.
UCLA Kyodo Taiko is comprised entirely of UCLA students. They have performed at local K-12 schools, Nisei Week, Los Angeles Tofu Festival and the Lotus Festival in Los Angeles, the Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational, during halftime at UCLA basketball games, as well as the First Annual USA Sumo Open, in addition to many other campus, community and private events.
UCLA Kyodo Taiko has also become a fertile training ground for those who wish to continue with taiko after their college careers, as many of their alumni have become members of professional taiko groups, including Nishikaze Taiko Ensemble, TaikoProject and Progressive Taiko (Prota).
In addition to the afternoon event, the Manzanar At Dusk program follows that same evening, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, at the Lone Pine High School gymnasium, located at 538 South Main Street (U.S. Highway 395), in Lone Pine, nine miles south of the Manzanar National Historic Site, across the street from McDonald‘s (see map below).
Manzanar At Dusk is co-sponsored by the Nikkei Student Unions at California State University, Long Beach, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of California, San Diego.
Through a creative presentation, small group discussions and an open mic session, Manzanar At Dusk participants will have the opportunity to learn about the experiences of those incarcerated in the camps. Participants will also be able to interact with former incarcerees in attendance to hear their personal stories, to share their own experiences, and discuss the relevance of the concentration camp experience to present-day events and issues.
Pilgrimage participants are advised to bring their own lunch, drinks, and snacks, as there are no facilities to purchase food at the Manzanar National Historic Site (restaurants and fast food outlets are located in Lone Pine and Independence, which are nearby).
Water will also be provided at the site, but participants are asked to bring a refillable water bottle that may be filled at stations located on-site.
Those who wish to participate in the traditional flower offering during the interfaith service are advised to bring their own flowers.
Pilgrimage participants should also be aware of the fact that weather in the Owens Valley can be unpredictable and can change rapidly. The Manzanar Committee advises participants that they should always wear a hat, use sunscreen, and lip balm (ultraviolet light is not affected by clouds and is more intense at higher elevations), and to be prepared for any kind of weather, including high winds, heat, cold, and rain.
Further details about the Pilgrimage and the Manzanar At Dusk program will be announced at a later date.
The Manzanar Committee has also announced that bus transportation to the Pilgrimage is available from Los Angeles‘ Little Tokyo and Gardena.
The Little Tokyo bus, sponsored by the Manzanar Committee, will depart at 7:00 AM, arriving at the Pilgrimage at approximately 11:30 AM, and will also take participants to the Visitors Center at the Manzanar National Historic Site following the afternoon program. The bus should arrive back in Los Angeles at approximately 8:30 PM.
Reservations for the Little Tokyo bus will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The non-refundable fare is $40.00 per seat, $20.00 for students (proof of student status required). Complimentary fares are available for those who were incarcerated at any of the former American concentration camps or other confinement sites during World War II.
The bus from Gardena is sponsored by the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute. Information on their bus to the Manzanar Pilgrimage can be found on their web site at https://gvjci.wufoo.com/forms/manzanar-pilgrimage-2018, or by calling their offices at (310) 324-6611.
Anyone wishing to attend the Manzanar At Dusk program that evening should make other transportation arrangements.
Both the Manzanar Pilgrimage and the Manzanar At Dusk programs are free and are open to the public. For more information, or to reserve a seat on the bus departing from Little Tokyo, call (323) 662-5102 or send e-mail to 49thpilgrimage@manzanarcommittee.org.
The Manzanar Committee is dedicated to educating and raising public awareness about the incarceration and violation of civil rights of persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II and to the continuing struggle of all peoples when Constitutional rights are in danger. A non-profit organization that has sponsored the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage since 1969, along with other educational programs, the Manzanar Committee has also played a key role in the establishment and continued development of the Manzanar National Historic Site. For more information, check out our web site at https://manzanarcommittee.org, call us at (323) 662-5102, and e-mail us at info@manzanarcommittee.org. You can also follow the Manzanar Commitee on Facebook, on Twitter at @manzanarcomm, on Instagram at @manzanarcommittee, on Pinterest and on YouTube.
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LEAD PHOTO: UCLA Kyodo Taiko performed at the 48th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, April 29, 2017, at the Manzanar National Historic Site. Photo: Gann Matsuda/Manzanar Committee.
Manzanar National Historic Site via Google Maps
Lone Pine High School via Google Maps
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