Thousands of participants gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center last weekend to sample sake, purchase exotic knickknacks, watch traditional performances and partake in all things Japanese.
The Japan Expo, now in its 28th year, aims to strengthen U.S.-Japan ties by assembling Japanese artists, products, food and services in one giant venue.
This year's theme, "Aesthetics and Art," featured displays of traditional Japanese textiles, instruments, swords and antiques, yet also filled the increasingly popular youth culture niche with "anime" animation and Japanese fashion.
Among the crowds of families and the kimono-clad were groups of excited teens enthusiastically roaming the various themed zones. Carissa Brinckerhoff and Jessica Pruitt, high school students from Brea, Calif., heard about the expo through their Japanese class and came fully donned in "yukata" summer kimono, to eat sushi and do a little shopping.
"I am overwhelmed," said a breathless Brinckerhoff, who has loved Japanese culture since she started watching "Sailor Moon" as a third-grader. "I am very happy to be in a place that is so Japan-centered," she said.
This kind of response is precisely what Jason Yamaguchi, director of the Japan Expo Foundation, was hoping for. Under new leadership, the foundation, which puts on this annual event, has sought to attract a wider audience.
While the expo has always been popular with the Japanese-American community, organizers hoped to stimulate interest among a broader cross section of individuals.
"Many Southern Californians who live in the suburbs have never heard of the Japan Expo even though it has been around for 27 years," Yamaguchi said. "We are trying to attract a variety of people — that is our goal."