The 80-year-old female volunteer looked on warmly as men and women of all ages cheered and laughed with performers on stage at a public hall in Yokohama.

"I could have been one of them," Akiko Nakamura said gently, looking at some 180 participants in the gathering in January, most of whom spoke Chinese.

"This is an important occasion for them to get together regardless of age, have a lot of fun and strengthen their bonds," Nakamura said in reference to the event to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the most important holiday for Chinese.