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Cultural Event for Families Promotes Global Awareness of Post-Earthquake Recovery in Tohoku, Japan

Los Angeles – The Rising Tohoku Food Fair 2015, which celebrates the charms and cultural diversity of the Tohoku region of Japan, will take place August 20-23, 2015 at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Torrance. This four-day event aims to attract several thousand visitors–children and adults–to experience a variety of events, including food displays, festival and dance presentations, interacting with city mascots from the Tohoku region, and craft workshops.

“We are so pleased that the Rising Tohoku Food Fair hosted by Mitsuwa Marketplace helps draws the world’s attention to the seriousness of the Japanese earthquake and brings awareness to the ongoing recovery of the culturally rich Tohoku region which has so much to offer in terms of flavorful and refined cuisine, beautiful crafts, and goodwill,” says Hiroshi Kamata, Chairman of the Federation of Six Tohoku Prefecture Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Chairman of the Sendai Chamber of Commerce), and spokesperson for the Rising Tohoku Food Fair, which attracted over 75 participating companies and displayed over 200 food products at their 2014 event. “We want visitors to our live event to experience this wonderful and abundant Tohoku region, as if they were really there.”

The Rising Tohoku Food Fair presents diverse and flavorful food products originating from the 6 prefectures of Tohoku. There will be a variety of paper craft activities such as origami, Japanese lantern-making, and the writing of wishes on tanzaku, plus photo opportunities on the Mascot Character Stage with four charming and endearing city-specific mascots.

These city mascots include: Miyagi City’s iconic Musubimaru who wears a samurai costume and resembles onigiri (rice ball); Fukushima City’s adorable Momorin rabbit who represents Fukushima momo (peaches) and ringo (apples); the girl mascot Hanagata Beni-Chan who wears a cherry-patterned kimono and hanagata flower hat and has hair resembling safflower; and Haneton, an adorable pig dressed in the haneto costume worn at Aomori prefecture’s world-renowned Nebuta festival.

The Festival Dance Stage will feature regional presentations, including: the Da-te Busho (samurai) performance; Aomori City’s Nebuta orchestra; dances from Sendai City (Suzume), Yamagata City (Hanagasa), and Morioka City (Sansa); and appearances by various festival pageant queens. Many festive decorative items referencing city-specific festivals will be on display throughout the venue, plus pictures of other Tohoku regional mascots, and a photo exhibition of other famous local festivals within the region (Aomori Nebuta Festival, Akita Kanto Festival, Morioka Sansa-odori; Yamagata Hanagasa Festival; Sendai Tanabata Matsui; Fukushima Waraji Festival).

Visitors who purchase featured Tohoku products will be given mascot merchandise as gifts.

The full schedule of dance and festival presentations, crafts workshops, photo sessions with mascots and food fair is at: http://www.mitsuwa.com/ai1ec_event/the-second-rising-tohoku-food-fair-part-i-torrance-store/?instance_id. Fair hours are 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily.

Mitsuwa Marketplace is located at 21515 Western Avenue in Torrance. For more information, call 310.782.6800 or visit http://www.mitsuwa.com/ai1ec_event/the-second-rising-tohoku-food-fair-part-i-torrance-store/?instance_id.

WHAT: The Rising Tohoku Food Fair hosted by Mitsuwa Marketplace presents 4 full days of food and cultural festivities to celebrate the charms of the Tohoku region in Northeast Japan, which can be enjoyed by children and adults. In addition to presenting diverse and flavorful food products originating from the 6 prefectures of Tohoku, there will be a variety of paper craft activities such as origami and writing wishes on tanzaku paper, plus photo opportunities with charming and endearing city-specific mascots.

They include: Miyagi City’s iconic Musubi-maru who wears a samurai costume and resembles onigiri (rice ball); Fukushima City’s adorable Momorin rabbit who represents Fukushima momo (peaches) and ringo (apples); the girl mascot Hanagata Beni-Chan who wears a cherry-patterned kimono and hanagata flower hat and her hair resembles safflower; and Haneton, an adorable pig dressed in the haneto costume worn at Aomori prefecture’s world-renowned Nebuta festival. There are various regional presentations: a Da-te Busho-tai (samurai) performance; Aomori City’s Nebuta orchestra; dances from Sendai City (Suzume), Yamagata City (Hanagasa), and Morioka City (Sansa); and appearances by various festival pageant queens.. Many colorful decorative items referencing city-specific festivals will be on display throughout the venue, plus pictures of other Tohoku mascots, and photo panel exhibition of the region’s famous local festivals (Aomori Nebuta Festival, Akita Kanto Festival, Morioka Sansa-odori; Yamagata Hanagasa Festival; Sendai Tanabata Matsui; Fukushima Waraji Festival). Visitors who purchase featured Tohoku products will be given mascot merchandise as gifts.

WHERE: Mitsuwa Marketplace Torrance Store, 21515 Western Ave, Torrance, CA 90501

WHEN:

Food Fair (open to public): August 20-23, 2015, 11 am – 6 pm

Dance Performances (open to public): August 20-23, 2015, 11:30 am – 1 pm; 4 pm – 5:30 pm

Craft Workshops (open to public): August 20-23, 2015, 11 am – 11:30 am; 1:30 pm – 2 pm; 3 pm– 4:00 pm; 5:30 pm – 6 pm

Photo Session with Mascots (open to public): August 20-23, 2015, 1 pm – 1:15 pm; 5:30 – 5:45 pm