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Japan’s Oshu City little league team members, staff, and coach Toru Ohtani who is Shohei Ohtani’s father, pose for photo at the arrival of Los Angeles International Airport on August 5. (Source: Aurelie Mattucci/Facebook)
Torrance Friendship Games Foster International Bonds Through Baseball: Toru Ohtani, Father of Shohei Ohtani, Joins as Manager of Oshu's Little League Team
Torrance, CA – The City of Torrance, in collaboration with 310 Baseball, hosted the Torrance Friendship Games from August 8-10, 2025, welcoming Oshu’s Kanegasaki Little Senior youth baseball players from Oshu, Japan.
The event, held at various locations including North High School, Kendall Field, and South High School, aimed to celebrate international friendship, youth athletics, and economic collaboration.
Notable attendees included North High Principal Paul Niitake, Manager Toru Ohtani who is father of LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, Mayor George Chen, and Councilman Jon Kaji. The games featured three days of baseball, culminating in a final match at South High School on Sunday, August 10.
The inaugural Friendship Games highlighted the friendship city relationship between Torrance and Oshu, which began in October 2024. Toru Ohtani managed the Kanegasaki Little Senior, which played against local Torrance teams.
Ohtani emphasized the importance of not pressuring young players, stating, "These years, 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds are really important years for growing up … don't push it."
The event also included an economic development meeting between Torrance and Oshu representatives, focusing on future business investments, tourism development, and education and innovation exchange.
Mayor George K. Chen remarked, "Hosting the Torrance Friendship Games is about more than just baseball; it creates meaningful opportunities to promote international friendships, tourism, and lay the groundwork for future economic development and global partnerships."
The Torrance Friendship Games were free to attend, with exhibition games held at North High School on Friday, August 8, an opening ceremony and games at Kendall Field on Saturday, August 9, and final games at South High School on Sunday, August 10.
https://www.instagram.com/kanegasaki_littlesenior/?hl=en
(Source: KCAL News, Torrance Breeze Newspaper, Jonathan Kaji on Facebook)
| | Toru Ohtani (left), father of Shohei Otani, and Jon Kaji who is a driving force of Torrance-Oshu Friendship City relations. (Source: Jonathan Kaji/Facebook) | | |
From left, author Anne Soon Choi, Dr, Thomas Noguchi, and Moderator Naomi Hirahara. (Source: Naomi Hirahara/Facebook)
Author of LA Coroner: Thomas Noguchi Discusses with Mystery Writer Naomi Hirahara at Little Tokyo Library
The author’s discussion of L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood was attended by a full room at the Little Tokyo Library in the morning of Saturday, Aug. 9.
L.A. Coroner has been published by Third State Books, and the first-ever biography of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, former chief medical examiner-coroner of Los Angeles County, who performed the autopsies of Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Natalie Wood, and hundreds of other notable personalities.
The discussion was moderated by Naomi Hirahara. The discussion was also attended by Dr. Thomas Noguchi.
Anne Soon Choi, Ph.D., author of L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood (Third State Books), is a historian and professor of Asian American Studies and university administrator at California State University, Northridge.
Her essay “The Japanese American Citizens League, Los Angeles Politics, and the Thomas Noguchi Case,” on which this book is based, won the 2021 Francis Wheat Prize from the Historical Society of Southern California.
Choi has previously served on the faculty of Swarthmore College and the University of Kansas and is an Andrew Mellon Fellow and an American Council of Learned Societies Digital Ethnic Studies Fellow. She lives and writes in Los Angeles, California.
Naomi Hirahara is an Edgar Award-winning author of multiple mystery series, including the Mas Arai novels, which have been published in Japanese, Korean, and French.
A former journalist with The Rafu Shimpo, she has also written nonfiction history books, curated exhibitions, and authored the historical mysteries Clark and Division and its USA Today bestselling follow-up Evergreen.
L.A. Coroner is a gripping true crime biography of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the controversial “Coroner to the Stars,” who performed the autopsies of Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Natalie Wood, and hundreds of other notable personalities. Choi, an award-winning historian and professor, deftly blends Los Angeles history, death investigation and forensic science, and Asian American history in a feat of exquisite storytelling.
L.A. Coroner is the first-ever biography of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the Chief Medical Examiner–Coroner of Los Angeles County from 1967 to 1982. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Noguchi conducted the official autopsies of some of the most high-profile figures of his time. His elaborate press conferences, which often generated more controversy than they did answers, catapulted him into the public eye.
Noguchi was also the inspiration for the popular 1970s–80s television drama Quincy, M.E., starring Jack Klugman. Featuring never-before-published details about Noguchi’s most controversial cases, L.A. Coroner is a meticulously researched biography of a complex man, set against the backdrop of the social and racial politics of the 1960s and 1970s and Hollywood celebrity culture.
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J-Orchestra performs Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5: Emperor” with pianist Ikuyo Nakamichi at Carnegie Hall in New York City on July 18, 2025 (Photo by Masahiro Noguchi. Courtesy of J-Orchestra)
New York | An Orchestra of Japanese Medical Professionals Charms Carnegie Audience with Captivating Performance
New York, July 18, 2025 – The symphony orchestra "J Orchestra," composed mainly of Japanese medical professionals, held a concert at Carnegie Hall's main hall, Stern Auditorium, captivating an almost full house with 2,751 tickets issued. This first overseas performance of J-Orchestra was part of their outreach activities to positively impact society through music by leveraging their medical background. The concert was held as a free performance.
The concert began with Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1," performed by 101 members of J Orchestra. The first half of the program featured Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5: Emperor" with pianist Ikuyo Nakamichi. The second half showcased Dvořák's "Symphony No. 9: From the New World.”
As an encore, Sibelius's symphonic poem "Finlandia" was performed, with the chorus part handled by 60 members of the Japanese choir residing in New York. The conductor was Toshio Yanagisawa, and the concertmaster was violinist Hisaichi Shimura, a special professor at Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music. The host for the evening was former Japan’s TV host Yuki Sakamoto.
J-Orchestra Executive Committee Chairman Atsuhiro Miyasaka expressed his surprise and satisfaction with the turnout, stating, "I never imagined so many people would come. The preparations were tough, but I am filled with a sense of accomplishment for doing everything we could ourselves."
Conductor Yanagisawa commented, "It was an honor as a musician to perform at Carnegie Hall. The musician doctors had a hard time with emergency patients, but I think it is an orchestra with social significance." Pianist Nakamichi shared, "I am truly glad to have been able to share the concert with people who are involved in both medicine and music. I have a special feeling for the tradition and history of Carnegie Hall." The grand piano was specially brought into Carnegie Hall from Yamaha on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Ambassador Mikio Mori of the Japanese Consulate General in New York praised the performance, saying, "The music was wonderful, of course, but I was very moved by the fact that everyone came to New York and played enjoyable music to unite hearts in New York. I was able to enjoy it together with the people on stage. It was truly a wonderful night."
Japanese Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki to the United Nations added, "I was deeply moved. It felt like the beautiful side of humanity was in full display. It was truly a borderless experience of great art, and at the same time, I think it allowed us to feel the profoundness of Japanese culture."
Audiences also shared their thoughts, with one commenting, "It was powerful, and I had a great time. I think they practiced a lot. Both the performers and the audience united in contributing to cultural exchange between Japan and the U.S." Another attendee noted, "The conductor and the musicians' serious approach to music was very touching."
(Source: Japanese Text from the Shukan New York Seikatsu, July 26, 2025 issue)
| | 101 members of J-Orchestra and 60 members of Japanese choir of New York at Carnegie Hall in New York City on July 18, 2025. (Photo by Masahiro Noguchi. Courtesy of J-Orchestra) | |
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Litter-Picking Competition “Spogomi” World Cup 2025 USA Qualifiers: Enter to Win a Trip to Tokyo
Los Angeles, CA - The much-anticipated Spogomi World Cup 2025 USA Qualifiers is set to take place at Crescent Bay Park in Santa Monica on Saturday, August 30. The winning team will represent USA in Tokyo in October 2025. All travel and accommodation expenses for all three team members will be covered.
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, August 30
- Venue: Crescent Bay Park, 2000 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405
- Check-in: 10:00 AM
- Opening Ceremony: 11:00 AM
- Trash Pickup Competition: 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
- Judging and Winner Announcement: 1:00 PM
About Spogomi: Spogomi, a sport invented in 2008 by Kenichi Mamitsuka, the representative of Social Sports Initiative, operates under the slogan, "Trash pickup is a sport!."
The World Cup, featuring representatives from various countries, is planned to be held in Tokyo in October 2025. Leading up to the event, preliminary and national tournaments are held across all 47 prefectures in Japan, while preliminary rounds take place in more than 30 countries across the six major continents.
Following the success of the 2023 event, "The Nippon Foundation Spogomi World Cup 2025" will be held for the second time. As marine debris becomes an increasingly serious global issue, and recognizing that much of the ocean waste originates from land and urban areas, this event aims to reduce garbage from flowing into the ocean, whilst raising awareness of marine debris problems.
The winning teams from qualifying tournaments held in approximately 30 countries worldwide will earn tickets to represent their nations at the World Cup, scheduled to be held in Tokyo in October 2025.
Impact and Goals: The global issue of marine litter continues to escalate, with approximately 80% originating from land-based sources, particularly urban areas. The last line of defense in preventing this issue is litter collection. In 2023, the first-ever "Spogomi" World Cup, which saw participation from 21 countries, made a huge impact by connecting nations and people, and spreading the practice of litter-picking from Japan on a global scale.
Teams from around the world will gather again for intense competition, surpassing the excitement of the previous event. Through litter-picking, friendships and cooperation will form across borders, creating inspiring moments where sports and environmental protection come together. This global movement is far from over. It will continue to grow, with ongoing efforts aimed at changing our future for the better.
Contact Information: Send your entry at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXIeMV0vxkETesiE2kd0hSPYbQwjT35LnZ3yvV3e7T13qMlQ/viewform?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwLueWpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp3Nrbx0GPwOEZRClxnFkR8B0zt_zPYXo-Q7EaG1evo11kAKGgnXTHmKcX4V9_aem_9eZPhiTJnhvze3QsMtJXNw
Spogomi World Cup Los Angeles is also looking for paid volunteer staff as referees. Entry form is following:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFj_MirWQrZQ0wi92_HUJLVzyVynXC6MAkcXbiKMW_UhLmRQ/viewform
Spogomi Official Website: https://nf-spogomiwc.com/en/
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Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute Fundraiser Car Show
Saturday, August 16, 2025, 10AM - 3PM
Ticket: https://gvjci.wufoo.com/forms/qa49yst0v94zt6/
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Invitation to 25thz Annual Prime Minister’s Cup Charity Golf Tournament
From Haru Takehana, President, Japanese Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Dear Friends and Supporters, We are thrilled to invite you to the 2025 Annual Prime Minister’s Cup Charity Golf Tournament. This year marks a truly special occasion—our 25th anniversary tournament, taking place in the same year as the 120th anniversary of our organization, originally founded in 1905.
Proceeds from this event help fund the many cultural and community-building activities organized by JCCSC/ JCCF throughout the year. To name a few, “Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo”, where we proudly showcase the cultural importance of Japan’s New Year traditions; the Jokun Recognition Community Luncheon, where we host and honor distinguished individuals for their service; and the Ashinaga Homestay Program, through which we sponsor and host orphaned students from Japan to experience life in Los Angeles and create lifelong memories.
We actively support the Nisei Week Festival and every year we are pleased to welcome the Queen and her court at our golf tournament. We also host and participate in U.S.-Japan cultural exchange programs—such as tea ceremony, shodo demonstrations—and welcome visiting Japanese government officials exploring business and goodwill opportunities.
Additionally, we collect donations to support the local Food Bank. Our events bring people together and foster deeper connections within our diverse community. Please review the golf application and register today. For any questions, feel free to contact us at office@jccsc.com.
Thank you for your continued support—we look forward to seeing you at the tournament.
Warm regards, Haru Takehana, President, JCCF
Player’s registration deadline is Friday, August 15, 2025. Please send your registration to office@jccsc.com
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