Queen & Court Program | Nisei Week Foundation (2024)

Queen - Morgan Mayuko Gee

Venice Japanese Community Center & Venice-West Los Angeles JACL

First Princess - Seia Loraine Watanabe

Japanese Restaurant Association of America

Miss Tomodachi - Amy Ryoko Kubo

East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center

Anita Sumi Yayi Komatsu

Gardena Evening Optimist Club

Carina Aiko Sakimura

Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute

Caitlyn Tera Sasaki

Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council

For assistance in contacting a sponsor, please email qc@niseiweek.org. Application periods vary by sponsor, but are typically between December – April.

Time Commitment

To become a Nisei Week queen candidate is a 4-month commitment.

• Training practice is held at night at least once a week for four months, from April through mid-August (Coronation).
• Dance rehearsals are held on additional weekend days/evenings.
• Cultural enrichment classes will be offered as part of the training.
• During the festival, the Nisei Week court will spend the entire week at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Little Tokyo.

Following Coronation, being a part of the Nisei Week court is a YEAR-LONG commitment.

Throughout the year, the Nisei Week Queen and Court will be invited to participate in events including, but not limited to:

• Annual Nisei Week visitation and trips
• Community service
• Community appearances
• Cultural events
• Nisei Week sponsor events

Monetary Commitment

Some personal costs are involved in the training process and as a member of the Nisei Week court. While Nisei Week and your sponsors attempt to offset as much of the cost as possible through donations, there will be personal items candidates/court members will need to purchase. In addition to personal items, any travel expenses during the year will be the responsibility of the court members. Travel expenses for the Nisei Week queen will be sponsored.

Platform

Each candidate will be asked to choose an organization and/or cause they plan to support throughout the year. Explanation of the selected platform and a plan for support may be evaluated as part of the judging criteria.