35th Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair

The 35th Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair came and went in Japantown last month.   My connection with this street fair is that I have I used to design the posters for this fair for thirty years.  It's been four years since I have retired from doing the poster.  The poster has been designed for Big Sumo Fish for the last three years.  A lot of people still think I am the artist of the street fair poster. It feels like the economy has taken its toll on the street fair.  Looking at some of the faces of the vendors in these photos, I don't think they did too well.  .  The fair was much smaller with less participating organizations.  The attendance seemed to be really down too.  

I was told I must buy a spam masubi if I took a picture.

What?!  Five bucks for shaved ice...walk on.

Ryan Suda (left) of Black Lava came all the way up from LA to participate in the fair.  Hope he sold enough to pay for the gas.  Here is Steve Nakajo, the director of Kimochi, Inc.  They usually make a killing at the street fair with their now famous teriyaki burger. What also put a damper on the fair was the complaints from the developers and tenants group in the newly built condos at the interesection of Webster and Post Street.  The street fair had to scale back to the Peace Plaza in order satisfy the fussy yuppie scum.  It was a bad idea to have allowed such a development in the heart of Japantown.

The following are letters from the developers and home association of 1600 Webster Street.  They will be protesting the street fair's permit application to try to get the city to deny the permit.  If they get their way,  there may no longer be a street fair. *To Nihonmachi Street Fair CommitteeAs you are aware, this Association (along with other members of this neighborhood) must tolerate what seems to be an endless use of Post and Webster Streets for a series of look-alike street fairs with the same purveyors of schlocky souvenirs, mediocre food stands and exhibitors who have absolutely no relationship to the community. There is no other neighborhood which is asked to put up with these sorts of disruptions, and that, of course, doesn't include the disruption presented by the Fillmore Street Fair which is only one block away.Thus, we find it astonishing that the Fair organizers would propose an event that would leave the neighborhood in worse condition than you found it and then impose your clean-up costs on this Association and other property owners. The streets and sidewalks of this neighborhood are usually filthy, especially those that surround that appalling mall, and 1600 Webster already devotes part of its yearly budget to the maintenance of its sidewalks and street trees from which this neighborhood receives a direct benefit.We want to make it very clear to you that if the neighborhood sidewalks are not cleaned in an adequate fashion this year, this Association will file a protest with the City when you seek a permit for next year's street fair.David H. ZisserPresident, 1600 Webster Street Homeowners' Association* This is real simple. You want to put on an event; you take responsibility. In this instance, you make a mess, you clean it up. You don't get the benefits (proceeds), without the liabilities (expenses). If your event doesn't make money, you should rethink it's usefulness. In any event, if we have to clean up afterwards, we will not only oppose the event next year we will look to small claims court to reimburse us for clean up costs. We don't need a bunch of emailing back and forth on this. It is not a negotiation.John McInerneyDeveloper 1600 Webster Street

Dear Mr. Zisser,
Thank you for your email regarding the upcoming Nihonmachi Street Fair.After thoroughly reading your reply I am very troubled by the response you presented.
The Nihonmachi Street Fair (NSF) like the many other community events held in and around Japantown has always worked with our neighbors both residential, community organizations and businesses to make sure that we keep our streets clean and that the event is a successful one especially for the many non profit organizations that participate.
We have never received any negative comments like this and it puts a damper on what we hope will attract many visitors to the area. The Nihonmachi Street Fair has always done our best to keep the streets of Japantown pristine after the event closes each day. Our committee knows how important it is to not only represent the NSF in a positive manner, but that our actions also reflect our organization and more importantly our community.
Due to very limited funds this year we are unable to spend the funds to hire the City to steam clean the sidewalk area directly in front of the 1600 Webster condo. The Food Fest area will be contained on Post Street. Other than having our volunteers sweep the streets during and after the event, as well as the Department of Public Works coming by to sweep the entire Fair areas, we should be fine. Of course if any of the streets that we use is soiled and is an eye sore we do go out there and physically scrub the area.
Nihonmachi Street Fair Response****

I do hope that the street fairs in Japantown will survive amidst the gentrification of the neighborhood.  Nowdays I am not really involved in the planning stages of the street fair and only attend as a civilian.   I really enjoy the free live bands.  I'm just a throwback from the Winterland days.

A portrait of my favorite band, Collette and Friends (formerly Pulse).