(Japanese) Before going to Imperial Valley, my uncle took me to a picnic. I don’t quite remember where it was. Perhaps it was Arroyo Seco Park or Elysian Park but I think it was Arroyo Park. Nonetheless, I was surprised to see the many people there. It was part of a bi-annual picnic. They had set the celebratory red and white banners and I was so surprised to see many senior members.

Coming from a small country, I really didn’t think there would be a big gathering like this for Miyagi Prefecture since even California is bigger than Japan. That is why I thought all the Japanese were congregated here especially since I myself don’t like separating into small groups. I also think that if we do things together, there will be more leverage. But then I realized that there is a kenjinkai (gathering of the same prefecture people) here, another kenjinkai there…it’s also nice to be able to speak in your own dialect and feel at home so I realize the reason why there are so many kenjinkai gatherings.