BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//PYVOBJECT//NONSGML Version 1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:events.uid.6607@www.discovernikkei.org DTSTART:20220625T000000Z DTEND:20220625T000000Z DESCRIPTION:<strong><em>OAA to host info session for grand homecoming in Ok inawa</em></strong>\n\n<strong>On June 25 (Saturday) at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time\, the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) will host their first inf ormation session for the 7th Worldwide Uchinaanchu Taikai/Festival in Octo ber.</strong> It will be held virtually on Zoom. For attendees who do not have internet access\, a very limited number of in-person spots will be av ailable at the OAA Center in Gardena. <strong>Registration is required for all attendees:</strong><strong> <a href="https://tinyurl.com/oaa-taikai- 22" target="_blank">tinyurl.com/oaa-taikai-22</a></strong>\n\nEstablished in 1990\, the Festival/Taikai is hosted by the Okinawa Prefectural Governm ent (OPG) and serves as a grand "homecoming" for Okinawan immigrants and d escendants. Participants from Argentina to Zimbabwe have attended. This is a fantastic opportunity for Okinawans to deepen their roots as well as in teract with international communities\, with an extensive range of activit ies ranging from festive outdoor gatherings to classical theater performan ces\; global cultural exchanges to leadership symposiums\; and even tourna ments for karate and eisaa drumming. Several of the activities have multil ingual accessibility.\n\nThis Festival/Taikai is the only event of its kin d in all of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture was once the independent Ryūkyū Ki ngdom and that sense of unique identity and rich cultural heritage has rem ained strong among Okinawan natives\, those who emigrated\, and descendant s around the world. The first Okinawan immigrants arrived in California ov er a century ago.\n\nThe OAA-hosted session on June 25 will be a hybrid ev ent with an in-person option\, but virtual attendance via Zoom is highly e ncouraged. In-person attendees are required to wear face masks\, submit a pre-event health screening\, and have their temperature taken on the day o f (walk-ins will not be accepted). <strong>Presenters will talk about the background of the Festival/Taikai\, the registration process (which will l ikely be more tech-heavy than previous years)\, and most importantly the e volving status and risks of traveling. There will also be time dedicated f or Q&amp\;A\;</strong> questions that cannot be answered that day will be directed to the Festival/Taikai organizers in Okinawa. <strong>The event w ill be recorded and an edited version will available at a later date upon request.</strong>\n\nAdditional info sessions will be held leading up to t he Festival/Taikai (October 30 - November 3\, 2022). Although the OAA will not be handling travel arrangements\, the sessions will include registrat ion assistance for current OAA members\, updates directly from OPG\, and Q &amp\;A opportunities. <strong>Interested parties are also encouraged to v isit the Festival/Taikai’s official multilingual website: <a href="https ://wuf2022.com" target="_blank">wuf2022.com</a></strong>\n\n<strong><a hre f="https://wuf2022.com" target="_blank"></a></strong>The OAA is located at 16500 South Western Avenue\, Gardena 90247. Limited seating and parking. Please contact the OAA for more information: 310-532-1929 (please leave a message)\, oaamensore@gmail.com. The OAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organiz ation dedicated to preserving and promoting Okinawan culture. Facebook/Ins tagram: @oaamensore DTSTAMP:20240419T223731Z SUMMARY:Info Session: Uchinaanchu Taikai in Okinawa (Virtual) URL:/en/events/2022/06/25/info-session-uchinaanchu-taikai-in-okinawa-virtu/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR