This collection includes five photograph albums from the City of Gardena Japanese Cultural Show sponsored by the Gardena Valley Gardeners Association. The albums contain newspaper clippings, photographs, programs, and invitation letters for the event. Topics include Japanese American gardeners, bonsai, ikebana, Japanese gardens, martial arts, and other topics related to the event and the Nikkei (Japanese American) community.

The Gardena Valley Gardners Association (GVGA) was formed in July 1955 and had its first meeting at the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (JCI). In November 1960, the GVGA invited the Gardena Mayor to the Fourth Annual California Landscape Gardeners' Convention. The mayor later approached the organization to begin a beautification program for the City of Gardena. As a result, in 1961, the GVCA created the Issei Japanese Garden on 162nd Street. Following the Issei Japanese Garden installation, they organized the inaugural Miniature Landscaping Show in December 1961, later renamed the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Show, in 1968. The events were held in the Gardena Valley Community Center and later in the Ken Nakaoka Center. The last show was in 1996.

1 box 5 albums

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