The second Miss Orange County JA Queens event focuses on O.C. JA history.
By Patti Hirahara, P.C. Contributor
At the end of World War II, Japanese families returned to Orange County from their incarceration at the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona and worked to revive their resettlement efforts to bring the JA community back to what it was before their forced removal.
With Japanese American veterans not welcomed into groups like the VFW or American Legion at that time, a group of JA veterans in Orange County decided to create the Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670, which was mustered on Nov. 2, 1957, to allow its VFW Post members to be recognized for their service in fighting in a foreign war.
The following year, the Post decided to sponsor its first “Miss Orange County Queen” to represent Orange County in the Nisei Week Japanese Festival in 1958; Mary Murai was chosen as the Post’s inaugural queen.
It was Murai’s father who suggested that she take the opportunity since she was a farmer’s daughter. “I never wore any makeup, so I was given a makeup kit to use, and I had to borrow all my clothes for the competition since I did not have any fancy dresses or hats to wear,” Mary Murai Nakayama said.
This was the beginning of how 57 queens have represented Orange County at Nisei Week under the sponsorships of the Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670 (1958-70), the Suburban Optimist Club of Buena Park (1974-82) and the Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council (1989-2025).
On Sept. 20, the second Miss Orange County Japanese American Queens reunion was held at Tabi-Ji Japanese restaurant in Orange, Calif.; the first reunion was held in 2023. I had the honor of coordinating the second reunion.
During an earlier in-person meeting with Congresswoman Young Kim (R-Calif.) at her Anaheim Hills office, Norio Uyematsu and I shared information about the upcoming queen’s reunion, and Congresswoman Kim was very happy to honor each of the 25 queens that would be present with a recognition certificate from California’s 40th District.
This year’s reunion theme was “Orange County’s JA Legacy and Our History — Our Role in Preserving OC’s JA History,” which featured a special tribute to the Miss Orange County JA Queens of the Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670.
Six Post queens were in attendance at the luncheon: Mary Murai Nakayama (1958), Doris Reiko Fujino Pultz (1960), Dianne Kubota Hamano (1961), Carol Nishizu Matsuoka (1962), Gwen Okumura Martino (1969) and Gail Konishi Shibayama (1970).
In addition, representing VFW Post 3670 were Commander James Nakamura; Keiko Sadakane, first president of the Ladies of VFW Post 3670 group; Linda Honda, charter VFW Youth Group member; and Norio Uyematsu, three-time Post Commander of VFW Post 3670 and the last surviving member of the VFW Queens Committee.
Having six of the 13 queens who started it all in attendance gave the younger queens an insight on how their years were so much different than the queen’s responsibilities today.
Casey Kuramoto, the current Miss Orange County JA Queen, was the emcee for the reunion. “It was the first time for me to emcee an event, and this was a wonderful opportunity for me in hopes to emcee other events in the future,” she said.
Also in attendance at the luncheon were Deputy Consul General Naoko Kamitani, who made her first visit to Orange County for the event, along with Consul Aya Ishii. In addition, Kamitani gave a welcome greeting to the queens on behalf of the Consulate-General of Japan in Los Angeles.
District Director Abigail Fachtmann then presented recognition certificates from Congresswoman Kim to each of the queens.
During the luncheon, each of the queens was asked to share a favorite photo from their year, and it was a wonderful opportunity to hear each queen on why their photo meant so much to them.
I also presented a brief historical perspective on the history of the Orange County JA pioneers and some of the area’s renowned Japanese landmarks.
Special guests included Orange County Sports Assn. President Marsha Hamamoto, who also represented OCNCC; Kimiko Fujita, past president of OCJAA; and JK Yamamoto of the Rafu Shimpo.
The Second Miss Orange County JA Queens Reunion was sponsored by the Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council, the Orange County Queens Council and the Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670. Luncheon sponsor was the Orange County Sports Assn.
It is hoped that more of the remaining 55 Miss Orange County JA Queens will join in a future reunion to share their memories and continue the JA legacy.
