As part of a decades-long tradition, Shogun Santa made appearances over the weekend at the Japanese Village Plaza in L.A.’s Little Tokyo to take pictures with children and their families.
The tradition, which got its start in the 1970s, was the idea of someone that wanted to give back to the community in the way of time energy.
What came out of the desire to serve the community was the persona of Shogun Santa, an event that has since become an annual trip for many Angelenos.
“If my sled is flying over L.A. and I see Little Tokyo, I go, ‘Oh yeah, maybe I should drop in just to say hi,” the current Shogun Santa told KTLA Photojournalist Phil Ige.
Ellen Endo, a board member on the Little Tokyo Business Association, explained the significance of the beloved Shogun Santa.
“Shogun is of course like the mayor or the governor of a section of Japan,” she said. “It went well with the word Santa, so we call him Shogun Santa, but really it’s about our cultural heritage.”
Endo’s son, who had his picture taken with Shogun Santa in 1972, still has the photograph.
“We hope that people will carry it on for years to come,” she added.