SAN JOSE — Between rainstorms, it was a perfect day for the 2010 Yu-Ai Kai Nihonmachi “Run for All Ages,” held on April 25.

The three-mile run/walk began in front of the Yu-Ai Kai building in Japantown. Half an hour before the start, the throng of 510 runners/walkers of all ages, some in costume, some as large families, and some with “man’s best friend,”  filled the registration area.

“Her name is Sassy,” remarked Patti Kaneda of her graying seven-year-old dachshund. “She’s been running in this contest every year of her life. I’ve been doing this [run] a lot longer because I think it’s important … it supports Yu-Ai Kai and it’s good for me.

Sassy is a member of the Sasao family, a group that vied for largest participating family. Their party of 10 fell short of the winners, the all-in-red Kuwada family. The first- place winners came in with 11.1 family members, including their pet Phoebe, who accounted for the one-tenth.

The costume contest came down to two groups, one the “Tanabees,” a family of eight in quest of either the best costume or the largest family. Neither came true, but the Tanabe family had fun dressed in black, with bee yellow spotted wings and bee antennae head gear. They came up one “Yay” short of winning.

Dressed as “flower children,” with flower crowns gracing their heads and painted flowers on their cheeks, Wesley United Methodist Church’s Girl Scout Troop 61150 took top honors in the costume category.  The girls, as hippies, flashed peace signs.

Forty-two police officers volunteered their time to protect the community and the runners during the race. They came from San Jose and Milpitas police departments and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department.