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Photo by Jenn LeBlanc/jkerriga@mscd.edu Colorful origami ornaments hang from one of the booths.

Turning Japanese
Cherry Blossom Festvial mixes culture, entertainment
By Joe Nguyen
nguyejos@mscd.edu

Photo by Jenn LeBlanc/jkerriga@mscd.edu Traditional Japanese kimono and obi were in abundance.

Tradition and culture are held sacred in many communities. These values are passed on generation to generation in hopes that the past will live on. For Japanese Americans in Denver, these traditions are showcased in the annual Denver Cherry Blossom Festival.

The Cherry Blossom Festival, or Sakura Matsuri as it’s known in Japan, is a traditional Japanese celebration that welcomes the blossoming of the cherry trees known as sakuras.

The festival began in Denver in June 1973, eight months after the construction of Sakura Square. Now in its 34th year, the festival has become the foremost celebration of Japanese culture and community in Denver.

On June 17-18, people of all ages braved the hot weather to enjoy a plethora of activities ranging from live entertainment to viewing exhibitions.

“It seems to be a lot larger than last year,” said Alan Miyagishima, a volunteer at this year’s festival who’s been attending since he was a child.

Ron Taoka, another festival volunteer, credits this year’s high attendance to the fact that there weren’t any other festivals taking place concurrently.

The stretch of Lawrence Street between 19th and 20th was blocked off to allow space for the live performances and vendor booths.

In the marketplace, vendors sold an assortment of goods from paintings and animé to kimonos and T-shirts. Though the majority of the booths were Japanese themed, there were also several Pan-Asian vendors.

On stage, a number of different groups performed dances, martial arts and traditional Japanese music. Among the crowd favorites were the taiko performances. In Japan, the taiko, or “great drum,” was considered to be sacred in villages and was used to ward off bad spirits. In times of drought, it was believed the thunderous sound of the drum would force the spirit of the rain to act.

Photo by Heather A. Longway/longway@mscd.edu Connie Maruyama examines a paper umbrella at the Vintage Kimono tent on Sunday.

Joyce Nakata Kim, a member of Taiko with Toni, said when she started taiko, it was a way to commemorate her Asian heritage.

Inside the Denver Buddhist Temple, people filled the gymnasium to sample a variety of Japanese cuisine. Dishes such as teriyaki chicken and sushi were available as well as more exotic fare. Spam musubi is a Hawaiian version of cooked sushi. Rather than using fish, it features slices of marinated Spam.

“It’s a bar of soap,” volunteer Marion Miyagishima joked, “but it tastes good.”

Across the hall in the Hondo, or main temple room, there was an exhibition of ikebana, the art of flower arranging, from the Ohara School of Ikebana. Just beyond that, Buddhism lectures were held.

Downstairs in the beer garden, vendors sold Kirin beer while karaoke played in the background.
In the adjacent room, there were demonstrations of bonsai tree trimming and calligraphy.

Across the hall, visitors were treated to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. During the quietly beautiful ritual, Mark Glass narrated.

“[Of the 250 rules of tea ceremonies], the four most important are wa, kei, sei and jaku, [or] harmony, respect, purity and tranquility,” Glass said.

On Saturday night, Obon was celebrated. In Buddhism, it is believed the departed return to Earth every year. Obon is the commemoration of this return. Men, women and children performed a dance called the Bon Odori. Many were dressed in kimonos.

Traditionally, the Obon is celebrated in July and the Cherry Blossom Festival in early April, but for convenience, and to compensate for Colorado’s unpredictable weather, the two were merged.

After 34 years, the festival has started a tradition of its own. Steve Shiramizu has been attending ever since he was a toddler. Now 37, he has a child of his own who is following in his father’s path.

“I’m starting him up,” he said.