常盤平さくらまつり2017年 Tokiwadaira Sakura Festival – Japan
Posted on April 2, 2017
Really enjoyed this weekend’s Cherry Blossom Festival in Tokiwadaira, Chiba. Here are some photos. Hopefully they would provide an idea about the spirit of this festivity attended by thousands of people over the last two days. There was ample amount of food of any kind. Children got their share playing games and winning small plastic toys. It was a happy Saturday and Sunday for all, away from daily choirs and duties.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Preparing for the parade.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Carrying this heavy Omikoshi requires strength and coordination. It also requires a healthy amount of sake.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Let’s get this Omikoshi moving. Many are there to help, even if only through mental support.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – fitting such a parade through all these people and narrow sakura dori is a work of art.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Ayu, a trout like fish seems to be the focus of attention even from the neighboring stand owner.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Colorful plastic things.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Barbecued Soba Noodles
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Hard work results in great food.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – All these choices…
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Air, sweet tasting trout like fish, is on the menu here.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – These guys for sure have the right matsuri spirit.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Cotton Candy !!!
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – These whistles were the same ages ago. The only difference is the built in blinking lights.
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Even Philadelphia Cheesesteaks are available
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – Don’t mess with the music!!!
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017
©Hans Nagl 2017 – 常盤平さくらまつり2017年 ーTokiwadaira Sakura Matsuri 2017 – One more round up-, and down the street. Beautiful sunny Sunday at the Matsuri.
Cambridge River Festival — Running into Japan
Posted on June 13, 2014
On Saturday, June 7, 2014 the Cambridge River Festival was held. It was a hot day with many people streaming past booths representing cultural aspects of Japan. Crafts, vintage kimonos, charitable activities and more were represented there. Many of these Japanese organizations are related to JREX, the Japanese Resource Exchange.
Tewassa (related story), (Tewassa Website), an organization raising money towards aiding earthquake and tsunami victims in Tohoku sold almost all of their goods consisting of kimono and other craft items.
Without too many words please take a look at these photos to find out about this great day in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Japanese businesses related to food also found an amazingly strong interest.
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Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival in Brookline, Massachusetts
Posted on May 19, 2014
Not too long ago I had the chance to visit a Japanese style cherry blossom festival in Brookline, near Boston. It was held at the local high school. What really stood out was that the audience, as well as the performers were all participating. It was a dancing, drumming, very happy matsuri community. I also would like to point out that Tewassa, an organization raising money towards helping Japanese Tohoku earthquake and tsunami victims was also represented. Please visit Tewassa’s web site here and an earlier post about their activities here. Every Saturday this very engaged group meets in Cambridge for about 2 hours to show their dedication to this noble cause by producing a quilt.
Please enjoy a few photos from this event.
Quilt produced on an ongoing basis by Tewassa
Brookline Sakura Matsuri 2014 – Quilt produced by Tewassa volunteers meeting every Saturday in Cambridge for two hours – HansNagl.com
The very cheerful Tewassa Team
Brookline Sakura Matsuri 2014 – Cheerful Tewassa volunteers raising funds for Japanese Tohoku earthquake and tsunami victims.
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Watching a Dragon Come to Life
Posted on May 2, 2014
Imagine a theater stage where, at the beginning, all you see is large sheet of paper spanning from one side to the other with only a few cherry blossom pedals painted here and there. Then and artist, dressed in a beautiful kimono performs a magic show just with a few brush strokes. I never saw a modern Japanese calligraphy show except on TV and knew that I would be in for something new and powerful. Surely enough I was not disappointed. Syoka Kana drew everybody into her world of dragons, cherry blossoms and calligraphy. It is a silent art which became alive under Kana’s brush. It seemed like her characters started to sing and dance.
This shodo demonstration was organized by the Boston Japan Resource Exchange (JREX) and took place at International Community Church (ICC) in Boston.
I just heard that the final artwork will be on permanent display at the International Community Church in Boston (Please click on the link below for more information).
Syoka Kana’s Blog (In Japanese)
International Community Church (ICC) in Boston
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
Everybody should have such a dragon…
Syoka Kana – Shodo Performance – Boston – April 2014 – Allowing photos to tell the story
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Philadelphia’s Sakura Sunday – Hello Spring !!!
Posted on April 20, 2014
Philadelphia’s Cherry Blossom Festival, better known as Sakura Sunday, was recently held at Fairmount Park on April 13, 2014. It was organized by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP). Beautiful spring weather and an outstanding program featuring a variety of artists from Japan and the United States contributed to the success of this event.
Without too many words the following photos will hopefully communicate the spirit of Sakura Sunday. Below are four gallery sections featuring Doshinkan Aikido, Tamagawa University Taiko Drum and Dance, La Siana, and, finally a couple of random photos from around the venue.
Doshinkan Aikido (AANA)
Members of the Aikido Association of North America (AANA), founded by Yukio Utada Sensei, delivered a beautiful and breathtaking demonstration. All age groups were represented. Many of the students make a lifetime commitment to the practice and refinement of this art involving a very dynamic life philosophy. Sometimes they live far away from the training hall or dojo, and, for the most part, training then takes on a different dimension keeping the positive spirit and energy alive. For me, who lives far from the main dojo located in Philadelphia it is always great to know that Utada Sensei and these dedicated students keep the dojo lights on for anybody far away or close by. For more information please visit the website of the AANA.
(Please click on an image to view in carousel format)
Next are some images of the Tamagawa University Taiko Drum and Dance Performance
A powerful and spirited way of communicating Japanese traditional arts of Taiko drums and dance. Watching the students of Tamagawa University perform was a very energizing experience. Harmonizing, happy, smiling performers drew the audience very close into their rhythm. Even now, after the festival, looking at the photos I can hear the Taiko drums and feel the spirit of their show.
(Please click on an image to view in carousel format)
Here are some photos of La Siana
These five ladies showed a very vibrant, high energy program without speed limit. Moving, dancing and singing while staying synchronized almost without effort was worth seeing. It was hard to get close to the stage because of the attention La Siana received from the Philadelphia audience.
(Please click on an image to view in carousel format)
Finally here are some random images from beautiful Sakura Sunday
I took these images without thinking too much about composition or other aspects of photography. They happened in a very spontaneous way. The entire event was a microcosm of small experiences happening not only on stage but also among the audience. It seemed as if the entire Sakura Sunday was a performance where everybody played a role. Via the camera I was able to freeze situations showing the beautiful spontaneity of moments involving wonderful people.
(Please click on an image to view in carousel format)
Thank you to the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, all the participants, whether on or off stage for making this Philadelphia Sakura Sunday such a beautiful memorable event.
City Hall in Philadelphia
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