This past Saturday and Sunday was the 30th annual Arizona Matsuri 2014 Festival of Japan. Patrons had the opportunity to watch a variety of performances, experience authentic Japanese cuisine, participate in games and shop at the booths.
While it was not mandatory to dress up, many wore traditional Japanese clothing or came as characters from TV shows and video games. A participant at the festival looked at the display of stuffed animals and action figures through the slits in Hei’s Black Reaper Mask – a character from the show “Darker Than Black.”
Not only did the participants get to dress up, but performers did as well. Miles Hamada was walking through the festival from one stage to the next, where he preformed with his group, Awa Odori Tokushima Ren.
On both Saturday and Sunday, there were three different stages with groups that performed a variety of Japanese arts, including dance and music. Ken Koshio (right) performed taiko, or Japanese drumming, with his students on Sunday afternoon.
Booths were set up along the paths of the festival. Japanese items like kimonos, the traditional garment of Japanese women, were sold at the booths.
Tomomi Hayshi worked at a booth. A person could pick a phrase or word from a list and she would write it in Japanese calligraphy on either a fan or lantern.
One of the booths was self-serving: one would write down a wish and tie it to the branch of a tree for it to come true. Isabella Gonzalez, 9, tied her piece of paper to the tree: “I wish my grandma in Chicago would feel better.”
There were a variety of booths that sold items, but there were also demonstrations and displays. Valley Vista High School’s Japanese Club had a stand where Trinity Drescher, 14, demonstrated on Caitlin Abuel, 15, how to properly tie an Obi. This event was packed with people interested in and wanting to participate in the Japanese culture.
Contact the photorapher at Courtney.Pedroza@gmail.com
