Sakura Matsuri is considered to be in new York the obligatory spring ritual. Today, Saturday, April 28, we go to the Brooklyn Botanical gardento celebrate the festival in the 37 th time.
For more than three decades Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanical garden showcases the rich and sophisticated world of this traditional and modern Japanese culture. In these days you can plunge into the atmosphere of Japanese romanticism, feeling the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms.
Hanami (so called the phenomenon of cherry blossoms) at the Brooklyn Botanic garden invites new Yorkers and visitors from around the world view the collection, consisting of more than 200 flowering cherry trees. This is one of the most spectacular cherry blossoms in North America.
As will entertain
Definitely will be music. This year at the Cherry Esplanade will take place the premiere of six songs. Among the new performers — Bo-Peep, a trio of Grand-rock from Fukuoka (Japan), whose fresh sound has already received international recognition. Will the Japanese Fuji Rock, British The Great Escape.
New to the festival this year will be The Molice — band from Tokyo that draws its inspiration from the «punk of the 70s», «new wave» 80s and «indie guitar rock» of the 90-ies. Gaijin à Go-Go — returning pet audience will make the guests dance till you drop, inspiring music 60-ies. Also on stage will be back J-Music Ensemble with his jazz inspired by the themes of anime and video games. Energetic and very loud drum performances by Taiko Masala and Soh Daiko will also delight visitors.
On the stage of the J-Lounge at Osborne garden visitors can switch to the rhythms of DJ Sashimi, which represent the melody of the Edo period. And the Spanish virtuoso flute Rodrigo Rodriguez will perform a concert of meditative shakuhachi flute at the auditorium of the garden.
Where there is music, there will be dancing. Dancejapan, a prominent Japanese national dance troupe of new York, returned, headed by its founder — the Sachems ito. The Japanese folk dance Institute in new Yorke in too. They promise to entertain visitors with their performance of traditional dances minbu at the stadium «cherry Esplanade«, and certainly shows the «Hanagasa odori» — «Dance of the blooming hat«.
For spectators prepared daring performances with swords and exciting stories. Both days the festivities will be traditional tea ceremony. For their will come a true master of Tokyo — Sumi Shimizu. He will join his daughter Suquet Shimizu during the refined presentations.
Mods also have a place at the festival, Sakura Matsuri. For the ninth time here will hold a Cosplay Fashion Show is one of the liveliest and most anticipated events of the holiday. This year coplanar fashion show participate Becka Noel and Theresa Cosplays, and all this accompanied by live original music from J-Music Ensemble.
Culture Of Japan
Sakura Matsuri shows us the Japanese culture: art, manga, humor, games, crafts and more. In the garden Osborne you will meet the creators of the zine magazines from CosplayNYC. During the celebration of Japan shared their traditions with America — to Brooklyn will bring a variety of shows straight from Japan. Manga fans can meet authors and illustrators Rumi’hara, jed Henry and Misako Rocks! Visitors can also play Shogi (Japanese chess) , and even to fight with the local experts.
As treats will offer Japanese sweets. You can purchase them on the established market (there on sale will be many more unexpected and entertaining exhibits). Will have the opportunity to sample delicious desserts-vagasi from Minamoto Kitchoan confectionery and chocolate from Brooklyn’s Raaka Chocolate.
On the market you can buy vintage kimonos imported directly from Japan, adorable wooden doll Kokeshi handmade, Japanese pottery, accessories, pillows, sushi and other interesting things. Brooklyn bookstore also will participate in the fair with Japanese novels, children’s and cookbooks.
Families with children
Families can enjoy round-the-clock performances, and special activities for children. This series of tea ceremonies family Sohenryu with masters Some and Socio Shimizu, and drumming, and origami workshop with Jeremy Aaron Jorlanda, and workshop for making tea in which the children will be able to create your own tea bag and take him home. And that’s not the whole list.
What the Japanese eat at Sakura Matsuri
Sakura Matsuri is not only a celebration of admiring the flowering trees. Food unites people and creates an atmosphere and lifts the spirit. The Japanese, this issue is receiving a lot of attention, because during the holidays many families have picnics under the cherry and plum trees.
They have even a saying — «hana yori dango«, translated as «dumplings, not flowers«!
The dumplings in question, it is Hanami-Dango — sweet rice cakes made out of matico (glutinous rice flour). They form a trio and prepared on a spit. Dango are often served flavored with green tea, sesame or chestnut. During the cherry blossom festival hanami dango is most often available in three colours (to match the plant): pale pink, white and green. Pink is flavoured with cherry blossom (cherry), white — vanilla, and green tea matcha.
Sakura-mochi is another signature dish at the festival. In principle, these dango dumplings made of rice flour flavored and stained with Anko (red beans) and then wrapped in the salted leaves of cherry wood.
