For anyone that doesn’t know, the Matsuri Festival is a celebration of Japanese culture. It happens every year in February at the Heritage and Science Park in downtown Phoenix on 6th and Monroe right next to the Arizona Science Center.
Fuschido Daiko taiko performers
This year was the 26th year celebration of the Matsuri Festival in Phoenix. While beauty and tradition of old Japanese culture is the main focus of the event, the festival has blended to celebrate both the old and new age traditions of the Japanese American Diversity.
Matsuri attracts everyone, from young to old, traditional to modern, families and individuals gather to gape at the wonder that the festival has to offer. The festival is a two day event on Saturday and Sunday that goes from 10:30am to 5pm. A list and schedule of events is available online at the Arizona Matsuri web site. From taiko drumming, story telling, food and merchandise vendors to martial art demonstrations and modern japanese style bands, you can hardly be bored here.
Teenagers embracing Japanese anime
While I can see why Matsuri wouldn’t appeal to a great deal of people, I thoroughly enjoy going every year, whether it’s by myself, with friends, or my family. I’m half Japanese (Japanese American) and I didn’t grow up with a lot of Japanese culture around me, so Matsuri lets me experience the culture that I’ve lost throughout my childhood.
Matsuri shows the best parts of the Japanese culture, the beauty, the intrigue and the delicacy of its traditions. My favorite part is the taiko drumming put on mainly by Fuschido Daiko, a professional taiko dojo based in Phoenix.
Matsuri is a great opportunity for photographers to get some great pictures with everything going on at the festival
Their performances are so entrancing and entertaining that you can easily find them by the reverberation of the drums across the park or the crows of people clapping after a performance. It’s not hard to lose a couple hours watching their skilled performances. With drummers ranging from about 7 years old to over 50, it’s a very diverse group of performers who love their work. Fuschido Daiko also teaches classes for individuals, families, and kids.
Walking down the street at Matsuri every year, I can’t help but notice the diversity of people it attracts: collecting by a comic books stand are teenagers dressed as anime characters meeting with their friends and gossiping about outfits, characters, and life; waiting in line for a bento box is a family huddled together in the rain; photographers crouched down trying to get a good angle on a picture. The best part about Matsuri is that everyone can enjoy it. You don’t have to be Japanese to feel like you belong in the environment.
A couple of other things I love about Matsuri are the beautiful bonsai trees and bamboo that they sell and display, tea ceremonies that you can attend and learn about, the great food that most vendors cook on site, candy art, koi fish, and the akitas.
I really look forward to this festival every year and every year I come away with a new appreciation of Japanese culture, both the traditional and the modern aspects.
Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/heysenseless/ for more photos :)
March 1st, 2010 at 2:39 am
Wow, Akemi! You outdid yourself! I love the photos. Did you take them with your little camera? The blog post is great too. And the YouTube of the drummers was fabulous. Thanks for sharing. Wish it could have been a sunny day, but it looks like you enjoyed yourself anyway.
March 1st, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Thanks Janice! Lol I still don’t like the writing. I could have done a lot better. And yes, I did take them with my little camera :) Going to Matsuri inspired me to buy a DSLR. So hopefully, that’s my next big purchase :) hehe. But I wish it would have been sunny too :( The pictures didn’t turn out as well as I would have liked. I always enjoy myself there :) Have you been there? I think you’d love it :)