11th Annual Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
Sunday, May 7, 2017, Noon to 5 pm

Presented by: Japanese American Association of Indiana, Fort Wayne Sister Cities International Inc. and the Allen County Public Library

Where: Allen County Public Library, Downtown Fort Wayne
900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN  (north of Parkview Field)

Why:  Share the traditions of Japan with the Community.  Takaoka, Japan, has been Fort Wayne’s Sister City for 40 years.
Cost:   Most events free for the public, but donations are gratefully accepted.  Japanese merchandise and food available
for purchase.  

Opening Ceremony Sunday: May 7, 2017,  12:15 p.m. with
Fort Wayne Taiko, Mayor’s Proclamation, and Suzuki Strings.

Featured Artists at the Cherry Blossom Festival

  • New: Taiko Project – a premiere North American taiko group from Los Angeles
  • New: Doux Koto – Koto musicians and Japanese dancer
  • Duo Yumeno – Reikano Yoko Kimura  & Hikaru Tamaki performing traditional Koto, Shamisen and original koto & cello arrangements
  • John Alvarado, guitar and Daniel Quinn, guitar - contemporary Japanese music
  • Fort Wayne Taiko - traditional Japanese drumming  at 12 noon to open the festival
  • Japanese Pop Songs – songs in Japanese
  • Minyo Dancers - traditional Japanese Folk style dancing in colorful Kimonos
  • Shie Otani - traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony with participation of audience members
  • Suzuki String Orchestra of Fort Wayne - performing Japanese music for the Opening Ceremony

Contests
Anime Art! Draw a famous anime character or your own original character for prizes.
Can You Haiku?  Students will submit work prior to festival.  Finalists from the schools will have their haiku displayed and will be invited to read their haiku at the festival. The public may also compose haiku at the festival for prizes.
CosPlay Competition! Public may wear costumes depicting their favorite CosPlay character for prizes.

Marketplace

  • Bonsai Club - Japanese style miniature plants
  • Books, Comics and Things- Manga and Japanese trading card games
  • Buf’s Otaku One Stop Shop – Video games, wall scrolls, plush
  • Cherry Blossom Honey
  • Cherry Blossom Festival T-shirts
  • Japanese giftware
  • Creative Women of the World – Nozomi jewelry, lotus design pottery
  • Japanese Saturday School – Accessories, crafts and Japanese souvenir items
  • Ohio Kimono - Kimonos from Japan

Martial Arts Demonstrations

  • Indianapolis Kendo Club
  • Kenji Ryu Aikijutsu

Taste of Japan
Ichiban Asian Fusion: Curry, yakisoba, oden
Pho-Shi: Sushi, yakitori, mocha ice cream
Takaoka of Japan: Teppanyaki
West Coast Grill: Smoothies, seaweed salad, bottled water
Woo’s Oriental Grocery & Mart: Japanese candies, drinks, ice cream, crackers etc.
And more….
                                                                                                
Demonstrations or Other Activities
Bonsai Crafting by the Fort Wayne Bonsai Club
Children’s Games & Crafts, ACPL Children’s Services
Japanese Goldfish Catch
Japanese-themed “Make and Take”, ACPL Children’s Services
Kamishibai Story Telling, ACPL Children’s Services
Make the Cherry Tree Bloom – Make origami cherry blossoms
Origami Demonstration, Mike Schmid, Art educator
Papercutting Art Exhibit and Demonstration by Janice Furtner, artist
Group Kimono photo and Cosplay photo

In conjunction with the May 7 festival, TAIKO PROJECT will be at Trine University on May 6.
Events at Trine University's T Furth Center in Angola: 
Community workshop, 10:00-11:30
Evening performance, 7:00, adult admission $5; students, free
TAIKOPROJECT was founded in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by a group of young, emerging taiko drummers seeking to create a truly American style of taiko, blending traditional forms in which they were raised with an innovative and fresh aesthetic approach to the Japanese drum. Since that time the company has garnered critical acclaim from all over the world and amassed an impressive resume. 

TAIKOPROJECT first received international notice when they became the first – and only - American taiko group to win the prestigious Tokyo International Taiko Contest in 2005, winning over all the Japanese taiko groups in attendance. That same year TAIKOPROJECT was cast in the Mitsubishi Eclipse commercial, the first and only national ad campaign to prominently feature taiko. They followed that up with performances in some of America's highest profile events, including the 2009 Academy Awards and the 2011 Grammy Awards. 

TAIKOPROJECT has performed and recorded with some of the world's most well-known musical artists, including Stevie Wonder, Usher, rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, Alicia Keys, A.R. Rahman, John Legend, rapper Xzibit, Kanye West, Vicci Martinez, producer Squeak E. Clean, as well as international stars including Greek singer Antonis Remos, Persian singer Mansour, Olodum and DJ Tiesto. 

Information:   Dorothy Kittaka, 260-432-7780
Website:    http://www.cherryblossomfw.com/   
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fortwaynecherryblossomfestival/
Twitter:    https://twitter.com/cbffw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherryblossomfw/
#cbffw

Sponsors:  Parkview Health, Chuck and Lisa Surack & Sweetwater, Fort Wayne Metals, Nishikawa Cooper, Seavac USA, Fort Wayne Sister Cities, Petroleum Traders, Bob Rohrman Subaru of Fort Wayne, The Chapman Fund, IPFW Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs,  American Mitsuba, DID, TRIN, Key Fasteners, Ohio Kimono, Gabe Delobbe, ARC Document Solutions, and Ikasucan.