Fans of Taikō drumming, teriyaki chicken, and vintage Japanese textiles won’t want to miss this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival (in Japanese, Sakura Matsuri).

Held each year since 1972, the festival celebrates the Japanese American (JA) heritage and culture of Front Range residents through live entertainment, food and drink, arts and crafts, and informative exhibits and demonstrations.

Among this years entertainment was the Denver Taiko, whose rousing drum performances if Japanese dance, Koto and Samisenan, and martial arts.  Inside the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple, attendees found exhibits of Ikebana (flower arrangement) and bonsai, and informative lectures on Buddhism. The temple’s gymnasium was home to a variety of food and drink, including the popular teriyaki chicken dinner plate, sushi, and delicious Japanese sweets called Manju and Mochi. Volunteers were generously pouring complementary hot green tea, but if that’s was to much heat on a hot summer day, you could head to one of the two beer gardens for a cold glass of beer and a refreshing bowl of chilled Somen (noodles).

You had to be sure to try the special Sakura Matsuri craft brew made the Temples neighbor, Jagged Mountain Brewery. If sake is more to your liking, you had to try the Portland-based Sake One’s offerings.  There was a fine selection of arts and crafts vendors that had you browsing through vintage kimono, handmade jewelry, Asian-inspired pottery, books and anime, dolls, fine art, Japanese Hawaiian T-shirts, and so much more.  With nearly 40 booths, including a few informational ones tied to the Japanese-American community, it filled much of Lawrence Street.

Although the Cherry Blossom Festival raises funds for the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples programs and operations, it relies on the volunteer efforts of temple members and nonmembers alike. Japanese Americans, students of Asian studies, and aficionados of Japanese food, entertainment, and culture are all invited to help with the preparations for and running of the festival.

Written by John Root
Photos by John Root