The cherry blossom trees blooming at the Capitol mark the imminent return of Sakura Matsuri, an annual Japanese celebration whose name translates to “cherry blossom tree festival.”
For over a decade, Willamette University’s Japan studies student leaders have celebrated with traditional performances, activities and food during a free event open to the public.
The cultural club’s event will be on Saturday, April 8, between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Willamette’s Putnam University Center, 900 State Street.
Ashton Ellis is in charge of decorations for the event, and will be preparing the room with origami cherry blossom flowers, strands of blossoms, lanterns and miniature cherry blossom trees.
“It’s going to be really cool to just see everything in motion, everything happening, and then seeing people enjoying all the different booths and stuff,” he said.
Ellis is a freshman, and joined the club after its president visited his Japanese language class. There are 30 active members, and about half of them are participants in Willamette’s American Studies Program from its sister school, Tokyo International University.
Photos from the second annual celebration in 2010 show a packed room, with families making crafts and a performance by taiko percussionists – a traditional style of drumming that uses thick bachi drumsticks.
This year’s performances include music and a karate demonstration.
At 2 p.m., there will be a koto performance by Masumi Simmons, who will be joined by Salem cellist Joseph Harchanko.
Ellis said he’s especially looking forward to the koto performance, a 13-string Japanese instrument.
“I think it’s a pretty cool instrument,” he said. “You have it on the ground or on a table, then you have little, kind of like guitar picks that you attach to your fingers and you play on that and you can actually slide different little pieces of wood on the koto to tune and change the sound.”
At 3 p.m., Yoichi Kozuma, a retired professor of sports psychology, will perform karate. Kozuma is a sixth degree black belt, and a two-time full-contact karate champion in Japan.
The Portland group Takohachi from will perform taiko drumming at 4 p.m.
Throughout the room, attendees can try their hand at games like gachapon and senbonbiki for prizes or make their own masks, origami and fans.
Bon Appétit is serving free helpings of chicken yakisoba, vegetable yakisoba, dango, okonomiyaki, onigiri, and dorayaki.
“It’s always been open to the community,” Ellis said. “It’s just cool seeing a lot of other people who don’t go to the school come to the event.”
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-704-0355.
SUBSCRIBE TO GET SALEM NEWS – We report on your community with care and depth, fairness and accuracy. Get local news that matters to you. Subscribe today to get our daily newsletters and more. Click I want to subscribe!
Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
