Cherry Blossom Festival Helps Shasta County Welcome Spring

Cherry trees in bloom have long marked the beginning of spring. During the peak bloom season in April, cherry blossom (Sakura) festivals celebrate these flowering trees not only in Japan but around the globe.

Redding joins the celebration as it holds its second Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, April 27, at Sequoia Middle School. The festival is a product of the collaborative efforts of the Japan Society of Shasta County, members of the Church and Society Committee of Redding First United Methodist Church, First 5 Shasta and several volunteers.

Part of the proceeds from the festival will go to planting cherry blossom trees around the Redding area for future generations to enjoy. Last year’s festival was a huge success, with attendance exceeding the organizers’ expectations. “It was great to see that Redding was so interested!” says festival co-organizer, Vicki Ono.

The Japan Society was formed in 2018 by a group of Shasta County residents with love for Japanese culture and desire to share a bit of this culture with others. “This festival is really for the community to get to know each other,” explains Rina May, one of the festival’s organizers. “Not only do people get to learn about us, but it’s a way for us to be part of this community,” she adds.

Many family-friendly activities are planned for the festival including a dress-up photo booth and several Japanese arts and crafts activities such as origami, Japanese calligraphy and button spinners. There will be a kimono fashion show, with kimonos from some of the organizers’ collections, including one of Ono’s which is over 100 years old.

Games will include Fukuwarai, usually played around the Lunar New Year. Festival organizers describe it as similar to “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” except, instead of a tail, players put parts of the face, such as eyes, nose, and mouth, onto a blank face. Translated into English, Fukuwarai means “lucky (or blessed) laugh.”

There will be a performance by Shasta Taiko, demonstrating the ancient Japanese form of percussion using drums of all sizes including the famous Oh-Daiko or Giant Drum. Since taiko involves choreographed movement along with its music, “the audience can enjoy it visually,” as well as aurally according to festival co-organizer Chikako Kato. Other live performances will consist of 16 Awaodori dancers from Japan, along with singing by children from the Tree of Life School and Manzanita Elementary.

There will also be demonstrations of karate and kendo, the study of Japanese fencing. Hiroko Mori, a local martial arts teacher and one of the festival’s organizers, explained that little is known about kendo, the traditional Japanese martial art. “Most people know what karate is, but not many people know what kendo is,” she says.

Food served at the festival will include curry rice, a crowd favorite last year, and barbeque. The organizers will also be selling teriyaki chicken at their booth during the Whole Earth and Watershed Festival in Redding on Saturday, April 20.

If you are interested in volunteering for the festival or want information on becoming a sponsor, please email the Japan Society of Shasta County at japansocietysc@gmail.com.  More information about the event is on the “Redding Cherry Blossom Festival” Facebook.