Festival strives to reach wider audience
2007 Cherry Blossom Festival organizers broaden cultural scope to include American identity
Ashton Do, staff writer
June 19, 2007

Courtesy of Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple/Photo by Glenn Asakawa A large audience gathered on Lawrence Street listen to Denver Taiko perform during an intermission in the Obon Festival dancing, or celebration of the dead, during the 2006 Denver Cherry Blossom Festival June 16, 2006 in Lower Downtown Denver. Related articles As American as cherry blossoms 6/29/2007

DENVER – The 2007 Cherry Blossom Festival will prove that it’s possible to go mainstream without selling out on June 23-24 at Sakura Square.

Donna Inouye, office manager at the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple, helped organize Denver’s first Cherry Blossom Festival 35 years ago. She has been involved with the annual event ever since.

“The feeling, especially of the participants, is very much the same,” she said, responding to the festivals’ growth.

One challenge for festival organizers in years past was modernization. It was important to broaden the scope of the festival to reflect an emergent American identity while keeping true to Japanese customs.

“It used to be Japanese culture, but it’s now Japanese-American culture that we’re celebrating,” Inouye said. “We all are Americans, and the culture is evolving. But we remember our roots, which are Japanese and Japanese-American.”

A colorful Obon folk dance will highlight Saturday evening. The dance, Obon odori, is a celebration of life and ancestry originating from an ancient Japanese-Buddhist legend.

“People used to come out to observe (Obon odori). More and more over the years, they just started to jump in and start dancing themselves,” Inouye said.

Children can play in a designated activity area where they can make Japanese-American arts and crafts. Adults can play, too. Ikebana, or flower arrangement, and bonsai exhibitions will be on display inside of the temple. There will also be traditional tea-ceremony demonstrations and lectures on Buddhism.

Courtesy of Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple/Photo by Glenn Asakawa A dancer with the Denver Buddhist Temple dancers performs a traditional Japanese dance at the 2006 Denver Cherry Blossom Festival June 17, 2006 in Lower Downtown Denver.

In the food court there will be a beer garden and a wide assortment of Japanese foods, including sushi. This year, ice cream will make its first appearance at the festival.

Green tea ice cream is not traditionally Japanese, but its popularity in American restaurants and grocery stores signaled festival organizers to partner up with the Boulder Ice Cream company.

“We served food every year for our first 35 years, but sweets and dessert items were not strong items in the Japanese cuisine,” Inouye said. “We were trying to think of something that would be inviting – a sweet or a dessert that people would like.”

A congregation member at the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple came up with an original green tea ice-cream recipe. The Boulder Ice Cream company agreed to produce the original creation, in addition to their own ginger-flavored ice cream, for the Cherry Blossom Festival, she said.

“We’re selling it in a cup size only,” Inouye added. “It’s a different flavor than (most people) would get in a restaurant or ice cream place – it’s probably going to be a lot stronger because it’s more authentic.”

Vendors will line up on Lawrence Street this year, a relatively new concept in the festival’s 35-year history. They will sell both traditional and modern Japanese gifts. Patrons can expect to see items ranging from vintage kimonos and pottery to anime shirts and toys.

Proceeds from the Cherry Blossom Festival will go toward maintenance of Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple facilities and programs, Inouye said.

For a complete schedule of events and festivities visit the Cherry Blossom Festival’s website at http://www.tsdbt.org/cherryblossom.html.

Ashton Do is a staff writer for AsiaXpress.com. Ashton can be contacted via e-mail at Ashton.Do@asiaxpress.com.