Cherry Blossom Festival April 3

Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival Events

The taiko drum group Dallas Kiyari Daiko has been added to the lineup of The Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival, which will take place on Sunday, April 3 from 1p.m. to 5 p.m, at Horner Hall, located in the Hot Springs Convention Center at 134 Convention Boulevard. This family friendly event will be free to attend.

Since 1992, Dallas Kiyari Daiko has been performing traditional Japanese drumming, also known as “Taiko” or “Wadaiko,” in the metroplex. A symbol of communities, Taiko was originally used for ceremonies, festivals and traditional dance, but has evolved into a musical art known around the world for its deep, resonating beats, driving rhythms and powerful physical movements. The group will share and introduce Japanese culture with dynamic rhythm and sounds of taiko drums, one beat at a time. In addition to the Dallas Kiyari Daiko taiko performances, Arkansas Tech University instructor Kae Reed will also play and demonstrate taiko.

Additional festival highlights include cultural demonstrations, dance performances, exhibits, and a variety of traditional Japanese carnival games. The Sister City Youth Art exhibition will debut at the event and prizes for the First Annual Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku competition will be awarded with winners invited to read their haiku at the event. An anime costume contest is planned in partnership with the Garland County Library.

This year the festival will also include lectures and workshops with topics including Japanese gardening in Arkansas, obento lunch boxes creation, Zen meditation gardens, and even an educational class on sake with a tasting opportunity. See the links below for more information and to reserve your space.

The Arkansas Cherry Blossom is sponsored by Hot Springs National Park Sister City Foundation in partnership with Visit Hot Springs. For more information visit www.ARCherryBlossom.org.

Online Registration Available for Japanese Cultural Opportunities

The Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival will include a number of cultural workshops and experiences, in addition to a wide range of performances, exhibits and even an opportunity to shop for Japanese items.

The first event will be a seminar on Japanese Gardening in Arkansas at 2:00. Ever wonder if it would be possible to have a Japanese Garden in Arkansas? Jim Elmore has spent years creating a breathtaking Japanese garden paradise on the shores of Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs. Jim will share photos, tips on what works and doesn’t work for our climate and answer questions. Registration is free, but space is limited.

At 3:00, the opportunity to learn about Zen meditation, also known as Zazen, a meditation technique rooted in Buddhism. Jonathan Westmoreland, a practicing Buddhist since 1989 and member of the Hot Springs Buddhist Society will speak on Zen meditation and the elements of a Zen Garden. Registration for this workshop is $20 and participants will receive tabletop Zen garden to create their own peaceful meditation space at home.

Kiyoko Johnson will hold a demonstration on how to create the delicious and beautiful bento at 3:00. This hands-on workshop will include demonstration and hand-on instruction on how to create these traditional Japanese lunch boxes. Workshop cost is $20 and includes accessories and box (food not included).

The Art of Sake will be led by Hot Springs Sister City Foundation Board Vice Chair Corey Alderdice. Through his travels, Corey has developed an appreciation not only for traditional Japanese sake brewing, but also the exciting and innovative American craft sake scene. Participants will learn about sake history, how it is brewed, about brewing in the United States and, if over 21, the opportunity to taste premium sakes. The cost is $25 per person with a limit of ten persons for each of the three sessions at 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00.

Online registration for all of the seminars and workshops can be found by clicking on one of the photos above or at www.ARCherryBlossom.org.

A free screening of the Japanese film Dad's Lunch Box will be held at 2:00 on Saturday, April 3 at the Garland County Library. The film is presented thanks to partnership from the Japan Foundation in New York and a representative will be on hand for the screening.

Throughout the three years of high school, Midori (Takeda Rena) ate the bento lunch her dad (Watanabe Toshimi) made for her every single day. In the very last bento of high school, Midori finds a photo of "the first high school bento" along with a hand written letter from her Dad.

The film is an adaptation of a true story which was re-Tweeted by 80,000 people and liked by 260,000 people on Twitter. The director, Fukatsu Masakazu, has worked on music videos of andymori, ONE OK ROCK, among others.