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Japanese Festival Returns to Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden will celebrate the culture and traditions of Japan at the 38th annual Japanese Festival over Labor Day weekend.
Hours for the festival are Saturday, Aug. 30 and Sunday, Aug. 31 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults ages 13 and over and $5 for members; members’ children (ages 12 and under) are free. Visit the website at www.mobot.org/events/japanesefestival for more information.
Returning for the 10th year by popular demand, retired sumo wrestlers from the Hawaiian Islands will give visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle, training and fighting techniques of Japan’s ancient warrior.
The Sachiyo Ito & Company Japanese arts organization is a new addition to the Festival this year. They offer artistic performances and educational and exchange programs that promote Japanese culture through the arts, particularly dance.
The St. Louis Osuwa Taiko ensemble is expected to draw taiko enthusiasts from around the country with their dramatic and formidable style. They perform all three days of the Festival at the outdoor Cohen Amphitheater.
The private Teahouse Island of the Japanese Garden will be open for guided public tours every hour from 12 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from 12 to 4 p.m. on Monday.
Watch martial arts demonstrations, learn about the disciplined art of ikebana flower arranging and the proper pruning of a delicate bonsai tree. Marvel at the quick work of ice sculptor Naomi Hamamura as he wields a chain saw to create birds and other objects from large, frozen blocks.
Learn the steps and join in a bon odori dancing demonstration and take in a colorful kimono fashion show on Sunday inside the Shoenberg Theater.
Late summer in Japan means Obon, the festival when the spirits of the dead return to spend time with the living. In the Toro Nagashi ceremony, memorial lanterns are inscribed with the names of those deceased, then lit and set afloat as a way of accompanying the spirits as they depart for another year. Lanterns may be purchased in the Ridgway Center. At 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, they will be lit and set afloat on the lake at the Japanese Garden. Reverend Clark Watanabe of the Honomu Henjoji Buddhist Mission will give an invocation lakeside on both nights.
The “Candyman” Masaji Terasawa is back to roam the grounds, delighting onlookers with his unique style of street magic and sugary-spun creations. Stop by the Spink Pavilion to enjoy children’s activities including origami paper folding and traditional Japanese games.
Enjoy a showing of anime on Saturday evening. Listen to a demonstration of Japanese karaoke on Sunday. Take a candlelit stroll through the Japanese Garden from 8 to 10 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday nights.
Sample Japanese cuisine at the outdoor food court, including sushi, yakisoba noodles, pancake-like okonomiyaki and green tea ice cream.
