Folk Arts - Japanese Traditions

The Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival has been the principal community event of Washington's Japanese-Americans. An annual event since 1975, it has grown to be a three-day festival which attracts nearly 5000 people. In 1995 the festival celebrated its twentieth year with a special focus on its community treasures- the masters of traditional arts. Like the Hmong New Year Celebration and the Diwali Festival, the Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival held special significance for the community members who attended and participated. Japanese dance, central to the event, is just one example of the community traditions still active in Washington State. In Seattle it dates back to the early 1900s. For new immigrants, dance filled important emotional and social needs, keeping them linked to their homeland.

Later, during World War II when the community was dismantled, only one teacher, Yamamura Fukoko, actively continued. After the evacuation and once the community had pulled itself together, Yamamura resumed teaching. One student of Yamamura Fukoko, Tazue Sasaki (who performs as both Fujima Fujimine and Kineya Shotazu) has gone on to receive numerous awards.

Today Ms. Sasaki runs her own schools of both classical Japanese dance and shamisen, a three-stringed plucked lute. Besides teaching and performing, Ms. Sasaki also devotes her time to organizing Japanese cultural events. For the past eighteen years--since the festival's inception--she and her husband Yutaka Sasaki, have helped produce the Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival.

The 20th Annual Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival in 1995 included both performers and craftspeople. A demonstration area featured such traditional art as; Kiri-e (cut paper art), calligraphy, Japanese gardening, origami , Chado (tea ceremony demonstrations), and Ikebana (flower arranging).

Performances included such artists as the following: buyo dancers; koto playing by the ensemble Seattle Miyagi Kai and the Seattle Chapter of the Kyoto Todo Kai; and taiko drumming by the Matsuri, Seattle & Kokon, and Northwest Taiko groups. Presenters and brochures helped educate the audience about all the artists and art forms. Over 10,000 people attended this three-day event at the Seattle Center.

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