Written by Jared Kennedy|     

Drums beat and thunder roars, as rain tries to play it’s role on many festivals this weekend! Nonetheless, The 47th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival was able to entertain the public and celebrate their heritage. Saturday morning was filled with rain but gave way to sunshine throughout the day attracting a large crowd to share in their celebration.

Above is a performance in Taiko Drumming. Julia Misawa founded the group Boulder Taiko Hibiki in 2006, a taiko group open to all ages, where students study with a focus on the four values: mind skill, body and manner. Julia also started the Boulder Taiko Ensemble (BTE), which pushes new boundaries in the ever-expanding world of taiko performance adding western drums , guitar and voice, shakuhachi flute and violin (Anthony to the traditional taiko mix. 

DBT Minyoukai participants performed in several displays of Traditional Japanese folk dances.

In Japanese culture, tea is much more than a drink. The tea ceremonyhas been a part of the traditional Japanese culture for centuries. A quiet celebration performed with grace and beauty, the tea ritual is a bonding experience of mindfulness and respect. Above, narrated by Leonard Large, Aislynn Van Clief prepares tea for her guest Alyssa Card. Aislynn is the owner of Fudo-An Tea and wellness services .

The Cherry Blossom festival celebrates annually in downtown Denver sharing Japanese heritage with the community. There are 2 full days of performances in martial arts, ikebana, music, dancing, taiko drummers , and ceremonies. The streets were filled with vendors of all sorts hosting an array of Japanese items. Best of all, there was no shortage of traditional foods and saki!

Written by Jared Kennedy, Contributing Associate