Nikkei Matsuri

A Nikkei Matsuri several years ago.

One of my favorite festivals of the year is tomorrow, and so, I'm going to take a moment to write about that and put on hold the other two posts I've been working on to catch up with my April Alternative Challenge.

This year, the Nikkei Matsuri promises to be especially lovely because San Jose is hosting a delegation from our sister-city of Okayama, celebrating 60 years of friendship. This will also be the 40th anniversary of the festival itself.

In appearances and timeliness, this festival adheres a little more closely to "Children's Day" than to a "Cherry Blossom" festival, but it is very much a Japanese American Celebration-- hence 'Nikkei Matsuri.'

Artists both local and far come to vend their wares, often featuring traditional techniques in ceramics, fabric-arts and origami. There are exhibits of ikebana and calligraphy, martial arts demonstrations and, of course, great food. It is a wonderfully immersive cultural experience in a community that has over 125 years of history in San Jose.

More information on the festival, as well as the Sister City partnership with Okayama can be found at www.nikkeimatsuri.org 

Vocabulary: Asa

A non-geometric representation of asa leaves on yukata

Last year, I began the April challenge with a very similar entry: Asanoha. At that time, I was focusing on examples of the motif, but this year the focus is, of course, a little different as I endeavor to define some of the more common (and not so common) terms that I have come across in my own studies.

Many of the motifs we looked at last year were derived from natural elements and asanoha (hemp leaf or hemp flower) was no exception. But why should the humble hemp plant be immortalized in such a manner? It does not carry the romance of sakura or nadeshiko (both considered to be exemplars of fleeting and feminine beauty).

To my mind, the simple answer is because hemp is practical. Asa can be cultivated and utilized not just for rope, but spun into finer fibers as well. It is a very popular alternative to cotton, and though the weave might be a bit stiffer, it is not uncomon to find unlined (hitoe) kimono woven from asa suitable for summer wear.

Asa also has associations with purity, and as such is often used for the raiment of Shinto priests. With such powerful implications of protection as well as purity, it's no surprise that the asanoha motif would be a popular pattern for garments not made of the fiber itself.

Geometric motif known as Asanoha on a (likely synthetic fiber) obi

If you'd like a little more in-depth history of asa in Japanese culture, I found this article from The Japan Times to be quite informative.

I hope that you will continue to follow me in this more casual survey of terms and phrases as we wend our way through the month!

April Alternative Challenge

Cats know how to take it easy. Sometimes humans need the reminder.

Last year was my first time participating in the A-Z blog challenge and I found that it really helped me focus on what I want this blog to be-- informative. With last year's theme of motifs, I was able to reinforce some of the knowledge I'd already garnered through my study of kimono and kitsuke and then expand upon it.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed participating in last year's A-Z challenge, I've had to admit that, this year, I'm just not going to be able to make that sort of commitment. I won't be totally idle, though! Thanks to last year's challenge, I found a fun blog whose author is hosting an alternative: The April Alternative Challenge

I'm quite certain that I'll be able to manage four posts in one month. I might even push for a little more, since I was already plotting out daily entries for the A-Z challenge, but frankly, some of the letters were stumping me. There will still be an overarching theme this month, while I parse through some common and not-so-common vocabulary in the kimono and kitsuke world. If you have any particular words or phrases you'd like some help in decoding, please feel free to mention them in the comments!