Sacramento’s Koyasan Taiko performing at the 2005 Haru Matsuri and Northern California Taiko Expo.

Photos by J.K. Yamamoto

MORGAN HILL — The 48th annual Morgan Hill Haru Matsuri (Spring Festival) will take place on Sunday, April 20, starting at 11 a.m. at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center, 16450 Murphy Ave.

The event, which includes the 12th annual Northern California Taiko Expo, is hosted by the nue, Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center and features San Jose Taiko.

Taiko groups from around the Bay Area and as far away as Watsonville and Sacramento participate every year.

Other attractions will include:

- Asian crafts, artists and vendors;

- Cultural displays and booths;

- Farmers’ market and white elephant sale;

- Japanese food, including chicken teriyaki, udon, sushi, and manju.

- Traditional entertainment, including minyo and martial arts demonstrations.

- The Haru Matsuri raffle.

Admission and parking are free. The entrance is on Murphy between Barrett and San Pedro.

For more information, call (408) 779-9009 or go on-line to www.mhbcc.org.

In 1959, the Morgan Hill Buddhist Sunday School (Dharma School) held its first major fund-raiser to purchase a butsudan (altar). The event was called “Oriental Food Sale” and was held at the Friendly Inn of Morgan Hill, offering games for children and adults along with food items such as sushi, chicken teriyaki, spareribs and chow mein.

The success of this event prompted participation in joint efforts by the San Jose, Morgan Hill and Gilroy Sunday schools to have an Autumn Festival in 1962, featuring Japanese cultural exhibits and Japanese cuisine.

As the Morgan Hill Dharma School became more established, the first local Haru Matsuri was held at the Friendly Inn in 1965. The teriyaki chicken was washed at a community member’s home and barbecued at the Friendly Inn. Sushi and manju were also prepared in the inn’s kitchen.

Many community members came out to volunteer their time in hopes of generating enough funding to one day build their own facilities. In 1967, dreams became reality with the completion of the temple building.

Construction of a second building, a multi-purpose structure, followed in 1974.

Dharma School is held every Sunday, and Japanese and English religious services on the first Sunday of the month.

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