Poster for San Jose’s Spirit of Japantown Festival

A brand-new festival, "Spirit of Japantown," at 5^th & Jackson Streets, will showcase San Jose’s Japantown on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9AM to 5PM (see below for details).

The festival will feature food and drink, artisans, craftspeople, fresh flowers, demonstrations, a California Car Club exhibition, martial arts, anime, kids zone, and cultural exhibits, as well as a silent auction and prize drawing (see below for details).

The event is a way of supporting the efforts of Japantown Community Congress of San Jose to make Japantown a tourist destination and a place to remember the history of the area, as well as highlighting the resilience of Japantown as a living and vibrant business district.

A wide range of community groups and businesses are supporting the festival, including Japantown Business Association, City of San Jose, VTA, Mercury News, Nichi Bei Times, el Observador (newspaper), Galardon (entertainment magazine), nu-waysolutions.com (marketing & design), Southwest Airlines, William Takara Sake, Gordon Biersch (brewery), Classic Rock (jewelers), Williams & Dame (developers), Miraido Village, A F Evans, and San Jose PGA.  Hokubei Mainichi is also a sponsor.

The exhibits and demonstrations include Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), San Jose Taiko (Japanese drumming group), Sakabozzo (world famous comedy cooking demonstration from Gilroy Garlic Festival), Anime (Japanese animated movies), California Car Exhibit (imports, classic rods & more), Samurai Swords, and Martial Arts. 

 The festival website is www.spiritofjapantownfestival.com.

SPIRIT OF JAPANTOWN FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Following is the entertainment schedule for Spirit of Japantown, a festival to be held for the first time in San Jose on Saturday, Oct. 6. (This schedule is subject to change.)

Main Stage: 5^th and North Jackson Streets

10 a.m. – Wesley United Methodist Church Jazz Ensemble

11a.m. – Hula by Halau Napuokamokihana’ohaikapolioluana

11:30 a.m. – Hawaiian music by Michelle Kiba and the Tiki Tones

12 p.m. – Introduction of dignitaries by Jeanne Katsuro and Kathy Sakamoto, co-chairs of Spirit of Japantown; kagami-wari ceremony with barrel provided by Takara Sake

12:30 pm. – SakaBozzo (Gene Sakahara and Sam Bozzo), celebrity chefs from the world-famous Gilroy Garlic Festival

1:30 p.m. – Introduction of San Francisco’s Cherry Blossom Court

1:45 p.m. – San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Jr. Choir; Obon dance; Uraja dance (from Okayama)

2 p.m. – Yu-Ai Kai’s Shinbuyo Japanese dance group and Nakama singing class

2:30 p.m. – Kaweh (Spanish guitar, rumba/flamenco musicians)

2:55 p.m. – Introduction of sumo stablemaster Azumazeki (formerly sumo wrestler Takamiyama), first foreigner to win a sumo tournament in Japan; autograph signing across from stage from 3 to 3:45 p.m. and 4:15 to 5 p.m.

3 p.m. – Yao Yang Chinese Dance Group

3:15 p.m. – Sumo demonstrations and chibiko sumo (sumo with little kids) with sumo champions Troy Collins (middle weight 2004, 2005, 2006 and Open League 2006); Dan Kalbfleisch (2007 Open Division national champion); Kelly Gneiting (national champion, 2005, 2006 and 2007, for heavyweight and team competitions)

3:55 p.m. – Introduction of Sharkie, official mascot of the San Jose Sharks; announcements of California Car Exhibition Winners

4 p.m. – San Jose Taiko

4:30 p.m. – Donation drawing winners announced

Martial Arts Demonstrations
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Gym (5^th and Jackson)

11 a.m. – San Francisco Sword Society

11:30 a.m. – Ben’s Shaolin Kung Fu

12:15 p.m. – Goju-Ryu karate by Sabater’s Martial Arts Center

1 p.m. – Aikido of San Jose Japantown, led by John Santos

1:45 p.m. – Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido (Japanese art of cutting with the sword)

2:30 p.m. – San Jose Judo Club

3:15 p.m. – San Francisco Sword Society

3:45 p.m. – San Jose Kendo Dojo, led by Richard Tanaka

Kid’s Activity Zone Entertainment Stage

Buddhist Church West Parking Lot, 639 N. 5^th Street

9:45 a.m. – Lotus Preschool’s Japanese song performance

10 a.m. – Michael Pierce, 16-year-old juggler and former Lotus Preschool student; holder of Guiness world record for most clubs juggled (seven)

10:30 a.m. – Ikebana arts by Kika Shibata; mother-and-daughter demonstration by Martina and Anna Roethig

11 a.m. – Megumi tells Japanese folk tales, including "Fun and Spooky Stories" (geared for preschool audience)

11:30 a.m. – Animemyu’s Mari and the Scouts in "Sailor Moon" (Japanese animation characters)

12 p.m. – Intermission

1 p.m. – Hula by Halau Napuokamokihana’ohaikapolioluana

1:30 p.m. -- Megumi tells Japanese folk tales (geared for preschool audience)

2:15 p.m. – San Jose Dojo demonstration

Other Activities

Anime for younger children and for older kids, Buddhist Church West Parking Lot, 639 N. 5^th St. Upstairs access through Kids’ Activity Zone

San Jose Fire Department’s Shark Engine (turquoise fire engine painted with sharks) on 5^th Street in front of Kids’ Activity Zone with Sharkie, mascot of the San Jose Sharks, from 3 to 4 p.m.

 Exhibits

• California Car Club exhibition on 6^th St.
• San Francisco samurai sword exhibit at San Jose Buddhist Church Gym, 5^th & North Jackson St.
• World War II veterans’ exhibit by Lawson Sakai at San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin lobby, 5^th & North Jackson
• Sachiko Designs, San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Multipurpose Room, 5^th & North Jackson
• Ikebana Arts & Midori Bonsai Club at Miraido Village Community Room, 550 N. 6^th St. at Jackson St.
• San Jose Fire Department’s Shark Engine in front of Kids’ Activity Zone, San Jose Buddhist Church West Parking Lot, 639 N. 5^th St.
• San Jose Police Department antique car on 6^th St.

Silent Auction on North Jackson and 6^th Streets

• Kabuto (samurai helmet) donated by sumo promoter Shigemitsu Inohana; made by the artist who made the armor for the movie "The Last Samurai." Value: $2,000.
• Fine art donated by Escolte Fine Art Gallery, signed and numbered.
• Carolyn Young print, "Timeless Devotion." Value: $500.
• Gary Hostallero print, "Miyamoto Musashi." Value: $500.
• Haruyo print, "The Shogun." Value: $750.
• Herman Miller AERON chair. Value: $1,350. Donated by Western Contract Interior Furniture in San Jose Japantown. Best-selling chair in the U.S.; considered an industrial design masterpiece; featured in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
• Sports memorabilia donated by the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks. All come with certificates of authenticity and are autographed. 

Prize Drawing, North Jackson & 5^th St.

$2 per ticket. Ticket-holders need not be present to win. Drawing will be held at 4:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. Proceeds will benefit the San Jose Japantown community.

• First Prize – Four round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets to any published Southwest Airlines destination. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of the Spirit of Japantown Festival.
• Second Prize -- $1,000.
• Third Prize – Two round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets to any published Southwest Airlines destination.
• Fourth Prize -- Two round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets to any published Southwest Airlines destination.
• Fifth Prize -- $500.

Spirit of Japantown is presented by the Japantown Congress of San Jose, a non-profit organization with 501C(3) status.

ARTICLES & PHOTOS

For articles and photos about the Spirit of Japantown, please click on your selection below:  

 

26 Sep 2007	Sumo Legend Takamiyama to Attend Japantown Festival Mark your calendars for the first-ever Spirit of Japantown Festival in San Jose. Festivities commence at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6. The event, which will be held at 5th and Jackson streets...
13 Jun 2007	'Spirit of Japantown’ Festival Planned in San Jose  A first-of-its- kind festival, "Spirit of Japantown," promises to showcase San Jose’s Japantown and be a major fundraiser for the Japantown Community Congress of San Jose. This brand-new event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 6 at 5th and Jackson streets.