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April 20th 2008: Cherry Blossom Festival (Japantown)


Page 1 of 4.
Click on images below to enlarge:
Atmosphere
The Japantown Tower, the classic focal sight by the plaza in the center of Japantown. I'm amazed that, despite all my visits to Japantown, this was the first time I took a picture of it.
Taiko drummers, one part of the parade.
Fan dancers, a colorful part of the parade.
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The Japantown Tower, the classic focal sight by the plaza in the center of Japantown.
I'm amazed that, despite all my visits to Japantown, this was the first time I took a picture of it.
Taiko drummers, one part of the parade.
Fan dancers, a colorful part of the parade.
There were many other sights in the parade as well. I watched it briefly and only filmed two groups.
Food
Yakisoba: stir-fried noodles, cabbage, and pork. I ate some at a previous trip to this festival. Check out the two large metal spatulas.
Lunch: california rolls and some kind of futomaki (large rolls) with squash and stuff.
The imagawa yaki stand from which I got a snack in the late afternoon.
Imagawa yaki being made. They're disc-shaped pancakes with red bean paste inside.
Yakisoba: stir-fried noodles, cabbage, and pork. I ate some at a previous trip to this festival.
Check out the two large metal spatulas.
Lunch: california rolls and some kind of futomaki (large rolls) with squash and stuff.
The imagawa yaki stand from which I got a snack in the late afternoon.
Imagawa yaki being made. They're disc-shaped pancakes with red bean paste inside.
Another picture of them being made. Each requires much attention: individual filling, flipping the top to cover, and then flipping the whole thing again.
My imagawa yaki. They were pretty pleasing and tasted exactly like you'd expect from the description. I only bought two because the people making them requested that everyone order conservatively in hopes that their batch would last long enough to allow everyone in line to get some.
Another picture of them being made. Each requires much attention: individual filling, flipping the top to cover, and then flipping the whole thing again.
My imagawa yaki. They were pretty pleasing and tasted exactly like you'd expect from the description. I only bought two because the people making them requested that everyone order conservatively in hopes that their batch would last long enough to allow everyone in line to get some.
Bonsai Exhibit
The label attached to the previous bonsai.
The label attached to the previous bonsai.
Over 150 years old! When I saw this bonsai at the festival two years ago, it struck me enough that I wrote in my blog: "A [bonsai], of two intertwined junipers of two different colors, spoke about race and the need for others that are different than oneself."
Over 150 years old!
When I saw this bonsai at the festival two years ago, it struck me enough that I wrote in my blog: "A [bonsai], of two intertwined junipers of two different colors, spoke about race and the need for others that are different than oneself."
This feels like one of those trees ("ents") that come alive and walk in Lord of the Rings.
I'm amazed this tree stays balanced.
This feels like one of those trees ("ents") that come alive and walk in Lord of the Rings.
I'm amazed this tree stays balanced.
Doesn't it looks like a windswept tree above a stream?
Doesn't it looks like a windswept tree above a stream?
Bushiness one rarely sees in tree this small.
Bushiness one rarely sees in tree this small.
Feels like an ordinary glade shrunk by a factor of twenty.
Feels like an ordinary glade shrunk by a factor of twenty.