The cherry blossoms are cascading from the trees and green buds are rising from the earth. When it comes to seasons, spring certainly puts on a show in Burnaby.
The Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre is honouring the bountiful season with a special event this weekend, Celebrate Spring: A Tribute to the Beauty of Japanese Culture.
“In Japanese culture there are many traditions that do celebrate the changing of the seasons. Not only spring but all of the seasons have quite significant events and customs that are associated with their symbolism and the changing of seasons,” explained Karah Goshinmon, education coordinator for the centre. “But spring in particular, I think like many cultures, has this sense of renewal, of the new coming lightness.”
The family-friendly event will include traditional performances such as taiko drumming and Bon-Odori (folk dancing).
The event will also include a tea ceremony, kimono dressing and bonsai and ikebana on display, she added.
“So much of the traditions in Japan, for instance the symbols that they use, the type of flowers that are worn on kimono, the type of utensils that are used in tea ceremony, would all be used reflective of the season,” she said.
There will be a marketplace of craft items and Japanese cuisine, a screening of Facing Injustice: The Relocation of Japanese Canadians to Manitoba, and activities for children.
“We’ll have some interactive drawing and calligraphy contests for kids and adults,” Goshinmon said. “If weather permits, we’ll have a large kids’ area outside, with a bouncy castle and fun Japanese-themed kids’ crafts as well.”
If it rains, the celebration will remain indoors, she added.
The centre’s annual fundraiser, Bloom, a silent art auction, is also included in the festivities this year.
“This year it’s not going to be a standalone event, it is going to be part of the larger Celebrate Spring event,” Nichola Ogiwara, museum programmer, told the NOW. “It’s different in that Celebrate Spring is a bit more family-oriented. We typically would’ve had around 100 people come to our Bloom event in the past, but we’ll have more like 1,000 people come through Bloom.”
In addition to the exposure, this year’s auction is also bigger.
“Basically we’ve put out the call to local artists,” she said. “We were aiming for 30, but we have 50 works. It’s even bigger than we originally planned.”
There is a wide variety of artists and mediums, including prints from Mariko Ando, contemporary art from Instant Coffee collective, and traditional pieces from artists like Joyce Kamikura.
The pieces are either inspired by spring, Japanese culture, or both, according to Ogiwara.
“We have quite a mix of artwork, so I think there’ll be something for everyone to enjoy,” she said.”
Celebrate Spring and Bloom take place on Saturday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Nikkei Centre, 6688 Southoaks Cres. Admission is free for members, $5 for families and $2 for individuals. For more information, go to centre.nikkeiplace.org/events/celebrate-spring-2018.
