Sakura Matsuri

By Pres James

Everypony was there. (Image: Flickr)

On April 13th I had the pleasure of attending Sakura Matsuri once again, the yearly Japanese street festival hosted in downtown DC set to coincide with the blossoming of the city’s cherry trees. As soon as I stepped inside the fenced off area, I knew I was among fellow geeks.  On my right, a group of cosplayers posing for pictures in long, flowing clothing that must have been QUITE hot on the inside. On my left, a herd of bronies with a boombox, blasting j-pop and dancing. One stage had a kendo demonstration and on another Taiko drummers performing a cover of Gangnam Style.  The rumbling of barely contained excitement, flashes of colors both neon and muted, bright sun to show off the beautiful clothing and decorations, and a cool breeze to keep everyone refreshed.

It would be a good day.  A good day indeed.

Along with several of the other editors I made my way around the festival, perusing what was on offer for sale and seeing some of the demonstrations.  Some of the more notable ones were a booth selling handmade stuffed sushi and another with bonsai trees.  Anime memorabilia and Japanese-American outreach groups were well represented also.  Games of Go were being played, arts were being crafted, and friendships were being forged.  Three different stages highlighted singers, dancers, and performers, perfectly coordinated swirls of movement and sound.

Oh, did I mention the food?  I haven’t yet, have I?

Well.

You could smell the wonderful scents of street festival food from blocks away.  It was a mixture of traditional American fare (hot dogs, funnel cakes, meat on a stick) and things with more of an asian flare to them, though not always Japanese.  Yaki soba, red bean buns, and my personal favorite... squid on a stick.  There’s really no better place to get squid on a stick than at this festival.  Imported Kirin beer was also available at roped off tents throughout the festival.  It seems that they’ve learned from previous years, since it nearly always sold out.  This year, even trying to eat fairly late in the day, there was plenty to be had.

Fun despite the crowds (Image: Pres James)

That surprised me because the most notable aspect of this year’s festival was crowds.  There were so many people that the central avenue became an impromptu picnic at one point.  There were no places to sit and little open space, so people simply took it into their own hands.  A roadblock for sure, but also a great way to talk to some of the other attendees!  While there are usually lots of people wandering around, attendance increased this year but the space did not.  Expect that trend to continue!

After the festival started to wind down, I found my way over to the tidal basin where the cherry blossom trees actually reside.  While there wasn’t much in the way of signage to direct you between the two, it was easy enough to just follow the roving packs of tourists in the general direction of the mall and eventually you’d reach the trees.

Unfortunately, getting there involves being in the middle of a thousand other people with the same idea.  If you’re looking for a classy shot of a cherry tree with the blossoms blowing in the breeze you might want to come a little earlier than the festival.  Between the thousands of tourists pressed into the tiny walkways and the vendors on every corner selling unofficial t-shirts and water bottles, I was shoulder-to-shoulder almost the entire time I was in the area. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful sight.  Just be careful about your timing.

And yet, despite the crowding, despite dealing the Metro track work or parking paralysis, I wouldn’t miss the Festival.  I’ve gone for many years and plan to go for as long as I live here.  Relax and be a part of the crowd for a day.  You won’t regret it.