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CNMI joins 18th Annual Nippon Dommanaka Festival
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- The Northern Mariana Islands delegation performs at the 18th Annual Nippon Dommanaka Festival on Aug. 26-28, 2016, in Nagoya, Japan. (Contributed Photos)
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- The Northern Mariana Islands delegation meets the chairman of the 18th Annual Nippon Dommanaka Festival on Aug. 26, 2016, in Nagoya, Japan.
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- 2016 Liberation Day Queen Christine Roque and special assistant to the Mayor of Saipan Henry Hofschneider join the 18th Annual Nippon Dommanaka Festival parade on Aug. 27, 2016, in Nagoya, Japan.
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- The Northern Mariana Islands delegation, including its youngest performer Leonardo Suares, front center, performs at the 18th Annual Nippon Dommanaka Festival on Aug. 26-28, 2016, in Nagoya, Japan.
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- Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Christopher A. Concepcion, in blue, joins the Northern Mariana Islands delegation at the 18th Annual Nippon Dommanaka Festival on Aug. 26-28, 2016, in Nagoya, Japan.
Through the Marianas Visitors Authority and Pacific Development Inc., the Northern Mariana Islands sent a delegation to the 18th Annual Nippon Dommanaka Festival held on Aug. 26-28, 2016, in Nagoya, Japan.
The NMI delegation of indigenous Carolinian dancers were among 23,000 dancers that entertained over a million festival-goers.
On the first day, the delegation attended a welcoming reception hosted by the mayor of Nagoya before making their first two performances. The following day, the group performed on various stages throughout the city and walked in the festival parade. That evening, delegation leader and PDI vice president Gordon Marciano was a judge in the preliminaries of the competition, featuring 12 groups. Activities continued on Sunday, the final day. During the festival, Saipan-da backpacks were also distributed to the audience. The MVA’s office in Japan helped coordinate the NMI’s participation.
“One of the most fun parts of the trip was seeing the dancers who have never experienced Japan. Their faces just lit up with amazement as they were surrounded by 23,000 other performers. They were welcomed by the people of Nagoya, commemorative booklets featured the Northern Marianas team, and the festival was featured on live nationwide television,” said Marciano. “It always amazes us that the NMI is one of the crowd favorites.”
This year performers were selected from several dance troupes, including Pacific Flowers, the FESTPAC delegation, Saipan Southern Warriors, Tanapag Warriors and Refaluwasch Warriors. In addition, 2016 Liberation Day Queen Christine Roque performed with the group.
MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion also attended the event.
“We are very proud of the performers who showcased our cultural dances in Nagoya in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” said Concepcion. “The MVA works tirelessly to attract more visitors from Japan, and our presence in Nagoya provided much needed exposure for our Commonwealth. We hope to see an incremental increase in arrivals from Japan in the very near future as we work closely with our travel partners to revive this incredibly important market.”
According to Marciano, this is the 13th year the Northern Mariana Islands has been invited to the Nippon Dommanaka Festival.
