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Team CNMI takes part in Nippon Domonnaka Festival
CNMI delegates to the Nippon Domonnaka Festival this year pose with Marianas Visitors Authority-Japan staff and 2017 CNMI Liberation Queen and Peyton Gomez. (Contributed Photo)
The Nippon Domonnaka Festival, or Domatsuri for short, that was held in Nagoya Japan last Aug. 25 to 27 saw the participation of CNMI cultural dance group representatives.
Pacific Development Inc. managing director Gordon Marciano said the festival is held in Nagoya every year and it started in 1998.
“The team dance festival features teams throughout Japan and also other countries,” said Marciano.
The CNMI team, made up of PDI and Chamorro Carolinian Village Inc.-Canoe Federation warriors, was the only representative from the Pacific Islands, according to Marciano.
He said the CNMI team was composed of five members and were selected on how they helped out in the CNMI 4th of July Liberation Day celebration. Among the five is the 2017 CNMI Liberation Queen Peyton Gomez.
He also said that Mike and Awe Saures’ children—5-year-old Leo and 3-year-old Dominic who reside in Japan—joined the CNMI Domonnaka team for the festival.
Marciano added that Domatsuri Festival chair Kunihiko Okada recognized, PDI, CCVI-Canoe Federation, and Marianas Visitors Authority for the 15 years of cultural exchange through cultural dance at the festival.
He said the recognition was even featured in the Japan newspaper, Chunichi news.
Marciano also said that it was MVA-Japan who advised the PDI-CCVI-CNMI team to consider supporting the event due to the promotional exposure CNMI can receive from the festival.
He said there were 30,000 commemorative booklets that were printed for the event, and the TV exposure featuring the festival was very big.
The PDI managing director emphasized that it was a partnership with the Saipan Mayor’s Office, MVA, PDI, and CCVI that brought the CNMI Domonnaka team to the festival.
Marciano also thanked KKMP, IT&E, and Island Apparel for their continued support.
