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Saipan Awaodori piques Japan TV crew’s interest
The Saipan Awaodori Team poses with members of another group in last Saturday’s Higashirinkan Festival in Tokyo, Japan (Contributed Photo)
Members of the Saipan Awaodori Team potentially secured valuable airtime to promote the CNMI in the small screen after being interviewed at the Narita International Airport by the crew of the TV program Why Did You Come to Japan?
“The producers interviewed our members and were intrigued by them, which led the TV crew to follow the Saipan Awaodori Team to a practice session in Koenji,” said Sonia Siwa, the group’s coordinator.
The TV crew interviewed and took videos of the Saipan team before, during, and after practice and even followed them walking the streets of Koenji and going to dinner. The TV crew did another interview with the team after dinner.
The TV crew is expected to film the Saipan team at the Koenji Awaodori Festival.
Why Did You Come to Japan? is a popular program on TV Tokyo and is hosted by the comedy duo known as Bananaman made up of Osamu Shitara and Yūki Himura.
The Saipan team members—Tyvieann They, Vianny Mettao, Marcela Heben, Audie Ostonal, Sheena Saures, and Jessie Serrano—will be in Japan for a month. A seventh member, Virginia Imperial, will arrive in Japan in Aug. 13.
“Coming from a very small island, they are amazed by the crowded streets, the vehicles, which the driving wheel of the car is on the opposite side, the huge amusement park such as Tokyo Dome, the amazing and delicious food, the hospitality of the Japanese people, riding the busy trains, and they are most amazed by the cleanliness,” she said.
The Saipan Awaodori Team already performed at the Kitamachi Tokyo Awaodori Festival last July 27, the Hibiya Oedo Tokyo Festival last July 28, and the Higashirinkan Festival in Tokyo last Aug. 3 and are now gearing up for the 61st Koenji Awaoodri Festival on Aug. 25 and 26.
Saipan Awaodori Team is coordinated by PDM Promoters Inc., a CNMI non-profit corporation.
