Japan festival: It just gets better and better

Despite the heat, the Sugar King Park was filled with a huge crowd yesterday as people gathered to witness and celebrate the 19th Annual Japanese Autumn Festival.

“My friends called me up and wanted me to follow them and check it out. I wasn’t really up for it, but I’m glad I did because there’s just so much. I enjoyed all the dancing, and most especially the food,” said 22-year-old Timothy Deleon Guerrero.

The event featured various Japanese delicacies provided by restaurants on island, including Capricciosa, Tony Roma’s, Country House, and Bianca Restaurant, among others.

“Since the first time I came here to see what it’s all about, and until now, I still enjoy myself. It’s great for families, and as you can see, my daughter likes the grub,” said Tony Jeffries, who gave the interview while his daughter was deciding what to have for lunch.

The festival was hosted by the Japanese Society of the Northern Marianas, with the assistance from the Marianas Visitors Authority.

Aside from the food galore, the festival also featured dance performances courtesy of about 50 professional dancers from Hokkaido, Japan, as well as games for children and a yard sale, which included various items from toys to clothing and appliances.

“I like the way they dance because it’s like some of them are doing karate,” said 10-year-old James Camacho. “[And] I like the way the guy shouts in the microphone, like he’s the leader of the dancers. It’s fun.”

Also included in the celebration was the shichi-go-san, an autumnal ritual and Japanese tradition for seven-, five- and three-year-old children.

During an earlier interview, Japanese Society of the Northern Marianas member Hiroko Tagima said the celebration also ties in with Japan’s harvest season.

“We grow plenty of rice in Japan, and fall is harvest time and we celebrate,” she said.

Similar to the annual Taste of the Marianas, tokens were used for purchasing of foods and other items. Each token cost $1.

Meanwhile, the NMI Museum of History and Culture recently opened an exhibit showing the industrial Japanese era to coincide with the festival, citing the important role Japan played in the course of CNMI history.

The exhibit will run until Dec. 31.

The exhibit features pictures and artifacts from the Japanese era in the Commonwealth, including a personal scrapbook belonging to Haruji Matsue, who is credited with introducing sugar refinery in the Marianas.

The exhibit is open for touring between 9am and 4:30pm from Monday to Friday.

For more information on the exhibit, contact the NMI Museum at 664-2160.