Hundreds celebrate Japanese culture

The rich and proud cultural heritage of Japan was highlighted and displayed during the Japanese Autumn Festival on Oct. 22.

The festivities commenced in the morning with a ritual at the Katori Shrine at the Sugar King Park in Garapan where 25 visiting religious followers conducted the ceremony joined by government officials and other guests.

Rev. Shoji Takahashi, high priest of the head Katori Jingu in Chiba Prefecture, led once again the shrine’s pilgrims in offering prayers for “world peace” and “prosperity” for the people of Japan and the CNMI.

Acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio, in separate interviews, said the annual pilgrimage is a “wonderful” tradition of the Katori Jingu followers that the CNMI appreciates, participates in, and uphold.

“Hopefully this will become a part of our continued relationship with the Japanese people,” added Inos.
Immediately
after offerings were made, visiting Katori priests also blessed children among the audience and presented each of them with a blessed rectangular piece of wood in which the children’s names etched on it, a traditional Japanese book, and candies.

In the afternoon following the ceremony, the celebration proceeded to the Paseo De Marianas where hundreds of spectators took part in the observance of the autumn festival proper.

Organized by the Japanese Society of Northern Marianas, the festival aimed to share Japanese culture with the different members of the community through performances such as Kendo (sword presentation), Bon-odori and Yosakoi dance presentations, rice ball speed eating contest, and a song number from gospel performer Natuki from Hokkaido.

The event, seen as an opportunity for family and friends to spend time together, also featured various Japanese game booths and popular dishes like okonomiyaki (pancake), takoyaki (dumpling), yakitori (skewered chicken), and yakisoba (fried noodles).

Yoichi Matsumura of the Japanese Society of Northern Marianas, a group comprised of about 600 to 700 members of the Japanese community on island, said that besides cultural sharing, the annual autumn festival is also a time to wish for good harvest of rice and other agricultural crops and to hope for a better economy for the two nations.