Nippon Club of the Triangle
Last updated: 7/30/2010
Upcoming Events 2010
- Fall:
- International Festival
2010 Natsu Matsuri, July 10th
Thanks to everyone for a great time at this year’s ‘Nippon Club Summer Festival’! We had an outstanding showing with over 900 participants.
First of all, thank you to the over 100 volunteers for the event. All your hard work really made this event into a success.
There were many Tanzaku wish cards that filled the two bamboo trees at the center of the field. There were also four small bamboo trees for the Bon-odori circle, decorated with colorful Origami made by Alyssa, Kyle, Alex, Ian, and Charles. So, what did people wish for?
- 'I want Pokemon cards'
- 'I wish I will be able to visit Japan before I'm 20'
- 'For my ancestors, family, friends, and myself, peace, safety, happiness, love... For the Planet and Universe, harmony!'
Thank you, Mr. Tanaka, for bringing the bamboo trees from your back yard again.
We also had a fun time with the “Suika-wari” event, with shouts of “Yei!” “Toh!” “Splend!”, and everyone enjoying the watermelon afterwards. People also enjoyed watching the powerful Karate demonstration in the field, and there was much applause after the performance by Triangle Special Taiko. Triangle Special Taiko have been invited by the Japan Taiko Foundation to participate in the Japan Taiko Festival for Handicapped Persons on October 17, 2010.
The main event, Bon-odori, had over 200 people, dancing in a large circle around the Tanabata bamboo poles. Hayashi-san, 87 years old, danced in her yukata, right next to the children playing with their water yo-yos in the circle.
Finally, from a logistics standpoint, many people signed up via pre-registration this year, so we were successfully able to avoid the long lines at the food counter. Also, all the children were able to get water yo-yos as free gifts, thanks to all the volunteers that spent many hours during the event to make the yo-yos. It really was a lovely sight watching the children with their water yo-yos in the Bon-odori circle. We really did a great job with the trash, with everything sorted for recycling, and there was absolutely no trash left after people left, not even a piece of chop stick in the field. Thank you to all the participants and volunteers; we really are proud of your efforts.
Here is a message from one of the participants:
“Thank you all very much for such a wonderful festival! My children
and I really enjoyed ourselves from the food to the entertainment. Events
like this help my children to experience our culture first hand which
we can't do often here in North Carolina. We look forward to upcoming
events!!”
**We had a great event this year, but we are always looking for ways to continue to improve for next year, so we would be grateful if you could send us your thoughts and suggestions from this year.
Thanks,
Nippon Club of the Triangle
(Please click the thumbnails to view the larger images)
Thank you for your hard work: the 24th International Festival of Raleigh, 2009
Congratulations on a wonderful International Festival this year. There
were 140 volunteers involved in many festival activities, including Cultural
Booth, Mochitsuki Demonstration and Taiko/Bon-dance performances on Stage
for three days 10/2,3,and 4.
Yoisho! Yoisho! 400 Kinako-mochi were served for two days at the Demonstration Booth; 3,000 participants got their names in Fude; presenters wearing Happi caputured people on ‘Learning Japanese is FUN’ through the PowerPoint screen.
We thank the High School students from Japanese Language School of Raleigh, College students from UNC Japan Club and NCSU Japan Club, and all the people who offered their skills and time. Also, a special thank you to Triangle Taiko, Nippon Club Bon-dance, and East Millbrook Middle School Taiko Ensemble for their performances. Thank you so much for your dedication and hard work to make this event so successful.
Japanese Chair: Yoko Iwashima
Cultural Booth: Yuichi Watanabe
Demonstration: Toshikazu Mizobuchi
Center Stage: Rocky Iwashima
2009 Natsu Matsuri, July 11th - Thanks to everyone for a great time!
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Long green bamboo pole Fishing for dreams" |
Thank you all for coming! Over 700 people participated in this year's 'Nippon Club Summer Festival'.
What did you wish for?
Many Tanzaku wish cards decorated the two bamboo poles set by the front stage. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka for bringing the bamboo poles from their back yard.
Here are some sample Tanzaku:
| He finds a job XXXX's cooking skills get better We are happy and get a $100 million Grandparents come to the US and live with us |
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Thanks to RTP Rock Group and women's singing group for their music, Mr. Mike Watson and his group for the Kendo demonstration, and Special Olympics athletes and Triangle Taiko for the Taiko Performances. In addition, we were all charmed by Ken's electric organ, and we all will look forward to what he does with his talent. He's a rising Senior at Green Hope High School, Cary.
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Adults and children dressed up in Yukata and Jinbei, and swayed to the music in the 'Bon Dance' led by Ms. Sadako Calkagno. Everyone's arms were probably still swinging on the next day to the tune of "Tsubaki ondo deee... Tokyooo Ondooooo..."
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Organizers
Nippon Club is an all volunteer group, and more than ninety volunteers helped make 2009 Summer Festival happen. We thank the students from Japanese Language School of Raleigh, people who offered their skills and time, and participants who decided to help out with the food stands.
* Many people signed up via pre-registration this year, so we were successfully able to avoid long lines at the food counter. Also, all children were able to get water yo-yos as free gifts.
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See you at next year's Tanabata/Obon festival!
-- Nippon Club of the Triangle --
* The Festival was supported by:
| The North Carolina Japan Center Duke University, APSI Japanese Restaurant Waraji |
* Write to triangle_nippon_club@yahoo.com and tell us what we can improve for future Nippon Club's activities better.
Monthly Director's Meeting (the first Wednesday)
Location: North Carolina Japan Center (Map)
Address: Spring Hill House 705 Barbour Dr. Raleigh, NC 27603