Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival

Time

Event

11:00am

NHK World-Japan Promo Video

11:00am

Core Kyoto: Flower Art: Ephemeral Colors for the Mind and Soul

Flowers in bloom manifest the changing beauty of nature over time. Kyotoites treasure them as symbols of not only nature but life. Flower-inspired artworks are created in various fields in Kyoto. A Japanese-style painter uses folding fans as canvases. A metal artisan conveys the transience of flowers. A photographer confronts life by capturing withering flowers. A priest and his wife float seasonal flowers in water to comfort worshippers. Discover how Kyotoites express their love of flowers.

11:50am

Core Kyoto: Cooking Utensils: Craftwork Ensures the Future of Traditional Cuisine

Cooking utensils influence Kyoto cuisine, helping to bring out the inherent flavor of local ingredients. Artisans and chefs believe that upholding the handicrafts sustains the taste of Kyoto.

12:20pm

Trails to Oishii Tokyo: WAGASHI

Wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets made with unique ingredients like bean paste and agar jelly, are little works of art that excite all five senses. Their beauty and flavors reflect the changing of the seasons. Join us in Japan's former capital, Kyoto, to discover how wagashi became ingrained in daily life. At a shop that prepares desserts for tea parties, learn to make Japanese sweets using bean paste and traditional tools. Also explore the food's place in modern society, including coffee pairing and the use of novel ingredients that transform wagashi into a full-course meal. (Reporter: Michael Keida)

1:10pm

NHK World Prime: 3/11 – The Tsunami: The First 3 Days

Using footage shot at the center of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, we bring you a story of horror and heroism during one of history's worst catastrophes. Vast areas along Japan's Pacific coast were devastated. Entire communities were washed away and residents were forced to evacuate. An accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant created a radioactive no-man's-land. But in the days that followed, amid the chaos and confusion, countless people sprang into action to assist victims and search for survivors.

2:20pm

Japan Railway Journal: Countdown to the Hokuriku Shinkansen Extension

With the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Tsuruga, the line will gain six new stations. The local governments along the line are eagerly awaiting the extension as improved access to the Tokyo Metropolitan area is expected to increase the number of visiting tourists and business travelers, boosting the local economy. In addition to new station buildings, efforts are underway to develop the surrounding areas, and systems are being made ready to handle the coming changes. See how regional developments are progressing along the line.

3:10pm

The Perfect 2-Hour Guide: Arashiyama, Kyoto

Be mesmerized by the beauty of Kyoto Prefecture's Arashiyama in its full autumn colors. This area attracts visitors from around the globe. Explore its highlights on an ultimate two-hour condensed course.

4:00pm

Barakan Discovers IZUMO: Glimpses of the Unseen

In the 19th century, writer Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) helped introduce Japan to the wider world. Peter Barakan visits Izumo to learn about the natural and unseen realms that Hearn treasured.

4:30pm

Japanology Plus: Vacant Homes

In Japan, one in every seven homes is empty. These 8.5 million vacant properties may increase the risk of fire and burglary, or negatively impact local real estate prices. But new ways are emerging to make use of them. In one regional community, empty homes were turned into high-tech offices or shops, and the local population began to increase. In Tokyo, finding new tenants for shops has revitalized a shopping street. We find out why there are so many vacant homes in Japan and discover some creative solutions.

Time

Location

Activity

All-Day

Loft Balcony

Kimono Dress Up by Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association, Hyogo Business & Cultural Center, and Kobe Trade & Information

All-Day

Loft Hallway

ART50 Exhibit

Featuring many artists from the Pacific Northwest!

All-Day

Loft 2

Go Game Lessons by Seattle Go Center

Waka (Poetry) by Rainier Ginsha

SHODO Calligraphy Display by Meito Shodo Kai Calligraphy Association

All-Day

Loft 3

SHODO Calligraphy Display by Beikoku Shodo Kenkyukai-Seattle

Ikebana Displays by Ikebana International, Chapter 19

1:00pm-4:30pm

Loft 4

Film/Lectures

Time

Event

11:00am-11:15am

Remembrance Gallery by Eileen Yamada Lamphere

11:30am-12:00pm

Japan in the Schools (JASSW) / Tokaido by Lisa Maria d’Aquila

12:00pm-1:00pm

Tea Ceremony by Masaye Nakagawa

1:00pm-1:30pm

Folktales by Lori Whaley

1:30pm-2:30pm

Tea Ceremony by Masaye Nakagawa