Cupertino festival features, blossoms, tea and rabbits
Special art projects involving tea and rabbits are planned for Cupertino’s 39th annual Cherry Blossom Festival later this month.
The festival, set for April 29-30 at Memorial Park, celebrates the sister city relationship between Cupertino and Toyokawa, Japan. Outdoor entertainment includes Taiko drum groups, Japanese dancers, various martial arts and musical performances. Children’s activities feature games, arts and crafts, and a petting zoo.
The nearby Quinlan Community Center will host indoor performances and cultural displays, demonstrations, workshop and activities. Chief among these performers is Madame Soko Kobara, who has been teaching the Urasenke Japanese tea ceremony the Bay Area for over 55 years and will demonstrate the ceremony at the festival.
In 1968, Kobara and her husband, the Rev. Seiji Kobara, received permission from the grand tea master in Kyoto to perform a public tea ceremony demonstration. Since then, she’s gone on to earn the distinction of “Meiyo Shihan,” or distinguished tea master.
The tea ceremony is based on the principles of “WA” (harmony), “KEI” (respect), “SEI” (purity) and “JAKU” (tranquility). It encompasses traditional Japanese arts and adapts to seasonal changes with different flower arrangements, utensils, scrolls, kimonos, sweets and tea. Since each tea ceremony is unique, it is referred to as “Ichi-go Ichi-e,” or chance meeting.
A ‘hare-y’ year
The nonprofit Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities Inc. was formed 45 years ago, and the two cities have been exchanging gifts every five years since 1983. This year, Cupertino is sending Toyokawa a “Year of the Rabbit” sculpture that was purchased through Cupertino Rotary.
The sculpture, painted with a design by Cupertino artist Janki Chokshi, will be on display at the Cherry Blossom Festival and then sent to Japan in the summertime.
Chokshi’s design was selected via a competition held earlier this year. It features juxtaposed elements that simultaneously honor and compare the two cities, such as cherry blossom and redwood trees.
Chokshi is president of Fine Arts League Of Cupertino and a former fine arts commissioner. She runs Little Artists’ Studio, a children’s art school in Cupertino.
The free Cherry Blossom Festival will run 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. both days, with free parking at De Anza College lots A and B.
Festival food includes sushi, spam musubi, gyoza, Asian chicken salad, yakisoba, mochi, teriyaki chicken skewers, hot rice, shave ice, fruit bowls and cotton candy, with coffee, smoothies, beer, sake, plum wine, sodas and lemonade to wash it all down. Food trucks will also be on site.
For more information, visit www.cupertinotoyokawa.org.