Japanese Festival brings food and fun to campus |
| Posted by Administrator on Oct 29 2008 at 1:36 PM |
Photo by Kevin Whetstone
Students perform the So-ran dance during the Japanese Festival. The So-ran dance is one of the most popular traditional dances of Japan, and is derived from a fisherman's dance.
By Megan Oaklund
Antelope Staff
Gusty winds and chilly temperatures couldn't keep students away from another successful year at the Japanese Festival on Sunday, Oct. 26.
Beth Howell, a junior social work major from Berthoud, Colo., came to see what the festival was about.
"I wanted to learn more about the Japanese culture. The games are fun and the food is great," Howell said.
The festival is hosted by the Japanese Association at Kearney (JAK) group, which was founded in 2001 by Shinichi Maruyama. Though the campus presently has 236 Japanese students, when Maruyama came to UNK in 2000 there were only 18 Japanese students.
JAK now holds several events throughout the year to introduce the Japanese culture not only to students but to the Kearney community.
The festival kicked off with a speech by JAK President Ryunosuke Nakayama and Corliss Sullwold after which visitors were encouraged to stop by each booth and learn more about the Japanese culture.
The booths showcased many different foods and games from the Japanese culture. Also, at this year's festival, were performances by the Soran dance team, Okinawa Karate and Kendo, which is a type of sword fighting.
Visitors to the Japanese Festival were able to sample free Japanese foods like Yaki-Toumorokoshi, "grilled corn" seasoned with butter and soy-sauce, and Yakisoba which is fried noodles with meat and vegetables.
These dishes are very popular in Japan and often sold at festivals there. Those at the festival also enjoyed Japanese candy and sweets to satisfy any sweet tooth.
A Hachimaki booth was also available. The Hachimaki is a bandana worn by samurai. It is a symbol of perseverance or effort by the wearer. Visitors could get their own Hachmaki made from paint and had several patterns to choose from.
Games were also a big hit. Students and Kearney residents crowded around to try their luck at a Japanese style shooting game. Other popular games were Kujibiki, where competitors pull a string to win a prize and a water balloon game.
Yoshiki Naoi, a sophomore biology major from Kugawa, Japan, helped run the shooting game.
"This is my second year helping, and it is really fun. It takes about two months of planning to get everything ready for today," Yoshiki said.
Lisa George, an international education specialist, also enjoyed the festival this year.
"They (JAK members) worked so hard, and it has been a great turn out," George said.
The festival ended with many stories of success and the need to keep hosting this particular festival so that the education of the Japanese culture continues.
