It was amazing that this year’s Sakura Matsuri was the 60th annual Japanese street festival in Washington, but was the first I had been to. Maybe it had to do with my conviction that it wouldn’t be anything like the several matsuris I had seen in Japan.
It wasn’t a totally uninformed opinion; I have been to several night markets in Asia, and the ones in Portland and Baltimore operate in alternate universes. I figured that this matsuri would be about the same – an Americanized production with faint echoes of Japan-ness to it.
And, I was right! But I found myself enjoying it anyway! Viruses are not the only things that are contagious in our world; I succumbed to a kind of mutual cheerfulness born of shared experience, floating in the air. Thousands of us were packed into a few blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue determined to have a good time, many imaginatively dressed. There were plenty of things to enjoy: music, performances, drumming (so much drumming!) kid’s activities, exhibits, shopping, food.
As soon as I walked onto the fenced-off area of the avenue, I saw a familiar brand: Dolci Gelati, a fixture in Washington for several years. What qualified this unquestionably Italian company to sell their product at a Japanese event? The flavors they were offering, that’s what: matcha green tea, cherry blossom, vanilla ginger gelato, and Asian pear sorbetto. (And chocolate. You can’t not have chocolate.) Gianluigi Dellaccio himself, the company president, was there. It was nice to meet him. I’ve been enjoying his gelato at the Takoma Park store for several years now.
There was an interesting assortment of booths for various interest groups. Origami, traditional Japanese handicrafts, trivia, and many others were represented. An HBO Max show called Bree’s Bakeoff Challenge attracted some fervent fans.
Other sightings ranged from a little girl in a yukata
To a clutch of Elegant Lolitas gathered by a fountain
To a pair of Okinawan kimono
To the wonderful variety of cosplayers lined up for a contest.
And what about the food? There was an array of the usual street fair fare, some having little to do with anything Japanese, but also some almost-authentic offerings. The line for Saku Saku Flakerie was short enough to tempt me into buying two of their buns for lunch. The black sesame and purple potato buns were tasty. I thought about the matcha kouign-amann but just couldn’t quite stomach the fusion stretch.
Then there was the taiyaki tent. Who knew there would be such a demand for fish waffles? The line stretched for, seemingly, miles. It did not seem to faze Joriz, who wore an appropriate hat with good humor and great elan. I would have liked one or two taiyaki but would have been late for the fish killing.
As it was, I arrived in good time to get a seat at the ike jime demonstration. This technique, as practiced by Andrew Tsui, founder and president of the Ike Jime Federation, assures the very highest quality of fish destined for sushi and sashimi. Done properly, the fish feel no pain when they are lulled off to oblivion without stress, and cooled immediately in a slurry of ice and water (“slushed.”) Mr. Tsui’s organization is devoted to teaching fishermen how to handle their catch in this manner to assure top grade product.
Following the fish, a lecture on cocktail making utilized this big inflatable bottle of shochu. There was no shochu inside, and there did not appear to be any samples in the offing.
And following that (for something completely different), a rousing performance by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko of drumming and dancing. They had the crowd with them right up to the big finish.
Browsing the merchandise tents, I found the perfect fairing to remember the day: a pair of chopstick rests emblazoned with “I WAS GROOT” from a woodworker, who also had handmade chopsticks and other admirable stock. But I have a chopstick rest collection, and the science fiction reference was perfect.
