seen on the scene
Ja pa n es e F esti val H o ust o n, Ma y 6- 7
Writt e n b y H ei di P o well- Pr era
T h e Ja pa n- A m eri ca S o ci et y of H o ust o n i n c o o p erati o n wit h t h e H er ma n n
Par k C o ns er va n c y h ost e d its a n n ual Ja pa n F esti val i n H er ma n n Par k i n t h e
Ja pa n es e Gar d e n a n d ar o u n d t h e R e fl e cti o n P o ol. As part of t h eir g oal of
str e n gt h e ni n g t h e r elati o ns hi p b et we e n t h e gr eat er H o ust o n c o m m u nit y a n d
Ja pa n, t his f esti val i n c or p orat e d t y pi cal c ult ural e ve nts a n d b o ot hs t hat bl e n d-
e d A m eri ca n a n d Ja pa n es e tra diti o ns.
O n a sta g e s et n ear t h e R e fl e cti o n P o ol, t h er e wer e p erf or ma n c es of Ja pa n es e
m usi c, da n c e, a n d martial arts. Ma y or S yl vest er Tur n er was pr es e nt wit h t h e
Ja pa n es e C o ns ul at t h e o p e ni n g c er e m o n y t hat f eat ur e d t h e tra diti o nal Ja pa-
n es e t ea c er e m o n y. I n a d diti o n t o t h e Ja pa n es e i ns pir e d p erf or ma n c es, t h er e
was a c ost u m e c o nt est i n w hi c h t h e parti ci pa nts dr ess e d as t h eir f a v orit e a n-
i m e c hara ct er. O p e ni n g a n d cl osi n g t h e wat erfr o nt sta g e was a hi p h o p da n c e
a n d si n gi n g gr o u p of 8 y o u n g Ja pa n es e b o ys ra n gi n g i n a g es fr o m 1 5 t o 1 7.
T h e y ar e a part of Ja pa n’s tal e nt d e vel o p m e nt pr o gra m Pr oj e ct T A R O ( To p
Artist R oa d). At t h e pr es e nt ti m e, t h e y ar e a part of a Ja pa n es e r ealit y T V
s h o w f oll o wi n g t h eir 3. 5 year trai ni n g i n N e w Yor k.
T h e b o ot hs f eat ur e d Ja pa n es e-i ns pir e d f o o d, B o nsai, I k e ba na fl o wer arra n g e-
m e nts, ori ga mi, Ki m o n os, f a ns, u m br ellas, a n d m or e. Ma n y of t h e visit ors
c o ul d b e s e e n carr yi n g t h e b ea utif ul u m br ellas a n d f a ns. F or t h e g u ests w h o
wer e l ess a d ve nt ur o us i n tast e t esti n g, t h er e wer e s n o w c o n es, bar b e c u e, ta c os
a n d ot h er A m eri ca n f ast f o o ds.
T his e ve nt, wit h s o m et hi n g f or e ver y o n e, was a ver y r eal e xa m pl e of t h e cl os e
r elati o ns hi p e nj o ye d b y H o ust o n a n d Ja pa n b ot h h er e a n d a br oa d.
6 iF Magazine | June 2017