Japan Festival Returns to Chicago with Wide Variety of Food and Culture
The Japan Festival Chicago 2023 took place on August 19 at the Chicago Cultural Center for the first time in four years. The all-day-long festival had been held in the northwest suburbs such as Arlington Heights and then moved to Chicago in 2019 resulting in tremendous success in the two venues at Millennium Park and Cultural Center; however, the following festival had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Japan Festival has been organized by the Chicago Japanese American Council (CJAC) and its umbrella organizations. They are Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago, Japan America Society of Chicago, Chicago Japanese Club, Japanese American Service Committee, Japanese American Citizens League Chicago, Chicago Japanese American Historical Society, Japanese Mutual Aid, and Nisei Post 1183. This year, the festival was held at the two venues in one building, Preston Bradley Hall and Cassidy Theater.
Exhibition and Demonstration
At Preston Bradley Hall, a variety of Japanese cultures were exhibited and demonstrated, and popular food was offered to taste and purchase.
Exhibitors were Chicago Japan Film Collective; Chicago Japanese American Historical Society; JACL Chicago; Chicago Sister Cities International, Osaka Committee; Osaka Social Service Exchange Committee; Consulate General of Japan in Chicago; flower arrangement by Ikebana International Chicago Chapter #27; Japan America Society of Chicago; and JETRO Chicago.
Japanese companies such as Kikkoman and Mizkan introduced and gave out samples.
At the Sister-City Osaka Committee’s booth, Chef Yasuo Mizuuchi, famous for ice-sculpture creation, displayed a miniature Osaka Castle made of a chunk of 50-pound cheese which he curbed and built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Chicago-Osaka Sister-City relationship.
Demonstrations were Cosplay Contest organized by Anime Chicago, origami making by Origami Group Chaos, soba noodle making by Mariko Kallister, tea ceremony by Urasenke Chicago Association.
Vendors were Grain Theory Kendama for demonstrations and sales, Hidden Treasures and Japanese Artisans sold Japanese flavored accessories and crafts, and Tangerine Mountains exhibited antique kimono dresses and sold other kimono.
Visitors’ favorites, Yummy food and Restaurants were kakigori (shaved ice) by Gaijin Restaurant; sushi and drinks by M Square Catering; kara-age, takoyaki, kurobuta sausage, Japanese snack and drinks by Murasaki Sake Lounge; onigiri (rice ball) by Onigiri Kororin; mocha donuts and drinks by 2d Restaurant.
Stage Performances
At Cassidy Theatre, 13 performances were played on the stage one after another. Donna Gerlich, well known for bilingual-witty talks, emceed the stage.
Performers were string-koto music by Chicago Koto Group; Iaido demonstration by Mugai Ryu Chicago; Choir by Choir Futaba; Okinawa dance by Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai; Special Performance for the 50th anniversary of Chicago-Osaka Sister-City relationship by Takarazuka Star OG; Karate demonstration by JKA Chicago; Japanese traditional dance (Four Seasons in Kyoto, New Yoshiwara, and Festival) by Kazume Mizuki and Yusuke Wakamsho; Kendo demonstration by Chicago Kendo Dojo; Awaodori by Awaodori Chicago Mikoren; Special Performance of Bon Dancing for 50th anniversary for the Sister Cities by LA Team Kawachiondo; Aikido demonstration by Aikido Association of America; Anime Song by Pika Pika with singer Nami Sagara and drummer Jun Takanarita; and Award Ceremony for Cosplay Contest.
Greetings from Active Consul General Kishi
Active Consul General Naoya Kishi
In his greeting remarks, Active Consul General Naoya Kishi said he was pleased to see such a vital Japan Festival for the first time in four years and called for a round of applause for the people who worked hard to hold such a big festival with rich contents. “Your great accomplishment reminds me that no matter how severe the challenge is, stepping into the next is always possible. When it comes to art and culture, passion trumps reality,” he said.
In addition to a variety of Japanese arts and culture displayed there, he also said, “Takarazuka-star OG group performs in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Chicago and Osaka, and LA Team Kawachiondo also brings us the heat of Osaka. Let’s have fun, let’s feel the spirits of respect, hospitality, and harmony in diversity, and let’s celebrate the sense of collaboration. I sincerely hope you’ll take the time to experience what Japan has to offer and find, “Your Kind of Japan.”
Anime Chicago and Winner of the Cosplay Contest
Jamie Sanchez, President and Founder of Anime Chicago (not-for-profit organization), welcomed the cosplayers and audience and said the organization holds six to eight events every month, and it has over 3,000 members connected through Meetup. Website is https://animechicago.com/
Tiffany Erickson cosplays with Nezuko in the Demon Slayer.
The top winner of the Cosplay Contest was Tiffany Erickson who was wearing a perfect costume of Nezuko from the Demon Slayer.
Erickson first experienced her cosplay in 2017 at Anime Iowa. This time, she decided to reproduce the official kimono of Nezuko professionally.
Erickson went to a big kimono vendor Tangerine Mountains in Schaumburg with her friend and went through every single piece of kimono in there. She was concerned not only color of garments, but also their texture. She even tried to find kimono made in the Taisho era which is the background of the Damon Slayer’s story.
She could find a haori jacket, which was made in the Taisho era and very close to the one that Nezuko was wearing. Nezuko’s kimono, however, she couldn’t find it from that era, so she decided to use one in a later period. Even though the kimono was a little newer than haori, its color and the traditional asanoha pattern were the same as Nezuko’s.
She bought kimono peripherals such as obijime and obiage, which were similar to Nezuko’s, but a matching obi belt was nowhere. She finally decided to paint every square with red color, so that she could make a checker-pattern obi which matched very well with Nezuko’s.
After making such a great effort to make Nezuko’s costume, she deserves to win the first place in the Cosplay Contest.
Q: So are you a member of Anime Chicago?
Erickson: This is the first time for me hearing about it. It’s actually going to be one of the first things I’ll do when I get home from this event today.
I’ll be probably heading home to Iowa after I help tear down everything for Tangerine Mountain’s exhibition because I am a part of the presentation to show kimono from the 1700s in Japan. It’s older than the U.S.
But probably the first thing I’ll do this evening is look up this wonderful association.
Q: Thank you very much.