2022 Japan Performing Arts Early Summer Festival Event, Gov­er­nors Island - Japan­ese Food, Per­for­mances, Kimono.. (2 Dates)NEW

Japan Per­form­ing Arts presents their free Ear­ly Sum­mer Fes­ti­val Event on Gov­er­nors Island! Join in Nolan Park on May 28, for Japan­ese food ven­dors, per­for­mances, a play­ground area, kimono dress­ing demon­strat­ions and work­shops on Awaodori and Gujo Odori.

On June 17, Japan Per­form­ing Arts will per­form ​“Gujo Odori� and ​“Nishi­mon­ai Bön Odori,� two of the Big Three Bön Odori dances of Japan, on top of Out­look Hill. These two dances are cul­tur­al­ly dis­tin­guished with hun­dreds of years of his­to­ry, there­fore they are shown in wide vari­ety of cul­tur­al occa­sions in Japan (i.e. not only dur­ing the sum­mer obon tim­ing). The scene of these Japan­ese dances on top of the Hill, with the Stat­ue of Lib­er­ty in the back­ground, will be a spec­tac­u­lar view.

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2 Major Scheduled Event Dates
1) Festival - Saturday, May 28th 12-6pm @ Nolan Park
2) Performance - 33 Friday, June 17 7-8:30pm (Rain Day, June 18) ##3 @ Outlook Hill

Event Date
May 28, 2022 - Saturday (12 - 6pm)
June 17, 2022 - Friday (7-8:30 pm)

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Program on May 28 - Festival at Nolan Park
Japanese Food Vendor Area: from 12:00 pm
Japanese food items will be served at JPA Early Summer Festival! Vendors will open at 12:00 noon.

Performance Area: from 1:00 pm
The detailed schedule of games and performances will be announced later, so please check back again. The games in this area include ring toss, watermelon splitting, candy craft performance. The performances in this area include kimono dressing demonstrations and workshops on Awaodori and Gujo Odori.

Playground Area: from 1:00 pm
In this area, you can play Japanese games such as superball scooping, fukuwarai, ring toss, daruma otoshi, kendama, bamboo dragonfly, etc. Playing superball scooping require a small fee, but all other games are free.

Program Schedule Description

1:15 pm - Gujo Odori Dance (Song: Kawasaki & Harukoma)
Gujo Odori dance has been performed in Yawata in Gifu for 300 years. The dance is recognized as one of the Big Three Bon Odori dances in Japan. Bon Odori originated from a summer Buddhist ritual, but today, it has become an integral part of Japanese summer festivals. While some dances are commonly performed throughout the country, each region has its own locally developed dance. Gujo Odori has 10-song varieties of its dance, out of which, “Kawasaki� is the most famous.

1:30 pm - Instroduction & Candy 5
JPA Emcees explain the festival programs & introduce Japanese Traditional Candy Artist, Candy 5 Japanese Traditional Candy Artist, Candy 5 shows how she makes traditional candies! She is one of only three of such artists based in the United States. Please come and see the traditional Japanese candy making performance!

1:45 pm - Awa Odori & Gujo Odori ( Gengen Barabara & Kocho Kawasaki)
Awa Odori dance is one of the Big Three Bon Odori dances in Japan. It is an unusual Bon Odori dance of Tokushima Prefecture. Awa Odori started around 300 years ago in Tokushima Prefecture. There are at least 1,000 Awa Odori groups throughout Japan. JPA will teach its movements like a form of exercise to make it easier. After the practice round, we will dance together. Gujo Odori will follow without the instruction session.

2:15 pm - Kimono Wearing Demonstration
Kimono Wearing Demonstration conducted by Kimono Expert, Emi Kikuchi, and by kimono model, Sayaka Carpenter using kimonos donated by TORAY INDUSTRIES (AMERICA), INC.. The explanations will be given on the kimono product life cycle as a tradition of sustainable fashion. Emi will explain the intricate details of kimono wearing techniques.

3:00 pm - Watermelon Splitting
This is a game a blindfolded player attempts to touch a watermelon with a stick. For safety, our Suikawari game will be “touching� the watermelon with a paper stick instead of “smashing� it with a wooden stick. Those who successfully touch the watermelons will receive prizes. For safety, the watermelon splitting game at our event will be “touching� the watermelons with a paper stick instead of “smashing� them. Those children who can successfully touch the watermelon will receive prizes.

3:45 pm - Awa Odori & Gujo Odori (Kawasaki & Harukoma)
Please read about Gujo Odori & Awa Odori above.

4:15 pm - Wanage Competition
We have two wanage boards and 9 rings for each board. The game player tosses the rings from a certain distance and they have to successfully hang on to any of the nine poles. Each of the poles is numbered and that’s the point(s) they win. There are prizes depending on the number of points earned.

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Program on June 17 - Performance at Outlook Hill

Performance: from 7:00 pm
JPA will perform “Gujo Odori� and “Nishimonai Bon Odori,� two of the Big Three Bon Odori dances of Japan on top of Outlook Hill on Governors Island. This will be JPA’s second performance on Outlook Hill since the summer of 2019. These two dances are culturally distinguished with hundreds of years of history, therefore they are shown in wide variety of cultural occasions in Japan (i.e. not only during the summer obon timing). The scene of these Japanese dances on top of the Hill, with the Statue of Liberty in the background, will be a spectacular view. Please come and enjoy!