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AA#*%*AP PHOTOAP PHOTOWATCHING THE ACTION: Two Japanese-American women, KEEPING THE BEAT: Members of Denver’s only Taiko,’ ordressed in the traditional Japanese kimono, observe the dancing at traditional Japanese drum group, take center stage at the Ninththe Cherry Blossom Festival Monday from a high-rise tower at the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Denver over the week-$4 million Sakura Square in4■raditionin modernDENVER 'AP) — Thousands of spectators thronged Sakura Square in downtown Denver towatch Japanese-Americans fromthe Rocky Mountain West celebrate ancient traditions endangered by the group’s successful assimilation into Americanjenveend.Japanese-Americans follow the art to keep their traditions alive“Not only are we trying to tell the community at large that we have some culture,” says Yosh Arai, master of ceremonies for the weekend festival. “We're trying to tell our people that remember, youhave (his heritage The Cherry Blossom Festival is held each June at Sakura Square or “Square of the Cherry Blossoms,” where a 20-story apartment building and shopping complex stands next to a Buddhist temple. The celebration of Japanese arts, music and cuisinedraws together the estimated 6,000 Japanese in Colorado.Sakura Square is a shrine to theclosely knit Japanese-American community that formed in downtown Denver — it was called “Japan Town” — during World War II. A bust of former Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr occupies a placeof honor in the middle or the square. He was the only Western governor who offered refuge toWar II, a time when more than110,000 Japanese-Americans spentthe war in internment campsacross the West. .ju„The community has dispersedsince then, except for Cherry Blossom Festival time. % ~ ■ “Out here it’s hard to get exposure to our culture becausethere’s really no Japanese com-rv Iko groupmunity,” said Nancy Inouye, 30, ar._.,____________ drummusic at the festivalShe said the group went to California — the home of 75 percent of the nation’s Japanese-Americans — to learn tne exuberant, rhythmic art that combines dance, flute and the beating of drums.Arai said the Taiko trouDe was composed solely of third-generation Japanese-Americans “Sansei” — trying to reconstruct their traditional heritage. He confessed he was both surprised and proud that Sansei youth are striving to revive a culture he had thought was being discarded for assimilation and success.Ms. Inouye said discomfort with the dominant white culture played a hand in starting the Taiko group five years ago. “A lot of us werebrought up in white communities, but it was hard to identify withthat culture,” she said.i.
Newspaper Details
Colorado Springs Gazette
Colorado Springs, Colorado, US
Tue, Jun 09, 1981
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Library O.
DC, USA 12 Aug 2019
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