A crowd crammed into the Miller Living Room gathering space at the Portland Japanese Garden on Sunday to witness the opening performance of the annual O-Shogatsu, or Japanese New Year, celebration, as the sounds of taiko and fue, traditional Japanese drums and flute, filled the air.
Portland Shishimai Kai performed Edo Kotobuki Jishi, a traditional Japanese lion dance, at the front of the room. The shishi, or lion, was portrayed by a dancer with a gilded lion head and a mane of long white hair. It roamed around the room, grazing on the heads of guests and taking dollar bills in its jaws.
According to Portland Japanese Garden cultural programs manager Kelsey Cleveland, getting a shishi bite is a lucky charm for the upcoming year.
The performance was just one aspect of the yearly celebration that draws hundreds of people to Washington Park’s Japanese Garden. According to Cleveland, O-Shogatsu is one of the most significant holidays in Japanese culture.
“I kind of think it’s almost like our Thanksgiving,” Cleveland remarked. People (will) travel from wherever they live to their hometown and join together as a family for what is essentially a family holiday.
The Year of the Snake began with the incident. In addition to taking part in an ink brush painting session and scavenger hunt, visitors strolled through the gardens and enjoyed dancing performances.
The gardens have a festive feel thanks to winter installations like Yukizuristraw ropes that were hung over trees in a cone shape to protect the limbs.
Both seasoned gardeners and newcomers were drawn to the festival.
Newcomers to Portland, Sophie Kramer and Ethan Nichols, were so taken by the garden’s natural beauty that they bought a membership as soon as they arrived at the festival.
I was overjoyed. Kramer stated, You seem to be transported as soon as you step through the gates.
On her day off, Yuki Wallen, the garden’s special programs manager, came to celebrate the new year with her daughter Nina Wallen and friend Mei Gillam. According to her, taking her daughter to the garden for O-Shogatsu has become into a yearly ritual to maintain their ties to their Japanese roots.
Regarding her daughter, Wallen stated, “We moved here five years ago, but she was born in Japan.” Although she has already forgotten her life in Japan, it is crucial to have a home like this.
The Wallens typically eat ozoni, a Japanese soup made with vegetables and rice cakes (mochi), to commemorate Japanese New Year. According to Wallen, the festival’s traditional dances are also a distinctive attraction because they are difficult to duplicate at home.
We’re thrilled that we can celebrate in the garden, allowing Japanese Americans or those who live here to respect their cultural history by attending the celebration, Cleveland added. However, we also like sharing Japanese customs with others who have never visited Japan.
Briawna Maruyama described Sunday’s celebration as her first visit to the Japanese Garden and a unique opportunity to reconnect with her Japanese roots.
Although my family is Japanese, they were forced to attempt to appear as white as possible throughout the war and the camps, according to Maruyuama. The culture that would have been carried down through the family was greatly lost.
Maruyama became more interested in learning more about her Japanese ancestry as a teenager. She stated that she was excited to go to the O-Shogatsu Festival in order to experience something that she had not been able to do as a child.
Seeing the Ryomen Odori, or double-masked dance, was her favorite morning activity. According to Cleveland, the performance was a novel addition this year. Two characters are portrayed by a single performer in the dance: Warai, a humorous male character, and Okame, a well-known female figure in Japanese society.
It feels so unique, Maruyama remarked. This seems like the most honest and refreshing method for me to learn about Japanese culture, as I don’t have any information from my family.
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Chiara Profenna discusses faith, religion, and cultural ties. You may contact her at [email protected] or @chiaraprofenna, or 503-221-4327.
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