VIDEO| Misawa AB community exchange culture at annual Japan Day event

Misawa International Club and Misawa Air Base leadership held Japan Day at Misawa Club on July 9.

To open the event, families of the 35th Fighter Wing Commander and Misawa Mayor arrived in traditional Japanese rickshaws.

Eventgoers enjoyed traditional music and dances like the shishimai lion dance, kagura sacred Shinto music, wadaiko Japanese drums, a kimono fashion show and karate demonstration. Booths displayed samurai armor and noh masks used in traditional theatrical performances.

Outside, vendors were selling food like yakitori and ramen; and crafts and souvenirs like handmade flower vases. Visitors were allowed to ride on traditional Japanese rickshaws to have their photos taken.

“This was a great opportunity for the Japanese and American families in the community to mingle and learn about Japanese culture,” said a Misawa Air Base employee Yoshihito Morita. “Many attendees came dressed in yukata (casual summer kimono), which made the event site very colorful and international. Children in colorful yukata looked very cute!”

Japan Day is an annual tradition established in 1988 to uphold the strong tradition of sharing cultures and blending the Misawa on-base and off-base communities.

More information about the Misawa International Club, click here.