Ginza Holiday is coming to Chicago for Chicagoans to enjoy a taste of Tokyo. The Midwest Buddhist Temple will host its 48th Annual Ginza Holiday, a Japanese cultural festival, the weekend of Friday, Aug. 15, to Sunday, Aug. 17. The festival will be held at the temple grounds, 435 W. Menomonee St.
Ginza Holiday is the largest and most elaborate Japanese event of its kind. It offers its estimated 20,000 attendees a weekend of Japanese cultural exhibits, food and demonstrations, some of which are brush painting, calligraphy, flower arranging, classical and folk dances, martial arts, Oriental food and merchandise for sale, and more.
Strolling through the Ginza, one will witness five skilled master craftsmen (Waza), who hail from Tokyo, demonstrating their generations-old skills in creating their unique crafts. The Midwest Buddhist Temple (MBT) is privileged to have the master craftsmen grace the festival, as their U.S. visits are highly limited. This will be an opportunity for one to purchase the handmade items without having to make a trip to Japan. This year, the following master craftsmen will fascinate Ginza participants with their skills:
? A wooden prayer block maker. Wooden blocks are inscribed in calligraphy with prayers, asking the gods for favors.
? A hanko (personal seal) maker. The old art of personal seals—which, in Japan, takes precedence over a person's signature—was brought to Japan from China over a thousand years ago. At the Ginza Holiday festival, one can have a personal seal made with his/her name inscribed in Japanese characters.
? A folding fan maker.
? A hand-painted towel artist will demonstrate his artistic skills, applying beautiful patterns and designs on special cotton towels.
? The renowned Ichimatsu doll maker will demonstrate the centuries-old techniques and styling of the much-wanted, keepsake Ichimatsu dolls. The doll heads are made of crushed oyster shells; the dolls are carved with signature faces and are dressed in colorful silk kimonos.
The sounds of the Japanese drums will enthrall visitors as they watch the performances of the three popular acclaimed taiko groups—The MBT Taiko Group, the MBT Ho-Etsu Daiko Group and the Twin Cities' Kogen Taiko Group. The NaKupuna Ukelele Group will amuse its audience with a selection of Hawaiian songs and island humor.
Traditional Japanese stories will be told through dances performed by the Fujima Shunojo Classical Dance Troupe. The talented, disciplined dancers will be costumed in elaborate, colorful kimonos, a sight to behold. Also on the program will be delightful folk dances of prefectures of Japan performed by the MBT Minyo Troupe. Although their kimonos are not as elaborate as the classical dancers', they are interesting and sometimes whimsical.
On stage, self-defense tactics will be demonstrated by Aikido, Judo and Karate schools, while Kendo (Japanese fencing) will entertain the crowd with its presentation.
Arthur Towata, a renowned potter, will be on hand to demonstrate his talents in making vases, bowls plates and other interesting objects. The one-of-a-kind items will be for sale. The exhibit hall will be filled with demonstrations and exhibits of bonsai, ikebana (flower-arranging), kaminingyo (paper dolls), calligraphy, brush painting, silk flowers and Japanese arts and crafts. Many of the products will be offered for sale. Also on display will be gorgeous kimonos which can be purchased.
There will be no doubt as to the location of the festival as one takes a whiff of the tantalizing aroma wafting through the neighborhood of MBT's famous chicken teriyaki being grilled over hot coals. Year after year, repeat-visitors look forward to dining on this mouth-watering chicken dish—a huge half-chicken, chopped into serving pieces, accompanied by a scoop of rice and scrumptious Oriental cole slaw. Also, for the hungry festival-goer, sushi and udori (Japanese noodles) will be available. Snow cones, kintoki (Japanese snow cone topped with sweet azuki beans), iced tea, lemonade and soft drinks also will be sold. Oriental merchandise, T-shirt and jewelry sales booths and interesting demonstration booths will line the perimeter.
The chapel will be open for guests who are interested in observing the place of worship and learning the basics of Buddhism. During intermissions, Rev. Koshin Ogui, MBT resident minister, will deliver 15-minute Dharma talks.
A benefit donation of $3.50 will be collected at the gate for adults, $2.50 for senior citizens; and children under 12 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Opening and closing times are: Friday, Aug. 15, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The festival will close with a raffle drawing on Sunday, Aug. 17. First prize of many is two American Airlines business-class, round-trip tickets to Japan. For information, call (312) 943-7801.
|
