The longest running cultural event in Morgan Hill
– Haru Matsuri, a celebration of spring by Japanese-Americans –
benefited from beautiful weather Sunday in its 51st
commemoration.
The longest running cultural event in Morgan Hill – Haru Matsuri, a celebration of spring by Japanese-Americans – benefited from beautiful weather Sunday in its 51st commemoration.
“It’s really heart-warming to see the second generation of Japanese Americans, in their 70s, 80s and early 90s. They come out and help with the preparation,” said Brian Shiroyama, who has been involved with the festival for the past decade.
The annual one-day event is a fundraiser for the Morgan Hill Buddhist community and began as a Sunday school fundraiser in 1959.
The highlight of the day is the abundance of locally made Japanese cuisine that includes the reward of a one-day-only “secret” teriyaki sauce. The scent of barbecue wafted amid the 15th annual Northern California Taiko Expo, which is coordinated at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center.
A few thousand, mostly local, visitors were entertained Sunday by cultural and historical displays, a tea ceremony, martial arts and Tai Chi demonstrations, Asian cuisine and lots of Taiko.
The Taiko Expo features one of the largest gatherings of Taiko drum groups in Northern California. “(It) attracts a lot of people. It really resonates throughout, and can be heard a good distance away,” Shiroyama said.
