Blossoming fruit trees mean spring and, in Morgan Hill, spring
means Haru Matsuri. And Haru Matsuri means Japanese food, art,
friendship and Taiko drumming Festival.
Blossoming fruit trees mean spring and, in Morgan Hill, spring means Haru Matsuri. And Haru Matsuri means Japanese food, art, friendship and Taiko drumming Festival. This year spring officially arrives – Haru Matsuri-style – on Sunday, April 3.
While communities have celebrated the end of winter – early people were never certain that it would end – for thousands of years, it was the local Japanese community that, 45 years ago, brought a traditional religious festival to southern Santa Clara County, turning this one day into a major annual event.
Haru Matsuri is a term used in the Shinto religion to celebrate the beginning of the spring planting season and to pray for an abundant harvest, activities undertaken by most religions and societies across the world.
Nine years ago the San Jose Taiko Group joined up to entertain the hordes of visitors with the Northern California Taiko Expo, a day-long exposition of seriously intent drumming by SJTG and other drumming groups.
This year the San Jose Taiko Group will co-sponsor Haru Matsuri, along with the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center, for a day of cultural and arts displays including Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, a farmer’s market, traditional Minyo and Koto music and a raffle.
While Haru Matsuri has always been fun for visitors, it has not always been financially successful. Two years ago county health inspectors shut down the festival’s entire food service – a major moneymaker – because of inadequate refrigeration. No one became ill but few people could enjoy the bento lunches or Teriyaki.
The festival lost about $25,000 in 2003 – most of its expected income. In 2004, with refrigeration beefed up and the health department satisfied, food sales went more smoothly but the festival’s bottom line still suffered.
Hopes are high for a return to fiscal fulfillment in 2005, especially now that Nob Hill Foods will donate a commercial refrigerator/freezer that it no longer uses. Community center members will work on a permanent installation in time for the festival, just in time for the mass production of Chicken and Beef Teriyaki, Sushi, Manju and more.
The Haru Matsuri of 2002 expanded its reach and brought in a touching historical display of artifacts and photographs about the exploits of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service. The regiment in the World War II American Army was composed entirely of Japanese-Americans.
The regiment suffered the highest losses and earned the most medals, honors and recognition of any other U.S. group. The fact that many of the men’s families were interned in “resettlement camps” during the war made their heroic deeds all the more poignant.
Several South County residents were members and attended Haru Matsuri to take part in a ceremony honoring and remembering their exploits. Congressman Mike Honda was Master of Ceremonies.
The display has returned to the festival each year since.
2005 Haru Matsuri Co-chairs are Ron Mayeda and Howard Watanabe. The 45th Annual Morgan Hill Haru Matsuri, at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center, 16450 Murphy Avenue, Morgan Hill (just south of East Dunne Avenue) on April 3, 2005 at 10:30am. Free Admission and parking.
www.mhbcc.org/hmatsuri
