Sakura Festival
Join Clark College, City of Vancouver, and Vancouver Rotary on the Clark College main campus for the annual Sakura Festival on Thursday, April 20
Opening remarks to take place at 1:00 p.m. in the Royce Pollard Japanese Friendship
Garden with music.
Celebration begins at 2:30 p.m. in Gaiser Student Center.
This year we are excited for a performance from Portland Shishimai Kai, as well as
a kimono showcase, early childhood education student art showcase, exhibits including
ikebana, a tea ceremony, the Japanese Club, and Camas Kendo Club to name a few and
of course tea and cookies from our Bakery!
The Portland Shishimai Kai is a group dedicated to performing and teaching the traditional
celebratory lion dance of Tokyo, the Edo Kotobuki Jishi. Through ongoing study under
Kyosuke Suzuki of Wakayama Shachu, we aim to preserve the history and culture of this
shishimai and to bring good luck to businesses, organizations, and everyone who celebrates
in the presence of the shishi.
Over 25 years ago, the City of Vancouver received a gift of friendship: 100 Shirofugen cherry trees. They were planted at Clark College, creating an enduring reminder of the bonds between our region and Japan. Over the years, those trees have grown and blossomed—as has that friendship, creating traditions like the establishment in 1995 of a sister-city relationship between Vancouver and Joyo, Japan, and our annual Sakura Festival, begun in 2006.
Learn and see more about the rich history of the Sakura Festival.