Pink and white petals painted every surface. Red paper lanterns inscribed with kanji draped from wall to wall. Japanese pop music and a bubbling crowd welcomed Las Positas’ first-ever Cherry Blossom Festival on March 18 in Room 2401, the Cultural Community Center.
The festival featured tables of origami, Japanese kanji writing and pronunciation, Japanese cultural artifacts, and an interactive screen about Japan and its hot spots. An interactive way for LPC students to learn about Japanese culture.
In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms represent not only the arrival of spring but also hope and rebirth. Their short blooming period signifies the importance of cherishing every moment as it passes. The flowers and their petals are also deeply associated with the samurai code, representing a short-lived life, but one full of honor.
The festival honoring cherry blossoms was held by the Asian Pacific Islander Association on campus, in conjunction with Movement API, the Asian Pacific Islander Education Association and the Cultural Community Center’s coordinator, Rosa Lopez-Rodriguez. The event was student-run — all booths were supervised, chosen and led by student volunteers.
“We pulled together our club members and asked for volunteers, and the volunteers themselves actually put the activities together,” said APIA club Vice President Mayuko Ramsell. “We only gave them directions as to what kind of activities we were looking for, but other than that, they did it all by themselves.”
Eventgoers were offered small pink cards featuring three sakura flowers, encouraging them to stop and participate in at least three booths. Student volunteers stamped cards and, once three stamps were collected, attendees could enjoy free ramen, matcha and other snack foods. Open, decorated tables provided seating for guests to relax and chow down.
Guests consisted not only of students, but also LPC faculty and staff members. The event proved to be bigger than just the student body. The entire campus found community.
“(The festival) was definitely a lot busier than I expected it to be,” APIA member Desmond Huie said. “We actually ran out of cards twice.”
The origami station — one of the more popular booths among students — invited attendees to practice the art of folding paper into small decorative shapes and figures.
Colorful paper cranes, boats and fortune tellers with unique patterns blanketed tabletops alongside fake cherry blossoms. An extra table was brought to allow students to sit and engage with one another — and the origami — to accommodate the booth’s constant rotation.
The crowd gathered, curious and full of anticipation, when a barrier rose up in the center of the room. A beautiful, fragile instrument entered the protected space: a Japanese “koto.”
A koto is a traditional Japanese instrument consisting of 13 strings stretched across a long, flat body of Paulownia wood. It is designed to appear as a dragon, with movable bridges for tuning, called “kotoji.” It is played by plucking the strings with three picks, “tsume,” on the right hand to create a distinctive, harmonious sound.
The koto is recognized as Japan’s national instrument. The koto was played in the Imperial Court in Kyoto, beloved by the nobility. As time progressed, the koto was used in a wider variety of performances, and its elegant sound became deeply intertwined with Japanese culture.
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto, a traditional koto player and East Bay native, took her seat behind the head of the instrument. She prepared to serenade the crowd with her strings and voice. She enchanted the crowd with a song called “Sakura,” a song representing the significance of cherry blossoms.
In between each song came a story. Muramoto is an activist and uses her platform and performances to share Japanese American culture and the history of concentration camps in the United States. Muramoto highlighted songs played in the camps, featuring both Japanese and American music.
She did not confine herself or her performance to traditional, conservative koto playing. The last song in her set was one she described as “more heavy metal.” The piece was more aggressive and fast-paced than those Muramoto had played previously.
Muramoto moved the tuning boards on the koto swiftly, finding the perfect tuning to perform the song “Shaei,” meaning “slanted shadows.” The song explained how Japanese Americans mixed traditional Japanese culture with American culture.
Aggressive strumming and plucking of American heavy metal, executed with the 13 strings of the Japanese koto, created a cultural blend for the end of Muramoto’s set.
“Cultural arts, like dance and music, kind of disappear,” Muramoto said. “It’s a sad thing that these aren’t expressed more. They’re all great, wonderful arts.”
The koto’s sound created an appropriate mood for the warm-weathered event and set the stage for later performers. A drum team called Sakura Kai Taiko, led by women young and old, performed under the beating sun.
Sakura Kai Senior Center is a nonprofit organization intended to support older adults. The “About Us” section on its website states a goal to “sustain and share with the public Japanese American culture and traditions for the present and future generations.”
Initially playing on homemade cardboard drums, Sakura Kai Taiko has since worked its way up. The group now performs with real, expensive taiko drums funded by grants. The age range of members spans five decades, ranging from their early 50s to mid-90s. Their oldest member, Ruth Ichinaga, is 93 years old.
Drumming echoed across campus, attracting students like bees to sweet flowers. Taiko drumming refers to the ancient art of Japanese ensemble drumming. It combines powerful percussion with athletic, choreographed movements.
Originating from the battlefield and religious roots, modern taiko is a high-energy performance art that offers significant physical stamina and mental focus benefits. It’s why Sakura Kai Senior Center offers these classes: to keep older adults engaged.
Though the weather was warm and the sun’s rays elicited beads of sweat on all foreheads, the rhythmic drumming was entrancing. The audience kept listening, anticipating each next beat.
Cultural events like these on campus create a sense of community. The Cultural Community Center makes the effort even easier. When people allow themselves to experience other cultures, it expands their scope of life.
“I’ve always been a part of the Asian community at Las Positas and (in) Livermore,” Ramsell said. “Seeing other people share their culture in Livermore inspired me to do my own celebration. It’s nice to see all of these years of support from other communities come together.”
LPC’s cultural events are opportunities for people of all backgrounds to learn and experience one another’s heritage. People learn to be more sympathetic, more humble within their morals and outlook on others.
“All our heritages are very important,” Muramoto said. “It’s a part of who you are and your identity. It is important you keep some part of that.”
***
TOP PHOTO: Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto plays on the koto, a traditional Japanese instrument consisting of 13 strings stretched across a long, flat body of Paulownia wood. The koto is recognized as Japan’s national instrument and Muramoto plays at the Cherry Blossom Festival on March 18 in the Cultural Community Center. (Photo by Angelina An/ The Express)
Milo Jones is the Editor-in-Chief for The Express. Follow him on X @stayonm4rs.
