Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance troupe Haverford College on April 4

The world- touring  Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance troupe returns to Philadelphia for the Japan America Society’s 17th Annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival. The Tokyo-based troupe will bring their lively performances, which combine traditional Japanese folk dances with thundering percussion and visually stunning costumes FREE to Haverford College on April 4th 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Roberts Hall, Marshall Auditorium, 370 Lancaster Avenue in Haverford, PA.

Additional Festival events include the Cherry Blossom 5K on Saturday, April 12 as well as Japanese Culture Week at the Liberty Place Rotunda where participants can get hands on experience with kimono dressing, origami and other activities April 7-11. There is also a food tasting, an amateur sushi-making competition, kaiseki dinner, film screenings and more. The centerpiece of the Festival is Sakura Sunday on April 13 at the Horticultural Center in West Fairmount Park, offering a full day of food, world-class traditional music and dance performances, martial arts, colorful crafts and activities for all ages.  A complete listing of events is available online at http://www.subarucherryblossom.org and event information is available by calling 215-790-3810. 

The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia, a project of the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP), with tremendous support from Subaru of America, Inc as title sponsor.  The Festival aims to foster a better understanding of the cultural, social, and educational customs of Japan building on the JASGP commitment to plant and maintain cherry trees in local parks. To date, JASGP has planted more than 1,000 cherry trees, supplementing the 1,600 flowering trees presented by the Japanese government as a gesture of friendship in 1926.

Digital photos and additional information on cherry trees, cherry blossom traditions in Japan, and the work of the JASGP are available at www.subarucherryblossom.org

Founded in 1994, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia is an association of individuals, corporations and organizations devoted to fostering relationships between Americans and Japanese by promoting and encouraging better understanding of the business, cultural, social, educational, and political practices and customs of Japan and the United States.