On April 15, the Japanese Student Association (JSA) hosted its annual spring festival. The spring festival not only celebrates Japanese culture but also aims to spread cultural awareness.

With the growth of Japanese-related media like anime and J-pop, Japanese culture has taken to the mainstream. The event pays homage to this growth by featuring both Japanese pop music and anime theme songs. However, Hayato Umaoka, a junior JSA executive board member, spoke about the importance of other aspects of Japanese culture, “Despite the prevalence of Japanese culture, the traditional aspects tend to be neglected.”

This year’s spring festival offered traditional Japanese games and food. Guests participated in games like kendama, shateki and senbonbiki. Kendama is a unique take on the classic cup-and-ball game. The skill toy allows players to showcase their coordination by tossing the ball into the air and catching it with the narrow stick end of the kendama. Umaoka was seen performing various tricks with the toy.

Shatekis, the Japanese iteration of a carnival shooting game uses a toy rifle to shoot the desired price down to win. Senbonbiki is a form of a lucky draw game where the player pulls a string whilst the prizes connected to them are hidden. Whichever item is attached to the string is pulled and then won by the player.

Guests feasted on traditional Japanese foods such as yakisoba and okonomiyaki. Yakisoba, a Japanese noodle stir-fried dish that is both sweet and savory, is traditionally made with a form of protein and vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, onions and bean sprouts. The ingredients are then tossed in a thick, sweet and savory sauce. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake dish with cabbage, meat, and seafood. Okonomiyaki sauce, seaweed, Japanese mayonnaise, pickled ginger and katsuobushi are placed over top.

Self-expression is also catered to in the event’s yukata photoshoot booth. The booth allows guests to try on various yukatas, a traditional Japanese robe, and take pictures in front of a cherry blossom-themed backdrop. Props like Japanese umbrellas and fans were also provided to guests.

Shoji Rinaldi and Roy Choudhury, both computer science seniors who participated in the event, stated that their interest in Japanese culture prompted them to attend the event.

“It seemed fun and interesting and we wouldn’t want to miss it. We attended JSA events before and the community feels tight-knit so we wanted to support them here,” Rinaldi said.

Tickets were offered online for $5 and in-person for $10. Over 100 people attended the festival with some dressing up in yukatas. Guests were given a plate of food and free reign to participate in the offered games. Additionally, all guests were given the opportunity to win snacks and Gundam models, figurines from the fictional Gundam multiverse franchise, in the festival’s raffle.

The festival provided people of various backgrounds an avenue for engagement and networking. The display of traditional food, games and activities helped to promote traditional Japanese culture within the UMass campus.

Andre Ayuyao can be reached at [email protected].