Two Japanese Girls’ Day displays for March 3, 2016 (Girls Day in our Japanese culture) are presently on display in Tucson.  This is a special day when girls are honored & celebrated in our Japanese culture and wished good health & happiness. These beautiful, tiered doll displays are very elaborate and very beautiful.

One is at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive (between Columbus and Swan Rd.), which ends on March 3rd.  The other display is at Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way (south of Grant Rd.), and goes till March 20, 2016. Don’t miss seeing these wonderful doll displays.

More info on our “Upcoming Events” page.

Info on the Yume gardens display:

“On exhibit now is our vintage set of ornamental Hina dolls, marking Girls’ Day on March 3, when parents wish their daughters health and happiness. A multi-tiered platform covered with red fabric displays dolls representing the emperor and empress and their court attendants and musicians in the traditional dress of the Heian period (794-1185 A.D.). For 800 years such doll sets have been handed down from mother to daughter, and in many regions of Japan there is a superstition that they must come down soon after Girls’ Day and be put away for another year, lest the girls in the household remain single for the rest of their lives.”

Shiho Takeda piano collaborative concert on Feb. 28 at UA Crowder Hall

This is a Masters’ recital for Shiho Takeda, who studies under UA Professor Rex Woods, as partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts degree in piano performance. She started playing the piano at age 2 in Japan, and competing at age 6. She was a finalist in the Presidents’ Concerto Competition at the UA. She has a B.S. in math/physics and a B.A. in law.

Crowder Hall at the University of Arizona is at 1017 N. Olive Rd. (south of Speedway, east of Park Avenue).  Parking is on the street and in the parking garage north of the Olive Rd. underpass.  Sun Tran bus #4 has a bus stop right at that underpass as well.

Two Tucsonans (from Japan) won recognition for their beautiful haiku submissions for the Haiku contest sponsored by the  Arizona Matsuri in Phoenix.   Yukihiro Ibuki (pen name “Yukihiro I.”) and Miki Pimienta (pen name “Miki P.”) won awards for their haiku under the Japanese Language Haiku category. Yuki’s Outstanding one is on page 35, and his two Honorable Mentions are on pg. 37.  Miki’s three Honorable Mentions are on pg. 36 and 37.   Other categories were Grades K-3, 4-8, 9-12, University and Adult.

Yuki has served on the SAJCC Central Council from the beginning in 2012, and Miki has chaired the Mochi-making committee for the 2nd and 3rd Annual Mochitsuki celebrations in Tucson in 2015 and 2016.

In addition, Maeve Welter, daughter of UA East Asian Studies Head/Professor Albert Welter won Outstanding (page 11) and Honorable Mention (page 14) awards for her two haiku as well, in Grades 4-8 category. She is a student at Basis Oro Valley school and her pen name is “Maeve W.”

To read their winning submissions, click on the link here: http://media.wix.com/ugd/f10fde_174d7347792448e6a78c41b70ded1bd2.pdf

Reprint of Yuki’s outstanding haiku (page 35), courtesy of him:

“荒野でも住めば都春の空
Kōya demo sumeba miyako haru no sora
even if living in the wilderness
you’ll find a spring city sky”

The annual Arizona Matsuri is in its 32nd year and is the largest Japanese festival (matsuri) in Arizona.

“Featuring Japanese exhibits, demonstrations, arts and crafts, children’s activities, bonsai displays, Japanese food, Japanese beer and sake garden, games and contests, and live entertainment on 4 stages throughout Heritage & Science Park in downtown Phoenix.

The theme for the 2016 Arizona Matsuri will be Momotarō (Peach-Boy), a popular hero of Japanese folklore,”

Performing this year  as usual will be Tucson’s taiko drumming troupe Odaiko Sonora on Feb. 27 at 11:00 a.m. at the ASU Stage.  Also performing on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Plaza Stage (6th St. x Adams)  is Tucson’s traditional Japanese dance troupe Suzuyuki Kai​ lead by Mari Kaneta.  They also perform Nihon Buyo (classical dance) at the same stage on Sunday Feb. 28 at 1:45 p.m.

More info at www.azmatsuri.org.