AZ Matsuri 2023 is returning in person for first time since the covid pandemic came to Arizona in March, 2020. The festival theme is “harmony” and runs both days 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The full schedule is here:https://azmatsuri.org/schedule-of-events
Tucson performers highlighted below:
Sat. Feb. 25:
11 a.m. Odaiko Sonora on Taiko Stage
2:30 p.m. Traditional dancers Suzuyuki-Kai on Cultural Arts stage
Sunday Feb. 26
10:30 a.m. Arizona Kyudo Kai (archery) on Martial Arts stage
2:30 p.m. Suzuyuki-Kai on Cultural Arts stage
Also, Tucson’s popular Takoyaki Balls food truck will be serving their delicious food on both days.
“This year, our annual Spring Ikebana Festival will celebrate a very special event: Yume Japanese Gardens’ 10th Anniversary.!!!
Traditional to contemporary flower arrangements will be presented by local artists of the five major ikebana schools – Sogetsu, Ikenobo, Ohara, Sangestu, and Shinsei – and displayed in original vases throughout the Gardens ground, showing the interesting variation in techniques and styles of these schools.
Ikebana, also known as “the Way of the Flowers”, is the meditative art of Japanese floral arrangements, and its ideals embody the essence of taste, beauty, and oneness with nature. Ikebana uniquely emphasizes shape, line, and form by giving equal weight to the branches, stems, and leaves of a plant rather than merely arranging its blooms. Classical Ikebana dates to the 15th century and successor schools have emerged since. In all of them, deep-rooted design rules and a Zen-like discipline subtly harmonize nature and the hand of the arranger.
Come celebrate with us the arrival of spring and 10 years of Ikebana Festivals at Yume Japanese Gardens!
Date & Time:
Festival will be held during our regular admission hours from 2/23 – 3/5. Special event fees apply, please check ticket prices below.”
To commemorate the 81st anniversary of the signing of E.O. 9066, and to highlight their ongoing exhibit “Citizen/Enemy: Japanese American Incarceration Camps”, the Tucson Desert Art Museum is hosting a lunch & learn panel discussion on Feb. 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Panelists are retired UA Prof. Min Yanagihashi and current UA Prof. Brett Esaki (descendant of camp internees), who will address the civil rights violations of the Japanese Americans interned during WWII, and the current situation today for Asian Americans. The topic “Asian American Discrimination: Then and Now” is relevant today with ongoing incidents of Asian Hate in America,
The Museum is located at 7000 E. Tanque Verde Rd. in Tucson.
“On February 18, 2023, the Tucson Desert Art Museum will host a special roundtable event entitled “Asian-American Discrimination: Then and Now” to commemorate the annual Day of Remembrance for Japanese American Incarceration during World War II on February 19. The event will be held from 11 am to1 pm and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch. Retired Professor Min Yanagihashi and Assistant Professor Brett Esaki from the University of Arizona will be guest speakers. They will provide insight and historical context on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, its ongoing legacy in the United States, and current-day prejudice against Asians in light of COVID-19. The event aims to educate and raise awareness about the history and current issues of discrimination against Asian Americans. This event is in support of the exhibition “Citizen/Enemy: Japanese American Incarceration Camps” currently on display at the Tucson Desert Art Museum through March 26, 2023. “Citizen/Enemy” confronts an uncomfortable period in American history, when the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led to the relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans to incarceration camps. The exhibition features historic documents, installations, and large-scale images from noted photographers Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee, offering a guide for reflection on this tragic political action and its repercussions for Japanese Americans.”
