Every year the Arizona Matsuri festival in Phoenix sponsors a statewide haiku contest with various categories by age or Japanese language ability. This year’s winners from Tucson are listed in the 2019 Ebook:

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/f10fde_9da07f01470f4020a954fbe69e6a46e5.pdf

Miki Pimienta (Japanese language) – 3 Outstanding, SAJCC Councilmember & volunteer, page 66

“花⽕より雷落ちて臨場感 hanabi yori kaminari ochite rinjokan” (one of Miki’s Outstanding haiku)

____________

Hitomi McKnight (Japanese language) – 2 Outstanding, Tucson Japanese Language School Sensei, page 67

“腕たれるサワロの冬に思い馳す ude tareru sawaro no fuyu ni omoi hasu” (one of Hitomi’s outstanding haiku)

______________________

Hana McKnight (Japanese language) – 2 Outstanding, Tucson Japanese Language School student, 4th Grade, page 65

Aira Takeda (Japanese language) – one Outstanding, 2 Honorable Mentions, Tucson Japanese School student, 1st grade, pages 67 and 71

Azumi Uchida (Japanese language) – 2 Outstanding, one Honorable mention, Tucson Japanese Language School student, 6th grade, pages 68 and 71

_______________

My UA professor husband Albrecht Classen – University & Adult – honorable mention, SAJCC volunteer, page 56

“hostile desert screams

return to our rocky home

thirst and ever strife”

________________________

Other Tucson winners:

Anthony Foggiano – University & Adult – one Outstanding, one Honorable mention

Stuart Watkins- University & Adult, Honorable mention

Here’s the link to read all these haiku: https://www.azmatsuri.org/haiku

Congratulations to all the winners, many of whom are SAJCC volunteers.

” A national holiday in Japan, Children’s Day is celebrated May 5. Get a head start at our festival, in which kids can wear kimonos, join in fun activities and games, and try tasty Japanese food and snacks available for purchase. “

Saturday March 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson

Editor Carolyn Sugiyama Classen will be teaching the Japanese card game of hanafuda from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Hanafuda is popular in Hawaii and Korea, but not in Japan. She grew up in Hawaii learning and playing this colorful game.

And I hear the popular Takoyaki Balls food truck will be selling delicious lunch items. The beautiful Hinamatsuri doll display for Girls’ Day (March 3) will still be on display as well.

www.yumegardens.org

https://www.facebook.com/events/346872102585085/

Schedule of Chidlren’s Day activities:

Every year before Japanese Girls’ Day which is on March 3rd, the Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson and the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures exhibit beautiful hina doll displays. The Mini Time Machine one started on Feb. 5 and goes through March 3rd, the Yume Gardens one began on Feb. 15 and exhibits through March 16. So there’s lots of time to enjoy these Hinamatsuri displays, both of which are still posted under Upcoming Events on our website.

Enjoy the daughters and granddaughters in your family. Celebrate Girls’ Day on March 3, 2019. Special foods are served for the girl(s) and dolls are usually displayed, to ward off evil spirits.

Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, 4455 E. Camp Lowell Dr. Tucson

Homepage

Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson

Mari Kaneta’s Suzuyuki Kai dancers to perform twice: 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 23, 2:40 p.m. on Feb. 24 on Plaza Stage. They will also be performing on Feb. 23 at 10:20 a.m. on the same stage as part of the Opening Ceremony.

Odaiko Sonora taiko drummers to perform on Sat. Feb. 23, at 10:45 a.m. on ASU Stage.

Arizona Kyudo Kai & UA Kyudo Club (Japanese archery) to perform on Monroe Stage on Feb. 24, time 11 a.m.

www.azmatsuri.org

Due to the recent storm weather and Yume Gardens being closed for 2 days, this festival has been extended two more days).

” Dozens of signature floral compositions reveal the wide breadth of flower arrangement styles during the Spring Ikebana Floral Festival at Yume Japanese Gardens and Museum.
Yume is the Tucson region’s first and only authentic Japanese gardens, and Ikebana is the traditional art of Japanese flower arranging. Ikebana – “living flowers” – 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 15^th 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.
Some 50 signature arrangements created by students and teachers of five major schools of Ikebana practice will adorn the grounds and buildings of Yume during the festival. One of the largest such combined exhibitions in Arizona, it offers an unusually broad look at the variety of styles in Japanese flower arranging. A further attraction lies in the vases in which the arrangements are displayed, many of them handmade in Japan with a refined elegance.
The Ikebana festival runs 9:30 am to 4:30 pm daily, February 19-27. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children under 15. “

Yume Japanese Gardens is located at 2130 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson.

www.yumegardens.org