Music! Dance! Drummers! Crafts! Food! Free admission and parking awaits festival attendees at the 51st annual Bunka-Sai Japanese Cultural event in Torrance on Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19.
Visitors will enjoy one of the best Japanese cultural arts programs in the South Bay with performances by students of many certified instructors who have studied in Japan.
Bunka-Sai will open and close with the thunderous roar of the various taiko groups who practice at Asano Taiko, U.S. There will be presentations by groups representing martial arts; tea ceremony; kimono dressing; brush calligraphy; and Japanese and Okinawan dancing and music.
For those who enjoy the beauty of nature, there will be exhibits of bonsai by Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai and Ikenobo ikebana by Minamitani Semho as well as mini-lectures and demonstrations of these arts.
In the Assembly Room, fans of Japanese storytelling or kamishibai will be captivated by the presentation, and children and adults can engage in hands-on activities of origami and brush calligraphy. In the plaza, there will be games with prizes for children.
Also at the festival will be an Asian-themed arts and craft boutique with over 20 vendors selling hand-made items — pottery, home decor, clothing, jewelry, purses and decorative bags, stationery; and a gift booth with great bargains on new and gently used items.
The Saga Art Center will exhibit student work, and children can participate in a free bead craft.
Since every festival is a haven for foodies, shaved ice, cotton candy, dango, barbecue grilled plate lunches, Spam musubi, chicken curry with rice, and vegetable yakisoba will be the taste treats for sale at Bunka-Sai.
Presented by the Torrance Sister City Association (TSCA), Bunka-Sai is a major fundraiser supporting the student cultural exchange program with its sister city of Kashiwa, Chiba-Ken.
The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the Torrance Cultural Arts complex, 3341 Torrance Blvd., near Madrona Avenue. Visit the TSCA website at https://torrancesistercity.org/ for more information and the schedule of stage performances.