9th Annual Japan Festival
Celebrate the Sister City relationship between Encinitas and Amakusa, Japan at the 9th Annual Japan Festival on Saturday, August 11, 1 – 4pm at the Encinitas branch of the San Diego County Library.
The festival, planned and hosted by the Encinitas Library in partnership with the City of Encinitas, features performances by accomplished musicians Reiko Obata on koto, Masazumi Mizuno on shamisen, and Jonathan Crick on shakuhachi – collectively known for the past thirty years as “Silk Wind Trio” – and the dazzling and dynamic Naruwan Taiko Drummers, as well as a kimono fashion show by San Diego Kimono Club members.
Delicious “Asian Confusion Fusion” items will be available for purchase from Yo Yo Bento food truck, 11am – 3pm. In addition, Encinitas, Carlsbad and San Diego Sister City representatives will be onsite with information tables. There will also be tea ceremony and kendama toy demonstrations, origami, small prizes, free refreshments, and Japanese-themed books, movies, and music available for checkout.
Parking can be found at the library, at City Hall, as well as on-street.
Encinitas is a member of Sister Cities International (http://www.sister-cities.org), an organization dedicated to advancing and promoting friendship and goodwill amongst the world’s nations by developing special relations between cities. Since 1988, Encinitas has been privileged to share a Sister City relationship with Amakusa, with this year marking the 30th anniversary. One of the most popular features of the “sister city” relationship is an annual student exchange. This summer, three local student delegates and an adult chaperone will be spending a week with host families in Amakusa; all will be back in time for the festival and are planning to attend.