Japanese Culture Highlighted at Allen County Downtown Public Library Festival

To help celebrate the United States' bicentennial in 1976, Mayor Ivan Lebamoff appointed a local committee to explore a sister-city relationship with Fort Wayne and an unknown, far-off city. Howard Chapman chaired the first committee.

Working through Sister Cities International, Fort Wayne learned Takaoka, Japan, was looking for a similar relationship, and might be a good match. A small delegation from Takaoka visited Fort Wayne to explore an alliance. In 1977, new Mayor Robert Armstrong led a team of 50 people to see Takaoka, and then sign an official agreement formalizing the alliance.

Dorothy Kittaka, current president of Sister Cities, said recently Japanese gardeners were sent to Fort Wayne in '77 with a master plan to construct a traditional Japenese garden. It was intended as a gift to 'the fort' and as a gesture of goodwill. It was constructed on the east side of the Performing Arts Center, near the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. It was a lovely garden, but local gardeners didn't have the experience to maintain it correctly, and it languished.

Advice was sought from Japan about correcting the aesthetics, and Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation staff trimmed and nurtured this Friendship Garden. The first local Cherry Blossom festival was held in 2006 to highlight the renewed garden and to celebrate Japanese culture and the sister-city relationship.

A few years ago, the festival was moved to the downtown library to take advantage of some indoor space for increased activites. This year, May 7 marked the 11th year of the festival. Activites include dancing, martial arts demonstrations, taiko drumming, and tea ceremonies. Origami, bonsai trees, t-shirts and kimonos are for sale, and Japanese food is very popular at the festival. There are competitions for anime (cartoon-like art), haiku poetry, and cosplay (people dressing up in character costumes).

Thousands of people attend the festival now, and it becomes pleasantly crowded. It's so fun to see both locals and foreigners dressed up in kimonos, marital arts costumes, and as furry animal characters. The event has a lovely, playful, international feel. Activities indoors and out make it all the more fun. Music includes classical, traditional, instrumental and vocal, pop and even karaoke acts.

Kites, flags and balloons ride the wind overhead during the festival. This was the 40th year Fort Wayne has had a relationship with its first sister city, and the affection of this beneficial arrangement only seems to grow with time.