Aoba Matsuri, Sendai's most famous summer street festival celebrating the city's rich history and culture, attracted about a million visitors from around the region this past weekend (May 16-17).
The annual festival features the Suzume Odori, or sparrow dance, performed by dozens of community groups. The dance - so-called because of its fluttering, bird-like movements - dates back to the 17th century, when stonemasons building Sendai Castle reportedly performed it for Lord Masamune Date.
This year's Tohoku University Sparrow Dance Team comprised some 40 members: a mix of Japanese and international students who learnt the traditional dance in a semester-long Intercultural Collaborative Learning class.
The group performed three times on Saturday to big cheers, and were accompanied by local drum group Hiyokko (雛鼓) on traditional instruments.
"We received a lot of warm encouragement along the parade route, and many of the students also had friends and family in the crowd, so it was very uplifting," said Senior Assistant Professor Yukiko Shimmi, who led the class.
"For the Yoi Yamaboko session in the evening, our team was part of the first group this year, which meant that we had a longer performance time. It was more physically demanding, but I think the students enjoyed the valuable experience."
In the second half of the festival weekend, some 30 international students participated in the Yamaboko Parade, joining staff members of Fujisaki Department Store in pulling the company's six-metre-tall traditional float.
"The experience was really amazing," said Marcos Sadir Curia, an exchange student from Argentina. "The atmosphere, all the people cheering us on and waving - I really loved it!"
"Last year I watched the parade and it looked so fun," said Afifa Sekar Kinasih from Indonesia, a master's student at the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies. "Participating in the parade is very different from just watching it. I felt like I was actually part of Japanese culture this weekend!"
For Robert Szymon Wrobel, a mechanical and aerospace engineering student from Poland, this was his third year participating in the parade. "Today's weather was great and everyone was really into it, not just us pulling the float, but the crowds too. I love doing this every year. There's something really special about experiencing Japanese culture in such an organic way, and festivals are just fun."
The parade route, lined with thousands of spectators, took more than three hours to complete.
Leilanie Torres Curet, an American exchange student who had performed the Suzume Odori with the Tohoku University Sparrow Dance Team the day before, described the weekend as both exhilarating and exhausting. "I'm only here for a year so I wanted to try both the dance and the parade. I'm really happy I did, but I didn't expect it to be so tiring," she said. "My soul is full of joy and energy right now, but my body is ready to sleep!"
For Fujisaki Department Store, a mainstay of the Yamaboko Parade for more than 40 years, this marked the third time they have invited Tohoku University students to walk alongside their float.
"I think Tohoku University and Fujisaki both have strong roots in Sendai, and we can energise the region and community by working together," said Yuji Nemoto of Fujisaki's Aoba Matsuri Committee. "As a University for International Research Excellence, Tohoku University will continue to attract many people from overseas, and Sendai will become even more diverse. By having local companies collaborate with international students like this, we can liven up the festival and show how inclusive and welcoming Sendai is."
Contact:
(For the Suzume Odori)
Tohoku University Global Learning Centre
Senior Assistant Professor Yukiko Shimmi
Tel: 022-795-3935
Email: shimmi
tohoku.ac.jp
(For the Yamaboko Parade)
Tohoku University Fund and Alumni Affairs Office
General Affairs and Planning Department
Tel: 022-217-6290
Email: kikingrp.tohoku.ac.jp
