WIT Life #230: Spring has sprung! (桜祭り)
Events, Food & Drink, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life 
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WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
After spending the last week in New Orleans on business, I was happy to come home to lovely spring weather here in NY. The sun is shining and the flowers are blooming, not least of all the sakura! Around these parts the 桜祭り (sakura matsuri) at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is famous for celebrating the cherry blossoms and Japanese culture, but over in Queens there is another festival which has grown over the last three years. As you can probably tell from this shot of the 59th Street Bridge shrouded in sakura, I’m referring to Roosevelt Island’s very own 桜祭り.
After getting off the F train or alighting from the tram, a short walk along the East River leads you to the stars of the show, the sakura. Although they weren’t quite at their peak, they were flowering nicely and provided enjoyment for the throngs of people walking beneath them. Further along the promenade were a host of performances, as well as booths selling food and Japanese goods such as kimono and furoshiki.
With delicious offerings such as イか焼き (ikayaki), Go! Go! Curry and お好み焼き (okonomiyaki) I was torn, but I ultimately decided to go with the fine food from 醗酵庵 (Hakkoan). This Brooklyn-based company often hosts workshops and sets up shop at various events, and it specializes in Japanese foods rich in probiotics which are said to enhance your health and beauty. My friend and I got a skewer each of 焼き鳥 (yakitori) and an onigiri with miso, and we shared a bowl of zenzai for dessert.
桜 (sakura) + 和食 (washoku, Japanese food) = 幸せ (shiawase, happiness)!
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