Nihon Teien MatsuriNormandale

Japanese Garden Festival Saturday, September 23, 2017 • 11 am-5:30 pm

Welcome Welcome to the fourth year of the Japanese Garden Festival! I joined the Japanese Garden Committee six years ago intent on bringing back the sukiyaki dinner fundraisers that were a big part of my youth. But we learned early on we couldn’t re-create the community-made meal of those former events, and pivoted instead toward expanding the day’s entertainment to bring back the sukiyaki dinner’s faithful patrons and open up the event to a wider audience.

The sukiyaki dinner was never lacking for entertainment, with the dancers of Sansei-Yonsei Kai and drummers of Kogen Taiko on the program. Sansei-Yonsei Kai continues to perform for us, but the members of Kogen have taken a hiatus to pursue other interests. We owe them a great debt, but have been fortunate to have two new groups join us in their absence. As a long-time student of Japanese sword art, I was happy to bring together not only the school to which I belong, but also several different schools representing a variety of martial arts, to give demonstrations for an audience. And knowing a few of the different Japanese community organizations around the Twin Cities, I wanted to make our event a place for people to connect with Japanese culture in all its various expressions that can be found so near to us.

After three years, we’ve put together an event I’m proud of, with the support of a lot of talented people and their organizations. Enjoy your day with us—and the garden it supports—and get to know a community that’s here year-round, and not just on special days like today.

Thomas “TJ” Hara

Dedication Ceremony 12 pm outside southwest Garden walls

Welcome ............................................................................. TJ Hara Member, Japanese Garden Committee

Presentation ........................................................... Dr. Joyce Ester President, Normandale Community College

Dove Release and Dedication Original “Construction Committee” Bunnie Aaze, Mary Ness, Pat Barger, Dorothy Johnson We also wish to recognize the new Memorial Bench in memory of Yvonne Bublitz, co-founder of the Garden

Bloomington Affiliated Garden Clubs

Roberta Turgeon, President

Japanese Garden Committee Members Chair: Val Wagner Vice-Chair: Shirley Huskins Secretary: Cece Cope Treasurer: Lisa Wheeler Bunnie Aaze, Michael Chang, Elizabeth Hamilton, TJ Hara, Pat Kirsch, Kerry Muerhoff, Joe Poell, Joe Waldoch In Memoriam: Yvonne Bublitz, Jack Carlson