I was as well on business with Matsui-san and two other JNTO colleagues for the Washington DC Sakura Matsuri, held this past Saturday. What really impressed me was the presence of so many second and third generation Japanese Americans that looked Japanese, but could not speak the language. Still they felt their identity and heritage to be Japanese. Below is a picture of attractive girls, ladies and geisha in a kimono all together for a snapshot.
Another interesting observation of the American crowd was their reaction to the geisha asking, "Are they real?" Probably the stereotype portrayed from Geisha, the Hollywood movie based on the book The Memoirs of a Geisha, did not match what they observed during this ornate performance and in person. The true geisha are full of pride because they are excellent performers, the best of the best, and communicate with upscale individuals. I believe this was an outstanding opportunity for Americans to get slowly introduced into Japanese culture and identity.
M. Fujiwara-Gaul
