Lippo Cikarang Celebrates Japanese-Indonesian Relations Through Annual Sakura Matsuri Festival
Jakarta. In celebration of Indonesia and Japan’s longstanding history, Lippo Cikarang held the 7th Sakura Matsuri Cultural Festival, in partnership with the Komunitas Alumni Jepang di Indonesia, or KAJI, the Japanese Embassy in Indonesia and local government officials. The event was held on April 7-8 at Citywalk within Lippo Cikarang in Bekasi, West Java.
The event coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and was attended by the Japanese ambassador, Ryo Nakamura, along with representatives from various other foundations and organizations.
"The Sakura Matsuri Festival 2018 was held to accommodate Japanese citizens in Lippo Cikarang with a variety of festivals that celebrate cultural diversity," the chief executive of Lippo Cikarang, Toto Bartholomeus, said on Saturday (07/04).
The Sakura Matsuri festival is an annual event originally from Japan where people can see the Sakura trees in bloom for the spring. The Sakura Matsuri held in Citywalk Lippo Cikarang hopes to emulate this with the Japanese minority based in Cikarang.
The Sakura Matsuri 2018 featured shows from Soran Bushi, Bon Dori, cosplay competitions, Mr. and Mrs. Sakura, traditional Indonesian dances, Sakura dances, AKI20 and Kazu, with a variety of Japanese comedians.
The festival held a showing of Omikoshi. Omikoshi or Mikoshi, a portable Shinto shrine for the gods and spirits, resembling a small building fixed to four poles. During the festival, the shrine was carried to a temporary resting place to ease the spirits.
Sharing similar characteristics was the Sisingaan, a ritual from West Java where people carried a figure of a lion, which was also performed during the festival.
The Jakarta Globe is affiliated with the Lippo Group.
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