Japanese Student Association invites students to attend the Japanese Spring Festival at 6 p.m., Friday, April 1, at the Multicultural Center in the Arkansas Union. Attendees can play Japanese games, try Japanese calligraphy and painting, and enjoy free Japanese food. This time, we have not only famous Japanese food, but also some strange food which Japanese people eat a lot traditionally. All of these are unique aspects of Japanese culture that you can experience at this festival.

Festivals in Japan, "Matsuri," have served a variety of purposes over time. Originally, from the teachings of Shintoism, the Japanese believed that a god exists for everything, so they started to hold "Matsuri" to worship those gods. As time went by, the purposes and the contents have changed based on the need of the people. Today, "Matsuri" are held in many different forms to honor the gods, to give thanks for the seasons, to bring people together and to connect the local community. More detailed information about "Matsuri" is available on Wikipedia. In this age of pandemics, JSA would like to offer a unique Japanese festival to bring people together and have a great time.

Spring, 春(haru), has a very important meaning to Japanese people because it is a turning-point season of the year. An academic year ends in March and starts in April. Students graduate in March and start their new journey in April. The cherry blossom is one of the symbols since they bloom during this period, when one chapter ends and the next chapter begins. Therefore, we hope students can deepen their understanding of spring in Japan, and this festival becomes their turning point to start something new; hopefully, something related to Japanese culture.

This event is supported by the Student Activities Fee as a funded event by the Associated Student Government and is free to all currently enrolled U of A students. For more information, please join JSA GroupMe or follow JSA Instagram. For questions about the event or for accommodations due to disability, you can directly contact Kenshi Kawade, kkawade@uark.edu or call 479-575-5255.