The 55th Cherry Blossom Festival in Campos do Jordão (SP) will feature Japanese drums (taiko) as a highlight. The event, inspired by the traditional Japanese hanami, will bring together music, gastronomy, and the display of approximately 800 blooming cherry trees.
Event Dates and Location
The celebrations will take place on the weekends of July 25th and 26th, as well as August 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 15th, and 16th, with activities scheduled from 9 am to 4 pm at the Cherry Tree Park.
Musical and Cultural Highlights
A central point of the program is taiko, which will feature the participation of 16 groups from São Paulo city and the interior, making it one of the largest presentations dedicated to these drums in the country. Participants include Osasco Todoroki Daiko, which has previously won categories at the National Taiko Festival, and Gookai Wadaiko, one of the few groups in the Paraíba Valley focused on this practice. Additionally, there will be performances by groups from Okinawa, known for blending taiko, typical dances, and characteristic costumes.
Other attractions include a taiko performance by the PIPA group, composed of autistic children. Japanese culture, an ancient tradition linked to community rituals and celebrations, will be celebrated through music and movement.
Diverse Programming
Besides the drums, the festival will offer traditional dances (odori), martial arts demonstrations, a cultural bazaar, and the fourth edition of the Sakura Anime Show, which will include a cosplay contest. The musical schedule also features shows by Ricardo Nakase, Fábia Tanabe, Norton Miyasake, and Arnô Ywane.
The event will also host international folklore groups, such as Rambynas from Lithuania; Volga from Russia; and Kyiv from Ukraine.
News and Gastronomy
A new feature of this edition is the revitalization of the Tunnel of Wishes, where visitors can write messages on small wooden plaques shaped like flowers. At the end of the festival, these pieces will be incinerated in a ritual inspired by the Japanese tradition of tanzaku, symbolizing the sending of wishes to the universe. The gastronomic offering will be vast, including Japanese dishes such as sushi, tempura, yakisoba, udon, and mochi, complemented by specialties from the Serra da Mantiqueira.