Who's Performing
 ("IMPORTANT NOTE: The following information is about the 2011 festival. Information about the 2012 festival will be uploaded no later than March 1, 2012.)

It takes almost 4,000 performers, exhibitors, vendors, and volunteers to put on the biggest Japanese festival in America!

This year Sakura Matsuri will feature 35 performing and martial arts groups on four stages. That’s almost 30 hours of live programming! For a complete list of all performers and martial artists, click here. 

Performers come from Japan, New York City, and the Nation’s Capital region.

Special guests from Japan include:

Spirit+Noise, which combines traditional Japanese instruments such as the shamisen with Western instruments to create a new genre of music that the group calls “Japanese junction.”  Website: http://spiritnoise.jp/

AUN, the two dynamic brothers Inuoe will blow you away with their taiko rhythms.
Website: http://aun-japan.syncl.jp/

SeShami Street. They’re back. A real crowd pleaser last year, with their high-powered and often comedic performances on traditional shamisen instruments.
Website: www.shamisen.jp/seshami

Tamagawa University Dance and Taiko Group. This 40-member group of university students is a crowd pleaser every year and one of the highlights of the Sakura Matsuri.   Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwBjzCG7YE&feature=related

From New York:

Samurai Sword Soul produces an engaging mix of comedy routines, humanistic theme drama, and thrilling sword fights.
Website: www.samuraiswordsoul.com

Uzuhi, a Japanese Pop Punk band that says it plays music for This Generation!
Website: www.uzuhi.com

Yosakoi -Dance Project – 10tecomai. Yosakoi encompasses traditional Japanese dance and cultural movements with contemporary dance to create a unique performance. Website: www.10tecomai.com

Reni Mimura specializes in “Moe-style” performance, a genre that combines the cute look of Japanese pop culture with the hip appeal of Japanese animation.
Website: www.renireni.com