Samurai Sword Soul headlines 26th annual Japanese Fall Festival in Springfield

Samurai Sword Soul is set to headline Springfield's 26th annual Japanese Fall Festival next month.

The theater company, based in New York, performs choreographed sword fighting, comedy and humanistic-themed dramas. They got their start at the Cherry Blossom Festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 2003 and have performed at Springfield's Japanese Fall Festival in the past.

This year's Japanese Fall Festival is Friday-Sunday, Sept. 9-11, located in the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden in the Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, at 2400 S. Scenic Ave. The festival is hosted by the Springfield Sister Cities Association and Springfield-Greene County Park Board.

In addition to Samurai Sword Soul, guests can expect live performances from Uzumaru, a Yosakoi dance ensemble, Yasu Ishida, a storyteller magician from Ube, Japan, and Seiran Chiba, a large-scale calligrapher from Japan's Fukushima prefecture. Yosakoi is a Japanese-oriented dance style performed at festivals and other events across the country.

Local performers returning to the festival include St. Louis Osuwa Taiko, ensemble drummers, Kizuna, Springfield's Japan America friendship club, Tracy's Kenpo Karate Studio of Southwest Missouri, Springfield Cosplay and KiRa KiRa Springfield, a cosplay dance team.

Beginning at dusk on Friday and Saturday, guests may enjoy a candlelight walk, lit by hundreds of torches, as Japanese music fills the air. Guests may purchase a wishing lantern at the festival to set afloat on one of the koi ponds.

Throughout the entire weekend, guests may also learn about Sadako Sasaki on the festival's story walk. Sasaki was a victim of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She was 2 years old when the bombing took place and died at age 12 of leukemia. She is popularly known for the 1,000 origami cranes folded prior to her death.

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Yard signs showcasing Sasaki's story will be present throughout the stroll garden. At the end of the walk, guests may collect a complimentary bookmark.

"Peace through people is (the Springfield Sister Cities Association) motto and so that story walk is dedicated to that theme and the story of little Sadako who wanted to have peace in the world," said Lisa Bakerink, executive director of the Springfield Sister Cities Association.

Students from Springfield Public Schools will help create paper cranes to accompany the story walk.

A variety of vendor and artisan booths, the Japanese culture experience tent, and souvenirs and snacks tents will also be available during the festival.

Festival hours are 5-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11.

Admission for adults is $12 on Saturday and $8 on Friday and Sunday. Children ages 12 and younger are $3 each day. On Sunday, admission for anyone dressed in cosplay is $3. Members of the Springfield Sister Cities Association receive free entry all weekend.

Half of the festival's admissions are donated to the maintenance and development of the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, a 7.5-acre garden established in 1985. The stroll garden includes a koi lake, moon bridge, meditation garden, tea house and traditional Japanese landscaping.

"I believe that Springfield is very privileged to have the opportunity for so much culture here in the Midwest," Bakerink said. "I think the opportunity for culture and learning about culture really adds to the quality of life here."

The festival's schedule is yet to be announced. Bakerink said she anticipates it to be published next week.

For updates and information about volunteerism, check the Springfield Sister Cities Association website at peacethroughpeople.org/events/japanese-fall-festival/.

To RSVP, visit the Japanese Fall Festival Facebook Event at fb.me/e/55kXC2edE.

The Japanese Fall Festival includes a partnership with Springfield Public Schools. A few days before the festival, Samurai Sword Soul will visit a handful of SPS schools to perform their routine.

The annual Japanese Fall Festival is a celebration of authentic Japanese culture, highlighting Springfield's sister city relationship with Isesaki, Japan. Each year, a commission of Isesaki citizens travel to Springfield to contribute to the festival. This visit was canceled both in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Annual Japanese Fall Festival to be headlined by Samurai Sword Soul