Sakura Matsuri

[hyorinryu]

Wanted to do this before it happened this time. Maybe then it will get more replies.

Anyway, there's a festival in Washington DC going on called the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the friendship between the US and Japan, represented by the gift of Cherry Blossom trees. This year, it will occur from March 26 to April 11 at between 12th street and Pennslyvania Ave. You can also go by Metro.Sakura Matsuri will be held as part of the National Cherry Blossom festival on the 8th from 11 AM to 6 PM.


For more information you see the website for the National Cherry blossom festival here, and the website for Sakura matsuri here.

One for thing: This year, there will be a 5$ fee for a ticket, which can be gottem online, likely because of the earthquakes.

[Drake]

Waste of natural beauty tbh >:(

[Momiji]

Waste of natural beauty tbh

wha?

Probably going tomorrow, barring not getting sick overnight and the weather.

[Momiji]

And just got back.  Kitsune Udon + Taiko drumming = awesome.

There were about 3/4 kigurumi there too, along with a smattering here and there of other anime cosplayers.  Very odd.  But quite a few people in traditional yukata, which was nice.

Also...   MFing HETALIA.  >:[

[MatsuriSakuragi]

I'd love to go to one of these some time on basic principle, as I am Matsuri :>

Also...   MFing HETALIA.  >:[

wait what

[Momiji]

There were about 3 or so different Daiko groups there, the big one was from Tamagawa University with taiko and dancing.  They were amasing.

[Suwako Moriya]

wait what

Have you been to an anime convention in the past couple of years? If not, you may be unaware that the Hetalia fandom has become exceedingly obnoxious to the point of often actively interfering with other people's ability to have fun.

[Momiji]

If not, you may be unaware that the Hetalia fandom has become exceedingly obnoxious to the point of often actively interfering with other people's ability to have fun.

Specifically at Otakon, some Germany cosplayers went to the Holocaust Memorial in Baltimore and did Nazi salutes.  So yeah, definitely a disliked group.

Oh!  I did see a guy walking around with a small Reimu plushie.  XD  I think he purchased it from one of the vendors, but when I asked they had no Touhou merchandise.

[MatsuriSakuragi]

Have you been to an anime convention in the past couple of years? If not, you may be unaware that the Hetalia fandom has become exceedingly obnoxious to the point of often actively interfering with other people's ability to have fun.

I've...actually never been to an anime convention before. :S

I'm just a little bothered (but not particularly surprised) that a sakura matsuri here would turn into an anime-ish convention with cosplayers and such, though. Frankly I'd want to go for the flowers :<

[Kilgamayan]

Specifically at Otakon, some Germany cosplayers went to the Holocaust Memorial in Baltimore and did Nazi salutes.  So yeah, definitely a disliked group.

This happened at Okaton too? I know there was Heiling at AnimeBoston, but I was unaware it happened in Baltimore too.

[Momiji]

This happened at Okaton too? I know there was Heiling at AnimeBoston, but I was unaware it happened in Baltimore too.

I thought that's where it happened, maybe I'm wrong.  :V

[Edible]

Hetalia cosplayers cross the line when they do shit like wear flags as cosplay outfits and get them all dirty.  Don't care who you are or where your from, respect another country's damn flag.

[Tengukami]

And I just finished watching the American Dad pilot, featuring the sentence, "Your failure will blossom like a thousand cherry trees."

[Jana]

I've never had a bad experience with Hetalia cosplayers... 3:

It sounds like it would be pretty to go to this kind of thing. Do you have pictures?

[Kilgamayan]

I've never had a bad experience with Hetalia cosplayers... 3:

Ask Silentsword about Hetalia cosplayers and his Ran cosplay some time.

[Momiji]

It sounds like it would be pretty to go to this kind of thing. Do you have pictures?

Gah, I didn't get a chance to take any.  The Matsuri was part of the overall Cherry Blossom Festival involving a huge parade along the northeast side of the Mall in DC.  So it's kind've away from the actual sakura trees blossoming.  I'm sure a bunch from other people will pop up online shortly.

[Mocking Morning]

The one thing that would've made this year's Sakura Matsuri absolutely perfect would be if the temperature was as warm as last Monday. (high 70's-mid 80's)

As for pictures, I mostly took pictures of the cosplayers.







One guy on the bus thought this Queens Blade figure I bought was a porno tape. (Though the box is about the size of an old porn VHS)

[Jana]

Ask Silentsword about Hetalia cosplayers and his Ran cosplay some time.

It would surprise me if that happened at ACen the year he wore Ran. Maybe the Midwest has a more relaxed Hetalia scene...?

Gah, I didn't get a chance to take any.  The Matsuri was part of the overall Cherry Blossom Festival involving a huge parade along the northeast side of the Mall in DC.  So it's kind've away from the actual sakura trees blossoming.  I'm sure a bunch from other people will pop up online shortly.

I Google'd a few images. They look pretty! :3

[Mocking Morning]

It would surprise me if that happened at ACen the year he wore Ran. Maybe the Midwest has a more relaxed Hetalia scene...?

You'd think that the two fandoms with the highest amount of crossplayers would get along with each other...

[helvetica]

I've...actually never been to an anime convention before. :S

I'm just a little bothered (but not particularly surprised) that a sakura matsuri here would turn into an anime-ish convention with cosplayers and such, though. Frankly I'd want to go for the flowers :<

They do the same thing in SF during their Japantown festival.  Cosplayers have taken over everything.  Blame the western visual arts culture taking over :V

[MatsuriSakuragi]

They do the same thing in SF during their Japantown festival.  Cosplayers have taken over everything.  Blame the western visual arts culture taking over :V

Am I gonna have to bring a spray bottle with me to get cosplayers out of the way of the cherry blossom trees so I can take pictures of them when I do end up going to a sakura matsuri then  :ohdear:

[Alfred F. Jones]

Just make it so that only people with Sakura or Matsuri in their names are allowed to attend

 ( ≖‿≖)

[MatsuriSakuragi]

That works! :3

[Nat Tea]

all hetalia cosplayers must have at least intermediate to advanced knowledge of world war ii and the role in that war of the country they are cosplaying as

yes, even if you are the byzantine empire


i wish i could go, but i am smack dab between japan and washington (this is not entirely true)

[Rin Kagamine]

The sakura are in full bloom over here and they are so beautiful, words fail to capture them.  Gonna take some pictures over the next few days of them

[Ghaleon]

Where I live there was like 30 cherry blossom trees all lined up right on a single path leading from my building to the other side of the block (thru the middle of the block thru the town-house walkways, not the street). It was absolutely wonderful. But one year they got rid of the trees or something for some stupid reason, lived without em for a few years. Now it seems like we got some back, like 5 or so. Not bad. But the plus side is I'm seeing cherry blossom trees all over the city this year, it's great. already took some pictures too, I should upload em later >=)

Anyway, kinda sad that a cherry blossom festival is taken over by cosplaying and whatnot IMO. I mean I don't mind cosplayers (I actually never met one, but I mean I don't mind someone with such a hobby), but I think it's a bit of a stretch to go zomg cherry blossoms = Japanese = anime = Cosplay Hijack!

[Momiji]

Well really, there weren't many cosplayers at the DC Matsuri in general.  In fact there were more people in regular yukata (so nice~~) than cosplayers.  Then again the demographics were quite a bit different compared to your average Japanese culture convention.

[hyorinryu]

I know this is really late, but I wanted to show the pictures I took during the festival  before it was too late. I know it's not much, but it's just some of the stuff I saw in the festival. I would have more, but I don't like taking pictures of people if I'm going to upload them to the internet.

I also mean to take a picture of the big fan and umbrella I bought with my sister, but it's still on my to-do list.