Sakura Days Japan Fair brings vibrant Nikkei culture to VanDusen Botanical Garden, April 11 and 12
In its 20th edition, the annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese artistry and eclectic cuisine
Sakura Days Japan Fair. Photo by Lung Liu
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival and the Japan Fair Association of Vancouver present Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen Botanical Garden on April 11 and 12
SPRING IS A TIME of year that can be exceptionally dreary in the Lower Mainland, with grey skies and rain proving to be a regular occurrence. But the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, celebrating its 20th edition this year, has consistently counteracted that doom and gloom with events that spotlight the beautiful pink petals popping up around the city.
As the festival’s founding artistic director Linda Poole told Stir last month: “You could just sit down and cry, the beauty is so intense. But for me, it’s all about the sharing.” And what’s a more universally beloved form of cultural sharing than food?
At Sakura Days Japan Fair—one of the fest’s flagship events, a celebration of Nikkei culture hosted in collaboration with the Japan Fair Association of Vancouver—there will be more than 30 food trucks serving up delicious bites and beverages at VanDusen Botanical Garden.
Among many traditions, Japan is known for its matcha, a powdered green tea that is whisked into hot water. Urasenke Tea Ceremony sessions, taking place at several points throughout the two-day fair, will teach attendees about the tea’s philosophical roots and the mindfulness that preparing and drinking it can bring. The ticketed 30-minute sessions take place in a classroom at the Visitor Centre, and folks will get to taste freshly made matcha and wagashi, a traditional Japanese confection.
Boketto Dessert Cafe
A variety of vendors will also be offering matcha. The family-run West End café 93 Coffee will have a Japanese tea stand onsite, where they’ll be serving up iced matcha lattes and iced hojicha lattes. (The latter is made from roasted green tea leaves that have a complex, nutty flavour.) Then there’s Boketto Dessert Cafe, which is pouring summery, fruit-forward beverages like mango and strawberry matcha lattes, and pairing them with gourmet mochi-stuffed cookies. Elsewhere, Matchacha is conjuring up deluxe ice-cream sandwiches made with fluffy dorayaki pancakes and various frozen fillings; think matcha, hojicha, and genmaicha, which is a blend of green tea made with roasted, popped brown rice.
Savoury lovers won’t be disappointed by the fest’s food selections, either. Ro-Rin is doling out the popular Japanese street-food dish hashimaki, a thin okonomiyaki pancake wrapped around a pair of chopsticks and filled with pork or shrimp. Wa-Bagel by Aburi is serving light, chewy bagels slathered in different toppings, from red-bean cream cheese to mochi matcha. And Miso Taco specializes in Japanese-Mexican fusion with dishes like chicken-karaage tacos and ramen-noodle-stuffed burritos.
Elsewhere at Sakura Days Japan Fair, expect a super fun array of main-stage performances, workshops, and cultural activities, along with a marketplace highlighting local artisan vendors.
Timed-entry tickets to the fair are available on April 11 and 12 from 10 am to 5 pm—just make sure whatever hour you choose to attend, you come ready for a feast. 
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