Season Opening Festival Reception

It's hard not to experience these things and not think about how they are my last.  But tonight was the last Season Opening Festival Reception.  Every year HPAC goes somewhere in Hyogo to open the season and every year there is a reception with a cultural exchange.  My first year it was incredible Taiko drumming, last year a dance of Awaji Island, and this year, a combination of different things.  I'm glad I took the opportunity to join the dancers this time.

edible flower

children Taiko drumming (with their teacher)

tea ceremony sweet (filled with red bean paste)

matcha green tea 

tea ceremony setting 

instrumentalists 

traditional dancing 

we were invited to join and learn with them

a small but incredibly demonstrative speech maker speaks with Sado-san;
she spoke mostly in Japanese but still convinced me