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It might be 6,750 miles to Japan, butyou can get a taste of the country’sculture at Stony Brook University’sSakura Matsuri: Cherry BlossomFestival at the Charles B. Wang

Center on Sunday.“This is Long Island’s premier

Japanese cultural event,” says eventproducer Gerard Senese, who serves ascommunity outreach programs directorat the school’s Japan Center. “It’s tocelebrate the Japanese culture bothmodern and traditional.”

Here are the Japanese activities toparticipate in:

COSPLAY & ANIME FILMSWatch Japanese anime short films

like the Japanese manga (comic booksand graphic novels) series “Magi: The

Labyrinth of Magic,” a fantasy-actionadventure story featuring a boy namedAladdin. Then take part in a cosplayfashion show featuring characters fromJapanese anime like Sailor Moon, Envyfrom “Fullmetal Alchemist,” DJ Sonafrom “League of Legends” or Gokufrom “Dragon Ball Z.”

“It’s about bringing your favoritecharacters to life,” says Jason Linetsky,editor-in-chief and founder of CosplayNYC magazine, who will oversee the

fashion show. “Every time a new seriescomes out, everybody jumps to seewhat they can cosplay from it.”WHEN | WHERE Anime films: 12:30 and3 p.m.; cosplay fashion show: 2:30 and 4p.m. in Lecture Hall 1COST Free

IKEBANALearn how to make a traditional

Japanese floral arrangement withToyomi Shibahara, president of theLong Island Japanese Culture Center inPort Washington. Take two styles ofin-season flowers mixed with branchesand foliage, then build a unique arrange-ment you can take home (sans vase).

“Everyone brings their own personal-ity to each arrangement,” Shibaharasays. “It’s used to welcome visitors intoyour home.”WHEN | WHERE 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. inthe theater lobbyCOST $10 ($5 students/seniors)

SHAKUHACHI & HAIKUListen and learn how to write Japa-

Sensei Katie Roche wields a naginata, a weapon made of bamboo blades atop a pole, in a demonstration of martial arts.

Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates a culture old and new

PHOTO GALLERY50 things to do on Long Island in 2016newsday.com/events

See our top picks for eventshappening this week:

newsday.com/thingstodo

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Japan in bloom

ON THE COVER Junko Fisher performssongs at last year’s SBU Sakura Matsuri.

chickcliqueFlock to Talmage Farm Agway inRiverhead for Chicken Chat 201,6:30-8 p.m. Friday or 10 a.m.-11:30a.m. Saturday. Hear about raisingand caring for chickens and layinghens, how to grow a flock andanticipating possible problems.Call to reserve a spot.ADMISSION FreeINFO 631-727-3100,talmagefarm.com SAKURA MATSURI:

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVALWHEN | WHERE Noon-5 p.m.Sunday at the Charles B. WangCenter at Stony Brook University,100 Nicolls Rd.INFO 631-632-6353,thewangcenter.orgADMISSION $20($15 students/seniors) for allprograms or choose individualactivities for $10, others are free

greensceneBring the family to Bayard CuttingArboretum’s Arbor Daycelebration, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday,in Great River. Planned activitiesinclude a mock game show, anArbor Day tree planting and EarthDay-related exhibits from retailers.ADMISSION FreeINFO 631-581-1002,bayardcuttingarboretum.com

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nese haiku poetry while shakuhachi(Japanese bamboo flute) plays inthe background.

“You have to capture the essenceof a moment in nature throughyour poem by stripping down tothe bare bones of what you areexperiencing,” Senese says. “Theflute helps get the creative juicesflowing.”WHEN | WHERE Noon, 2 and 3:30p.m. in the chapelCOST $10 ($5 students/seniors)

TEA CEREMONYExperience a traditional tea

ceremony where matcha green teais prepared with a bamboo whisk insilence and served with a Japaneseconfection made with azuki beanpaste.

“The tea ceremony has its rootsin the philosophies of the 16thcentury tea master Sen no Rikyu,”says Rie Telesca, president ofCha-no-Yu-no-Kai, an organizationthat specializes in the ceremonies.“It symbolizes harmony, respect,purity and tranquillity.”WHEN | WHERE 1 and 2:30 p.m. inthe chapelCOST $10 ($5 students/seniors)

INDOOR PERFORMANCESThe first show features world-

famous koto (Japanese harp)performer Masayo Ishigure withthe Miyabi Koto ShamisenEnsemble. The secondperformance focuses on JunkoFisher performing Okinawan danceand folk songs; iaido — the martialart of drawing the samurai swordwith senseis Tony Aloe and MattUbertini; and then closes with aperformance by Ryu Shu TaikoDrums of Japan.WHEN | WHERE 1 and 3:30 p.m. inthe theaterCOST $10 ($5 students/seniors)

OUTDOOR PERFORMANCESThe Taiko Tides club delivers a

drum show involving chanting andchoreography at the start of thefestival. Later in the day, there aredemos of Okinawan karate, kendoJapanese fencing art and thenaginata (a Japanese weapon withbamboo blades at the end of apole).WHEN | WHERE Drum performance:noon; martial arts demo: 2:30 p.m.,outside the Charles B. Wang CenterCOST Free

FOR KIDS — AND MOREBring your kids and let themexperience the wonders of origamiand how to draw manga withKristen Sabatino, a Suffolk CountyCommunity College student wholives in Farmingville. Check out thebonsai tree exhibit from theEastern Suffolk Bonsai Society ortake a selfie dressed up in aJapanese kimono. In the mainlobby, enjoy Asian cuisine at theJasmine full-service cafe or shopfor Japanese gifts, souvenirs andhandmade crafts from an array ofvendors.WHEN | WHERE Origami andmanga: 1 and 3 p.m.; other activitiesnoon-5 p.m. in the theater lobbyCOST Free

Taiko drumming will resound on the Stony Brook University campus.

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Rie Telesca, president of Cha-no-Yu-no-Kai, prepares green tea in thetraditional tea ceremony, whichemphasizes harmony and tranquillity. 2117633201

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