Springfield residents can get a taste of authentic Japanese drinks, cuisine and music at the 2nd Annual Sushi and Sake in the Stroll Garden event.
Springfield Sister Cities Association (SSCA), in partnership with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, will host the event at the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., on Saturday, Mar. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m.
SSCA is a nonprofit organization with the mission of creating goodwill between the Springfield community and its sister cities by promoting opportunities for cultural appreciation and awareness. This year’s Sushi and Sake event celebrates the 40-year relationship between Isesaki, Japan and SSCA, which was formed in 1986.
The Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden was created in 1985, making the 7.5-acre garden the oldest attraction at the Springfield Botanical Gardens. It features a koi lake moon bridge, meditation garden, tea house and traditional Japanese landscaping.
Those who attend the Sushi and Sake event will be the first ones to see the Mizumoto garden before it opens officially on April 1 for the new season. Torches will be lit in the garden for strolling throughout the evening.
“Getting people out to enjoy the beautiful garden for just a really relaxing evening of good music and being able to sample the culture of Japan here in Springfield, I think is a really important thing that Sister Cities and the (Springfield-Greene County) Parks Department work on together for this event," said Executive Director of Springfield Sister Cities Association Lisa Bakerink. “It makes for a really good date night."
The main portion of the event will take place at the Moon Stage, where professional koto (a six-foot stringed zither that is Japan’s national instrument) player Dianne Daugherty will perform.
Guests can sample four types of sake and select a dessert featuring traditional Japanese flavors. Koji Kitchen, the food truck for Momo Sushi and Grill, will also offer a selection of sushi house favorites.
And Bakerink said staff will benefit from visitors who will come from Isesaki for the event.
“This year Isesaki gardeners are coming to visit, they are going to have the project of landscaping around the Azumaya, which was a gift from Isesaki to Springfield," she said. "That's the water wheel just outside the main entry. When the gardeners are here, they'll help teach our staff authentic pruning techniques and care for plants. It'll help overall to make the garden more authentic."
Tickets are $50 per person, and proceeds will go toward enhancements of the Stroll Garden. To attend, you must be 21 and older, and the event is limited to 150 people. Registration will be open until 5 p.m., Friday, Mar. 20, or until it is sold out.
To register, visit: PeaceThroughPeople.org/events/sushi-and-sake/.
The event will move indoors to the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center in case of inclement weather.
Apart from Sushi and Sake, the SSCA holds four other events each year. The next one is Chitin Pinata Festival on April 11, which celebrates both Mexican and Japanese culture along with the spring season. Gigs in the Garden is hosted on Sundays in May and October to celebrate local musicians. In September, SSCA will hold their 30th annual Japanese Fall Festival. The last event of the year is Taste of Tlaquepaque event in October, during which musicians from Springfield's Sister City Tlaquepaque share their Mexican culture through music.