Some sights and sounds from the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival

My exhibit display:

The Origins of the Chinese Fortune Cookie Started with a Japanese-American

I've seen Brian Kito do his mochi & manju stage demonstration for over a decade, each year at the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival; but usually I'm too busy at my own tables to pay close attention.

This year I was happy to be able to take a break and watch and film his demo. I was shocked to learn about the murky origins of the Chinese fortune cookie; and how that in all likelihood, it's a Japanese-American invention.

Sorry about the audio quality, but listen to Brian explain how the origin has been traced back to his grandfather.

http://www.fugetsu-do.com/history.htm

From Wikipedia:

Seiichi Kito, the founder of Fugetsu-do of Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, also claims to have invented the cookie.[8] Kito claims to have gotten the idea of putting a message in a cookie from Omikuji (fortune slip) which are sold at temples and shrines in Japan. According to his story, he sold his cookies to Chinese restaurants where they were greeted with much enthusiasm in both the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. Thus Kito's main claim is that he is responsible for the cookie being so strongly associated with Chinese restaurants.[citation needed]
Up to around World War II, fortune cookies were known as "fortune tea cakes"—likely reflecting their origins in Japanese tea cakes.[2]
Fortune cookies moved from being a confection dominated by Japanese-Americans to one dominated by Chinese-Americans sometime around World War II. One theory for why this occurred is because of the Japanese American internment during World War II, which forcibly put over 100,000 Japanese-Americans in internment camps, including those who had produced fortune cookies. This gave an opportunity for Chinese manufacturers.

Rodney Kageyama

I heard that Rodney passed away this morning.  He was a mainstay as an MC at cultural events like The Autumn Festival at the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival.  He and I always exchanged greetings and he'd sometimes promote my origami booth when MCing.  He was also on a television show with another friend of mine ("Quantum Leap"?).

Last weekend Cherry Blossom Festival, Monterey Park

An obituary/tribute was included in the program:

My stage demo was on Saturday.  Last act.

I folded Yami's fireworks as giveaway prizes for the quick fold contest at the end.

I was joined by Pam Miike.

I had ordered a paper glider gun from Amazon and did not break it open until the day of the Festival on Saturday.  It took me a while to figure out that it wasn't broken (Have to insert a paper glider for the motor to start running).

Cherry Blossom Festival last weekend in Monterey Park

Last Sunday in Monterey Park at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.....


This is one of the first things I do in my demo, asking who in the audience has folded paper before (most people have probably done a paper glider) and as a lead in to action models.



My indoor stage demo was scheduled at 3pm on Sunday but then changed last minute to 4pm to accommodate another performer.

I've been doing this festival since 2002 or 2004.  I think it may have been my very first one and "big break" in doing things like this.  The first year I was outdoors with a booth.  I think my second year I had been given the center of the indoor gymnasium with 4 tables boxing me in.  At some point, I was asked to start doing stage demos.  That's when I had Yami and Joe with me, too.

I talk a bit about the evolution from traditional models into modern origami; including practical application nowadays into physics, sciences, and technology.  Then show off modern works of art.

My material has become such that it's growing a bit stale; but I follow a formula that I don't even need to rehearse, because I've done it so many times now.  Once I start talking about different moneyfolds, it segues into the realm of origami magic.

Us paperfolders love magic:




I'm a fungi:



After teaching Yami's banger to the group (really small crowd I thought, this year), I engage them in a "quick fold" contest for prizes:  Who can fold a banger (doesn't have to be the one I just taught) and make it pop first?





The big finish:

Seen at the Cherry Blossom Festival

Last weekend at the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival, one mother was carrying this purse that was very much like a series of waterbombs:

This is wearable:

I suddenly want to make one of these:

Quick Fold Contest

I have an on-stage demo every year at the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival. 

A main-stay is doing a paper banger contest, after teaching it.  I use spaghetti western music, usually with origami cowboy hats; and samurai music (in this case, Hissatsu Shigotonin) with contestants wearing kabuto.

The Cicada Boomerang Glider at the Cherry Blossom Festival

Display Photos from the Cherry Blossom Festival

I think I've been doing this festival in Monterey Park since 2004.

Yami, Joe, and I used to have so much fun entertaining people.  In recent years, I've had to call upon other friends to help me out as my two partners have aged to the point that they cannot commit to any events anymore.  Joe still folds like a factory worker at home, producing much of the giveaway models I hand out. 

This year, I was the lone wolf folder.  I thought I'd have a couple of helpers but it did not pan out.

Still had 3 tables; one of which I used to put up a modest display:

I might share some video clips later, when I find more time to post them up.



Photos here.

Descanso Gardens this year

 It looks like I've officially taken over for Yami at this event.  Sad.

Lines were 2 hours wait outside, just to get into the Gardens this year.  Unbelievable.

Pam Miike assisted me in entertaining non-stop, wave after wave of crowds.  Today neither of us even took a lunch break.

I might post some video clips later on.

Origami Games

Kinokuniya bookstore in Little Tokyo, LA- an advertisement for Joel Stern's book

Ilan Garibi has put together a collection of origami contest/games, commonly seen at origami conventions around the world. 

It got me to thinking about different ways in which to have origami games, in general (Not just amongst expert paperfolders).

One of the things I've been doing for the past several years at the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival is the "Quick Fold" contest. 

Typically, Yami would end our onstage demonstration by teaching a highly complex piece of origami to the audience- his simple banger.  I'd then host a quick draw contest, complete with showdown music (Sergio Leone's spaghetti western sounds) and origami cowboy hats; followed by Samurai music (Abarenbo Shogun and Hissatsu Shigotonin) and various Samurai hats for contestants to wear. 

Dueling folders stand on opposite ends of the stage and on the count of 3, pick up a fresh sheet of paper and start folding a banger.  First one to successfully fold and make their model snap wins a prize (I usually give a prize to both participants).  I've yet to see anyone simplify a banger after understanding the concept of what creates the sound (they assume they need to fold the exact model they were just taught; and that they should fold it neatly). 

2015 Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival

This was from last weekend. 

Excerpt from Saturday's 40 minute stage demo:

Joseph Wu's Usagi Yojimbo:

This kid Reilly had some of the most delightful reactions and facial expressions while playing with the polypopagon.  All 3 kids were pretty funny with the model hitting themselves in the face:

There was a new magician (not on the schedule) who performed on Sunday.  A 17 year-old kid, I think he was the nephew of one of the puppeteers.  I happened to film part of his magic crane act after I heard him make mention of one of the 3 pictures on cards he had for a volunteer to choose from, was that of a paper crane.  I guessed that the tsuru would be the forced card and anticipated what he was about to do in time to film it:




Another paper mischief from him here.

Allen and Wayne are the regular magicians who come annually.  Wayne plugged origami in his dollar bill transformation trick:

Allen thought his performance was on Sunday (it was supposed to be on Saturday) and closed out the Sunday indoor stage shows.  So we had 3 magicians in one day!



Marti Reis came out to help me on Saturday; and on Sunday, I had Pam Miike.  Slow traffic, but still had fun. 


Photos here.

Shin Han-Gyo's Single Sheet Rose Box

Joel Stern was out of town, leaving Lauri and her son Zak, in charge.

Zak's theme for the meeting was on mythological creatures.

I discovered a rose box by Shin Han-Gyo that I wanted to try.  Since it was described as "single sheet", I had hoped it had a closed bottom.  It did not.  It needs a bottom portion.

Diagrams generously made available here, on Shin Han-Gyo's blog.

Hat tip:  Se-ik Kim

Photos of today's POP here (along with all from 2014).

Polypopagon and my favorite teaching tale

Two more clips from last Sunday's Cherry Blossom Festival:

I haven't told this one in a while....

Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival 2014

The roll of paper in my right hand is the size I used for the Montroll horse

 I missed coming last year.  I miss the days when Yami, Joe, and yours truly would work these events together.  That said, it was nice to be back at the Monterey Park festival and seeing the regulars there; and it was great to have my folding friends, Marti and Chila, join me.  

Last Weekend's Venture at Descanso Gardens

Had to miss the POP meeting in order to help out Yami with his Descanso Gardens event.  I used the GoPro camera chest mount and it creates an interesting perspective:

It was difficult to break away for lunch as there was wave upon wave of people eager to try out their hands at some paperfolding with us.  We were supposed to be done at 3pm but went about an hour overtime (and started ahead of time as well).

Photos here.

Yami at Descanso Gardens this Weekend

Yami Yamauchi will be spreading the joys of his world-famous origami personality and paperfolding skills again this year at Descanso Gardens in La Crescenta California.

3-27-2013

Descanso Garden

Original photo taken by Yami's friend Kazuyoshi ITO

Yukie Parthos and her husband Mike will assist him on Saturday; Pam Miike and I will help him out on Sunday.

He Mele No Cherry Blossom Festival

From the 2008 Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival:

Excerpt of Yami's On-Stage Demo at 2008 Cherry Blossom Festival

Demo excerpt of 2008 Cherry Blossom Festival

Filmed on April 11, 2008, this is a performance demonstration of the Robert Neale dollar ƸӜƷ: