Submitted by Samantha Jennings the 2024 Spring program in Copenhagen, Denmark…
As we are nearing the end of the semester, I decided to try and seek out some fun things to do in Copenhagen this week! I found that the Japanese Embassy in Denmark was holding a Sakura, or cherry blossom festival in Langelinie Park. I decided to go to the festival to check out how the Danes celebrate Japanese culture. There were so many different stalls with vendors selling everything from macarons and red bean pancakes to anime pins and replica samurai swords. The cherry blossoms were absolutely breathtaking. In the clearing in the center of the park a stage was set up and we watched a kendama and a bosei performance. The food at the festival smelt amazing. I tried peanut and red bean mochi for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. I also got a mushroom onigiri with mushrooms harvested from Bygaard, the sustainable mushroom farm that we visited a few weeks ago! Overall I had a great time exploring Japanese culture in Denmark and I look forward to seeking out other festivals like this in the future! (Submitted on April 24,2024)