NPCG ATTENDS HIGASHIURA MATSURI
DCG Jerome Castro attended the 32nd Odai Matsuri at Higashiura Town, Chita District, Aichi Prefecture, on 19 April 2025 and met with Mayor Teruo Hidaka, Higashiura Town Council and Filcom leaders.
DCG Castro thanked the officials for the invitation and expressed support for the festival, and proposed to enhance relations through education and sports as well as cultural exchanges in literature and film.
The Filipino community led by Ms. Marian Chiba, with Mr. Nestor Puno and Ms. Linda Taki of the Filipino Community-Central Japan (FCCJ) in attendance, hosted participants to Filipino dishes such as pancit bihon, caldereta, afritada, and pandesal in promotion of Filipino culinary heritage coinciding with the Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino ( Filipino Food Month in April).
The annual Higashiura Odai Festival is held to honor Higashiura-born Odai no Kata, mother of the final unifier of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Its main attraction is the Odai parade in Odai Park with 2,160 cherry trees which blossom alongside the Odai no Michi Street.
Girls near the age of 6 are chosen to play the role of Odai no Kata and dress in kimono befitting a princess, while other residents dressed in handmade armor as escort warriors during the parade. To date, only two children of foreign descent have ever been selected for the main role, one from the Philippines and the other from the United States. END
