Although there were about 30 people at any given time at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairhaven on Sunday, 5/5/19, there were people visiting throughout the day, ending up with about 100 people showing up for the annual commemoration of Fairhaven’s special relationship with Japan. The first Japanese person to live and be educated in the US, was 14-year-old Manjiro Nakahama, who was rescued from a desert island in the pacific in 1841 by the John Howland whaling ship, captained by William Whitfield who brought young Manjiro back home to Fairhaven. Japan was a closed society at the time, and Manjiro played a key role in opening up Japan to the west. To learn more about the Manjiro story and the renovation of the house on Cherry Street in Fairhaven, visit www.whitfield-manjiro.org or email gerry@WMFriendshipHouse.org. Photos by Glenn C. Silva. See more of his photos on Instagram: @asttephoto
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- Ayako M. Rooney tells the Manjiro story at the annual Cherry Blossom Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House Museum in Fairhaven on Sunday, 5/5/19. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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- Fairhaven Selectboard Chairperson Charles K. Murphy, Sr., speaks at the annual Cherry Blossom Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House Museum in Fairhaven on Sunday, 5/5/19. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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- Yasuhiro Yamauchi from the Consulate General of Japan in Boston speaks at the annual Cherry Blossom Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House Museum in Fairhaven on Sunday, 5/5/19. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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- L-R: Kristine Audette, Barbara Owen; and Louise Tapper sell Japanese goods at the annual Cherry Blossom Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House Museum in Fairhaven on Sunday, 5/5/19. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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- L-R Greg Richards, Rie Hayashi, Tori Willbanks-Roos, and Shane Tysk closed out the day with Taiko Drumming-ShinDaiko at the annual Cherry Blossom Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House Museum in Fairhaven on Sunday, 5/5/19. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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- Rita Campoli on guitar and students from Holy Name-Holy Family perform to some hardy souls who braved pouring rain on Sunday, 5/5/19, for the annual Cherry Blossom Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House Museum in Fairhaven. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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- Monica Donnelly (Center) teaches the art of Origami to Terry Berard (LEFT) and Taylor Lambert (RIGHT) at the annual Cherry Blossom Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House Museum in Fairhaven on Sunday, 5/5/19. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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