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- The crowd gathers in front of the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society and Museum in Fairhaven during the Japanese Cherry Blossom (O-Hanami) Friendship Festival on 5/4/25 to hear Ann Richard perform Kamishibai (paper theater), a popular form of storytelling in Japan before television. Photo by Beth David.
By Beth David, Editor
The Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society held its annual Cherry Blossom Friendship Festival, O-Hanami, on Sunday, 5/4/25, at the site of the Museum that commemorates the relationship between the families of a Fairhaven Whaling Captain and the young boy he rescued from a deserted island in 1841. They eventually made it back to Fairhaven, the home of Captain William Whitfield. Young Manjiro learned to read and write in a Fairhaven school, and lived with the Captain’s family, becoming the first Japanese person to live in the United States.
Japan was a closed society in the 1800s, but Manjiro eventually went back, risking death in his mid-twenties because, simply put, he missed his mother.
His return, with some of his other shipwrecked crewmates, changed Japan forever. Manjiro became instrumental in opening up Japan to the west and he became famous in Japan. He was appointed as a Samarai earning a last name, Nakahama.
The Whitfield and Nakahama families have kept close ties for generations, even through WWII. A member of the Whitfield family is on the board of WMFS.
Fairhaven and Manjiro’s home village, Tosashimizu, have a sister city agreement. In 2008, Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, 97, led a fundraising effort to buy the house on Cherry Street and create the museum and cultural center. He then donated it to the town.
WMFS treasurer Brian Bowcock reminded everyone that Fairhaven has cherry trees from Japan donated by Japanese dignitaries, including Dr. Hinohara.
Suguru Minoya, Deputy Consul General of Japan in Boston, told those gathered on Sunday that the strength of the Japan-US relationship is stronger than ever due to cultural and people to people exchanges at the grassroots level.
“On behalf of the Consulate General of Japan, I would like to express our appreciation to the members of the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society and the people of New Bedford and Fairhaven for their continued effort to maintain the relationships and to make this festival happen,” said Mr. Minoya.
He added that the Mass. House of Representatives adopted a first-ever friendship resolution for Japan, designating May 7 as “Japan Day,” the day that Manjiro first set foot on US soil in the port of New Bedford in 1843.
“We are very glad to celebrate this Japan Day every year from now on,” he said.
Mass. State Rep. Mark Sylvia, presented a citation from the state house and told the crowd that it was very special to be able to talk about his home town at the state house when designating Japan Day.
Fairhaven Select Board Chairperson Charlie Murphy encouraged people to visit Japan, and especially Tosashimizu.
The festival offered a day of activities rooted in Japanese culture, including: paper theater, origami, names written in Japanese, live music, taiko drumming, Japanese flower arranging. Japanese items were also on sale, and Bento Box lunch was available for those who preordered.
The museum offers a number of programs and events to spread the story of Manjiro and the Whitfields.
Every year a Manjiro Festival is held, with the location alternating between Japan and Fairhaven. On October 4, 2025, the festival will be in Fairhaven on Center Street in front of Town Hall.
To learn more about Manjiro’s story and the museum, visit https://whitfield-manjiro.org
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- Suguru Minoya, Deputy Consul General of Japan in Boston, addresses the crowd at the Japanese Cherry Blossom (O-Hanami) Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society and Museum in Fairhaven on 5/4/25, enjoying a laugh with Fairhaven Select Board Chairperson Charlie Murphy (BACK LEFT); and WMFS founding member, Ayako Rooney. Photo by Beth David.
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- Mass. State Rep. Mark Sylvia addresses the crowd at the Japanese Cherry Blossom (O-Hanami) Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society and Museum in Fairhaven on 5/4/25, flanked by (LEFT) Suguru Minoya, Deputy Consul General of Japan in Boston; and Charlie Murphy, Select Board Chairperson. Photo by Beth David.
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- Carolyn Wingate performs for the crowd at the Japanese Cherry Blossom (O-Hanami) Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society and Museum in Fairhaven on 5/4/25. Photo by Beth David.
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- Ann Richard performs Kamishibai (paper theater), a popular form of storytelling in Japan before television, during the Japanese Cherry Blossom (O-Hanami) Friendship Festival at the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society and Museum in Fairhaven on 5/4/25. Photo by Beth David.
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