Indigenous culture of the Northern Mariana Islands was highlighted by the Marianas Visitors Authority this month at the largest dance festival in the Chubu area of Japan, a primary tourism market of this beach resort destination.
As in years past, the MVA and other sponsors funded the participation of Carolinian dancers in the Nippon Domannaka festival held on Aug. 24-26, 2012.
The festival is held mid-summer in Nagoya, located in central Japan. Dancers from all over Japan and abroad gather in Aichi prefecture to perform local dances and music.
The 14th annual celebration of Domatsuri, as it's commonly called, featured over 200 dance groups comprised of about 20,000 performers, mostly from Japan. An estimated 1.9-million viewers watched what has become one of the largest dance festivals in Japan.
“The Carolinian dance performance has been an award-winning favorite at Domatsuri before, and we're pleased to continue to support this unique opportunity to showcase indigenous culture in promoting the Northern Marianas,” said MVA Marketing manager Bruce Bateman. “In last year's survey of visitors, many stated they wanted more opportunities to experience Chamorro and Carolinian culture, so the festival continues to be an excellent avenue to capitalize on that interest.”
The participation of the Northern Marianas delegation was also supported by the Mayor of Saipan Office and Pacific Development, Inc.
Through June of this fiscal year, the Northern Marianas has received 109,091 visitors from Japan, about 37 percent of total visitors arrivals. (MVA)
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