Sakura Helping Hands will sell its handmade arts and crafts at the 50th annual Seymour Oktoberfest beginning Thursday. The group is made up of around 39 members, including, from left, Asuka Ishikawa, Kaoru Kajiwara, Asako Yoneyama, Asumi Hiwa, Kaori Fujio, Kana Hanano, Kozue Tsutsui and Miho Tagami.
Erika Malone | The Tribune
Some of the handmade arts and crafts that will be for sale at the Sakura Helping Hands booth at the 50th annual Seymour Oktoberfest beginning Thursday.
Erika Malone | The Tribune
While the Oktoberfest is commonly known for celebrating the area’s German heritage, a group of Japanese women has been hard at work creating Japanese arts, crafts and gifts for almost as long as the festival has been around.
This year marks the 30th year for Sakura Helping Hands to be part of the Seymour Oktoberfest since its start in 1990.
“There are 39 members in the club,” Asako Yoneyama said. “It takes us about six months to a year to handmake our crafts.”
Their booth is located on West Third Street near Seymour City Hall and will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
The women are the wives of the expatriates who work at Japanese businesses in Seymour, including Aisin and Nippon Steel, so some are continuous members and others are new every year.
Many members start out as beginners when it comes to making arts and crafts, and most are self-taught using craft books as guides.
Last year, the group raised around $3,000 during the Oktoberfest and donated the proceeds. This year they hope to raise more, Yoneyama said.
Proceeds benefit various causes, such as Seymour Community School Corp., Jackson County Public Library, READ Jackson County, Schneck Medical Center and Seymour Parks and Recreation Department.
“We will take the money to Seymour City Hall and let them decide where the money needs to go,” she said.
This year, the group will be selling its most popular product, Kusudamas, which are modular origami models where multiple units are fit together to form a ball-like shape. The word “kusudama” means “medicine ball” when translated from Japanese.
The group said it takes them about one month to make one Kusudama ball, and in Japan, these balls are often displayed during summer festivals and celebrations such as weddings and other parties.
The group also has a featured product of kimono wine bottles, fabric flowers, ornaments, wreaths, wall hangings and décor. Plus, they will have smaller items, such as hair clips, small traditional pieces of art and earrings.
The group said the earrings take about one week to make, and they have fun making all different shapes and styles. One of the ladies made an earring using what is called Mizuhiki, a decorative cord used for tying the paper that is wrapped around gifts. Mizuhiki is often used during holidays, like the Japanese New Year, and for special occasions, such as births, weddings and even the Oktoberfest.
“It is a symbol of celebration,” Yoneyama said.
The group also will be holding a small event at the booth helping festivalgoers write their name in the Japanese alphabet, also known as Kanji, on request. The cost will be $1 per name on a postcard.
It makes the group members feel good to know people appreciate the craftsmanship and the time that goes into creating each of the items they make. The group said they look forward to sharing their culture and crafts with the people of Seymour.
“We are excited to meet people and show them Japanese culture,” Yoneyama said. “Especially since its the 50th anniversary.”