JRM at 2025 Sakura Matsuri

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JRM will be showing our ttrak off at the National Cherry Blossom big finale event the Sakura Matsuri down on Pennsylvania Avenue between congress and the White House April 12th and 13th. It’s a big street fair with stages for entertainment, food, and about 75 japan related groups/presenters. We will be the first exhibit right inside the North entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th. Please stop by if you are in the area for a visit! Saturday 10:30a-6p and Sunday 10:30a-4p. This will be our 14th year at the show.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[cteno4]

Well we had a great weekend at the Sakura Matsuri. Set up went well, but Saturday was a bit cold and damp with a few remaining spritzes of rain here and there. By the end of the day standing in the 40s it got a bit cold! Crowds were good though even with the colder weather. Saturday as a flip with sun and temps in the 60s, such is spring in DC…

 

But both days has great crowds for us. Usual strange thing of 10-15 minutes [sometimes and hour] of lots of folks and then no one for a few minutes and then packed again. Tons of kids as usual, some glued to the layout for as long as their parents could last and a few meltdowns when dragged away which we always cheer as we see it as our doing our job well! It’s a very receptive crowd and very appreciative. Got to talk to a lot of people about getting into the hobby and i think about 400 business cards were taken. Many repeat visitors from past years. Organizers were very pleased with all they had heard from visitors and hoped we would be back next year!

 

Our new addition was a new remote control Godzilla from the latest Godzilla from Godzilla x Kong, so we now have an original and an extra crispy version of Godzilla. Then new one is great with the remote control to activate it into a moving Roar movement or move home a bit side to side and do a roar. The model can walk, but we don’t want him tramping over the layout. But it’s fun to make him move and roar when folks get close. Most are delighted but some just don’t react at all oddly they look at with sort of blank expressions. Also interesting to note many up close looking at scenes and watching trains just dont notice the moving, roaring goji right next to them! Good testament they are enjoying the layout and really focused. But it was fun surprising most people and messing with a few of them! One guy saw the movement and said to his girlfriend hey look its moving and by the time she turned it had stopped and she sort of eye rolled him. She looked away and i fired it again and again he grabbed her to look but it was still by the time she looked and she looked more miffed at him. I then did it a third time and he got her to look in time and finally believed he wasnt goofing her! It was a bit kitschy but the crowds in general loved it and it helped draw more in to look closer. He was over our mini Sakuri Matsuri module so fun when they would get closer and see it was a mini festival going on there. 

 

 

Made My Year

one almost 6 year old was nailed to the layout for along time and his dad came over and made my year! Turns out he saw us at almost a 5 year last year and got totally into trains! The family went to Japan last summer a couple of months after the Sakura Matsuri and they went to Kato Center and ended up buying a couple of trains and a basic track loop. He took off using it great, having a delicate touch. He has expanded his track and a few more trains over the last year! He remembered my name even and they said he would say things like “do you think Jeff would like this train?” Apparently I made a mark on his brain. Hoping to help them take things to the next level now adding some buildings and scenery to thier layout to get in deeper now! Really was wonderful to see a seed panted had taken root like that! The parents were thrilled he was so amazing with his N scale trains and being so gentle with them. 

 

Another great Sakura Matsuri! Fun seeing thousands of people over 2 days so enjoy the layout and trains.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

Another goji appears!

 

Folks just coming in Saturday morning. Can you find the capital dome?

 

 

 

 

 

I told you he moved!

 

 

 

Lots of kids!