Floral Beauty
By GWEN MURANAKA
RAFUENGLISH EDITORIN CHIEF
Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008

City of Torrance float entry celebrates 35th anniversary of Kashiwa Sister City relationship.

MARIO G. REYES/Rafu Shimpo
Debbie Lairmore of Montclair applies sweet rice powder on the face of a Japanese dancer on the City of Torrance’s float for the Tournament of Roses Parade. This year’s float honors the 35th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Torrance and Kashiwa, Japan.

January might seem to be a little early for a cherry blossom festival. But pink sakura will be blooming in Pasadena on New Year’s Day as the City of Torrance celebrates its rela­tionship with Kashiwa, Japan in their float entry for the 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade.

The 35-foot-long float, entitled “Festival of Flowers,” depicts a cher­ry blossom festival with a Japanese classical dancer dressed in a kimono embroidered with intricate patterns made from chrysanthemums, car­nations, golden clover seeds and strawflower petals.

A 21-foot red torii gate will be covered in brilliant red safflower spice and the cherry blossom trees will actually be laden with cascades of pink and white dendrobium orchids.

Hazel Taniguchi, president of the Torrance Sister City Association will be riding the float, along with her Japanese counterpart Akemi Kosuge, vice president of Kashiwa International
Relations Association. Joining them will be Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto, and Ken Miller, who was the mayor when the sister city relationship started 35 years ago.

Torrance and the City of Kashiwa, located in Chiba Prefecture, have been sister cities since Feb. 20, 1973. The Torrance Sister City Association hosts student exchanges and organizes the annual Bunka-Sai Festival. They will have a 35th anniversary dinner in February.

Taniguchi said she was thrilled when she first heard about the float in the spring. The association president noted that she last went to view the parade when the Kashiwa Municipal High School band marched in 2000.

“It’s going to be fun,” said Taniguchi, who will be wearing a yukata as she waves to the thousands of people lining the streets of Pasadena. “Our instructions are to smile and wave to both sides, and look happy.”

Mary Hoffman, president of the Torrance Rose Float Association, said this is the first time the city has picked a Japanese theme for the float. The float, designed by Raul Rodriguez and built by Fiesta Floats, fits the parade’s theme “Passport to the World’s Celebrations.”

“The theme of the parade is always something different and you have to plan based on that theme,” Hoffman said.

In a large warehouse in Durate, volunteers and professional float builders, were busy putting many of the fine details on the Japanese float. According to the parade rules, every surface of the float must be covered in plant materials.

“If you want to be done in 10 seconds, this isn’t the job for you, because it takes time,” said Hoffman.

Mary Jo Kohlmiller, a volunteer for the past 12 years, concurred. She was gluing split peas on the edges of large folding Japanese fans.

“I’ve had a lot of different jobs over the years. One year I combed coconut bark to go on the buffaloes. A lot of times my husband and I are up on the scaffolding, that’s the fun part,” Kohlmiller declared.

Floats are judged on Dec. 30 with all the flowers applied and riders onboard.

“It’s a big, big job. It involves lots of people and people watching the parade have no concept of how much work is involved,” said Hoffman.

For Hoffman, who has been heading the float association for 12 years, the Rose Parade is a family affair, with many pitching into help, including her husband, Bob Habel. Habel will ride the float as the observer, directing the driver, who can’t see beyond a small portion of the ground. A big Pittsburgh Steelers fan, he found a way to stay true to the Japanese theme and his beloved football team.

“He went online and found a happi coat from a company in Pasadena that’s in black and gold Steeler colors,” said Hoffman. “He can’t wear any Steelers so he’s wearing the next best thing.”