With tourists giving a wide berth to Japan because of recent nuclear radiation concerns, it’s a treat to find pinkish-rimmed white cherry blossoms, better known as sakura, sprouting in sunny Singapore till 15 May. The sakura trees may not be real or that many, but they fill up the whole stretch of path by the river and visitors get to enjoy the same kind of stroll they get walking along Okawa River in Japan, Osaka with fallen leaves at their feet. Enjoy the fresh air tinged with the faint smell of the river and the al fresco setting – all free-of-charge.

That’s the promise of ‘Spring Blossoms Summer Delights’ at The Central, River Promenade that has gathered people of all stripes since April 8, to luxuriate in the beauty that typically sees the Japanese take leave from work and hold picnics to savour the fleeting beauty of these fragile flowers.

Now in its second year, Central’s festival introduces a new highlight ‘Yokoso! Festive Market’ of over 20 stalls set up by the river. Even if you’re not a flea market-lover, this is something you should definitely check out. Instead of just displaying blogshop-style fashion and cheap buys in Singapore, there is plenty of unique merchandise, which are either imported or handmade. Generally, fashion over there can be described as urban, vintage and oriental. From tees with Japanese wordings and kimonos to cannot-be-torn paper wallets and intricate, miniature musical carousels, you are likely to find something to your liking.

“I love the whole street shopping idea, but the weather is really hot! It would probably be better to come after 6, so that the sun has set and all the stalls are fully opened,” advised Darrell Wong, 20, a polytechnic graduate, who visited the market.

The whole street is busking with liveliness as visitors check out the creative merchandise the booths have one by one.

Having less in your pockets shouldn’t deter you from shopping altogether as a shopkeeper confided that most of the shops are doing it for a good cause by giving part of their profits for the Japan disaster fund-raising and even so, they have ensured their prices are still within reasonable range.

Booths’ owners actively participate in fund-raising for Japan’s disaster by donating part of their earnings.

Indulge in Singapore’s other national past-time – food. Have a taste of the specialty food, you can’t find in anywhere else in Singapore. They include Sakura Mochi (SGD $1.80/pc), Sushi-shaped lollipops (SGD $1.80~$2.00/stick), Toast Spread flavoured in Sugar/Caramel/French/Melon (SGD $5.80/tube) and more.

The yummy snacks and desserts imported from Japan never fail to catch the visitors’ eyes.

Radio Deejays Mabel Lee and Mario Lajarca from The Rush at Power 98FM made a one-time appearance last Saturday to spice up the atmosphere through their quirky hosting and fun contests. Shopping vouchers were readily given out for answering simple questions about The Central. And those who spend $15 at The River Promenade can either participate in the Sumo wrestling contest to win more prizes or opt for the sure-win dip to win dining vouchers inside the mall. To increase your chances of winning, you may want to go along with more friends as a single person can only get 1 go at it, no matter how many multiples of $15 he spends. That way, if you spend much more, your pal can still go up for the sure-win dip on your behalf.

DJs Mabel and Mario from Power 98FM enthusiastically explained the rules of the game as two wrestlers demonstrate.

“It’s the first time we are doing this and I think this concept made to approach the Japanese culture is cool,” said Mario. Both deejays told UrbanWire about their love for Japanese culture, and raved about its delicacies such as sashimi.

The deejays by the beautiful cherry blossoms decorations.

Visitors on that day get to enjoy Taiko Drum Performance at 6pm. The team of 6 middle-aged Singaporean performers managed to make quite an entrance with their deep resonating drumbeats and elaborate gestures. To top it all, every weekend there will be Japanese Cultural Performance and Jazz Performance by the river.

The Taiko drummers dressed in vibrant Japanese-styled uniforms and a twisted white cloth tied around their foreheads entertained the audience with their one-of-a-kind percussion music.

If anything beats the company of jazz with the awesome night skyline by the river, it’s chilling out with friends and family with some booze. The popular ‘Hanami Bar’ returned after The Central’s previous spring season. Given its high ratings on its website and brochures, you’d have expected more than just a booth with limited selection of alcohol and sides to go with. What’s available such as the French wine, grilled prawns and scallops aren’t that bad to go with though; you can always give it a try!

A team of experienced jazz performers showed professionalism from the melodious music they played with their instruments.

Information at a glance

  • Yokoso! Festive Market
    5pm daily onwards
  • Japanese Cultural Performance
    Every Sat & Sun, 7pm
  • Jazz Performance by the river
    Every Sat & Sun, 8pm till late
  • Featured shop: ‘SKYroom’, #01-49
    Spring Summer Collection, 10% off
  • Design your Sakura Card for Mother’s Day
    (with minimum spend of $15 at Central)
    Every Sat & Sun, 3pm