By Mike Lendon | Buckle your seatbelts and get ready to explore Japan like never before. This year’s JapanFest on September 17-18, breaks through with the theme “Cooler Japan.” This year’s focus is an electric combination of cool tech-advanced modern Japan with a traditional twist.
JapanFest Weekend will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Saturday) and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sunday) at the Infinite Energy Center, located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth.
JapanFest is now celebrating its 30th year and typically draws crowds exceeding 20,000. Organized by JapanFest, Inc., The Japan-America Society of Georgia and The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, it is designed to promote understanding between Japanese and Americans in the Southeast.
In celebration of JapanFest’s 30th anniversary, a new interactive firework app has been released. Create your own fireworks on the app, and see them explode on stage! Friends can combine their fireworks to make something uniquely spectacular. Battle against other teams to see who can make the biggest and coolest firework!
Tickets are $10. Children age six or younger free. Teachers can bring their students to JapanFest for free by applying online at japanfest.org. Larger organizations can save money by purchasing advanced ticket packages online.
JapanFest will feature a variety of musical performances sure to suit all ages and interests, including taiko drumming, J-Rock and J-Pop, and classical music. Dance performances will include both traditional and modern Japanese dance, as well as traditional Okinawan dance.
At this year’s JapanFest, for the first time in history, Kabuki Theatre will be performed in Atlanta. Originating in the 1600s, Kabuki is a form of classical Japanese theatre that is a rich blend of music, dance, spectacular staging and costuming. Kabuki theatre has been a major theatrical form in Japan for almost four centuries.
For visitors who have always wanted to try on an authentic Japanese kimono, the Konnichiwa Club will dress attendees from head to toe in the latest kimonos from Japan. JapanFest will also feature a variety of exciting workshops on various aspects of Japanese culture.
For fans of martial arts, JapanFest will feature demonstrations of virtually every Japanese martial art in existence, including aikido, karate, kendo, kyudo, and sumo.
Visitors can purchase an amazing array of Japanese goods, including kimono, Japanese tea, dolls, and rice paper. The Japan-America Society of Georgia will have t-shirts and temporary tattoos. The Ginza-dori, named after Tokyo’s famous shopping district, will feature Japanese ceramics, traditional Japanese clothing and accessories and fun items such as masks and toys. At the Bazaar on Sunday organized by the Georgia Japanese Language School, visitors will find books and household goods. Traditional Okinawan items will also be available.
Kids will have a fantastic time experiencing Japanese culture firsthand. In the Children’s Area, they can make their own Japanese tops. The Suburban Atlanta Kite Enthusiasts will be on hand to teach how to make a Japanese kite. Kids can even take part in carrying the o-mikoshi, a traditional Japanese portable shrine.
Local Japanese restaurants will offer a menu of roll sushi, bento boxes, ramen noodles, takoyaki, shaved ice, curry rice, yakisoba and torikaraage.
Many of the approximately 550 Japanese companies based in Georgia will display their products in the Made in Georgia exhibition. Interactive exhibits include the latest in Japanese technology, such as automobiles, tractors, and electronics. JapanFest is not possible without the help of more than 200 volunteers.
- For more information, call 404-842-0736 or visit japanfest.org.
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