Japan Day in Düsseldorf

Japan Day (German: Japan-Tag or Japantag) is a German-Japanese festival celebrated every year in May/June in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is the largest festival of its kind in the world. North Rhine-Westphalia is the home of the biggest Japanese community in continental Europe.[1] In 2005, Japan Day attracted 1.2 million visitors .


Program

Fireworks on Japan Day 2005

Every Japan Day features the sale of Japanese food and drinks, as well as an extensive stage and sports program. Previous events have had performances by Japanese musicians, including koto players, choirs, J-Pop and J-Rock groups, as well as martial artists.

In addition, there are several stalls showcasing Japanese culture, such as kimono-fitting and a sake-seminar. Another attraction was a samurai army camp.

Late in the evening, a Bon dance marks the final event of the day. Spectators are invited to take part in the dance and Happis and Japanese fans are distributed to those participating.

The celebration closes with Japanese fireworks, consisting of several parts, each dedicated to a different topic.

See also

Sources

  1. ↑ NRW Pressearchiv, Sept. 29, 2004 (German)

External links

Media related to Japantag at Wikimedia Commons