Japan Festival Houston, one of the city's largest free outdoor music and entertainment weekends, returned to Hermann Park on September 7-8 with two full days of vibrant performances, delicious food and unforgettable cultural experiences.
Along with record-breaking attendance, Japan Festival Houston’s 31st year celebrated the lasting legacy of longstanding Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) Director and Japan Festival Houston Founder Glen Yoshiaki Gondo.
Japan Festival Houston welcomed the headlining waggaki group RIN’, who excited crowds with their unique blend of classical Japanese instruments with pop and rock. This trio, united by boundless creative energy and rigorous training under Living National Treasures, have created a new sound that combines the koto (zither), biwa (lute), sangen (shamisen), and shakuhachi (bamboo flute) with mainstream music.
Also joining Japan Festival Houston for the first time was the all-female Chindon-ya group Bentenya and Creative Minds Collaborative dance group. Donning glamorous kimonos and colorful wigs, Bentenya captivated crowds with their marching band-style of performance that blended nostalgia and modernity while Creative Minds Collaborative’s work inspired by artwork from the Meiji Modern exhibition combined traditional Japanese dance forms with contemporary vocabularies to reflect the collision and integration of Western influences.
Returning to the Japan Festival Houston stage was Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko, a group dedicated to exploring and preserving the Okinawan folk dance, Eisa. Characterized by unique choreography, which incorporates Karate kata with dynamic Bachi (drumsticks) movements, Eisa is a celebratory dance and is considered an important part of Okinawan culture.
Kaminari Taiko, a crowd favorite at Japan Festival Houston, rocked with toe-tapping beats and singer, songwriter, and composer Kohei returned to Japan Festival Houston to share his vocal and emcee talents on the Matsuri Stage at Miller Outdoor Theater.
At the Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) booth, visitors had the opportunity “to be a samurai” with origami “kabuto” helmets and photos with authentic happi coats and uchikake kimono. Festival goers also had the chance to take on the challenge of the life-sized otoshi daruma for prizes.
Special thanks go to our spirited volunteers who worked tirelessly to make JASH's many festival offerings possible! Makoto ni arigatou gozaimashita.
Houston, your energy was contagious, and it was a joy to celebrate Japan together with all of you through vibrant performances, delicious food and unforgettable cultural experiences.
A sincere “arigatou” for the community spirt and the shared love for Japanese culture that made this year’s festival such a success.
Images by night.sky.creative