Jump to content

Japan Festival

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japanese Festival of Houston
StatusActive
GenreJapanese Culture, Anime
VenueHermann Park
Location(s)Houston, Texas
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1993
Attendance30,000 in 2015
Organized byJapanese Festival of Houston Inc.
Websitehttp://www.houstonjapanfest.org/

The Japanese Festival of Houston, located in Houston, Texas is considered one of the largest Japanese festivals in the United States. Hosted originally by the Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH, ヒューストン日米協会 Hyūsuton Nichibei Kyōkai), the festival is now handled by the Japan Festival of Houston Inc. under the Japan-America Society of Houston advisement.

The Japan Festival is located in Hermann Park, typically adjacent to the Japanese Garden near downtown Houston. The event can attract nearly 30,000 visitors in a single weekend. While the festival theme changes from year to year, the premise remains the same to educate the citizens of Houston on the fundamental interests and facts about Japan. Houston's Japan Festival is now one of the largest Japanese cultural festivals in the United States.[1]

History

[edit]

The Japan Festival was founded by Houston businessman Glen Gondo in 1993.[1]

In 2009, the festival was awarded the title of "Best Festival" by the Houston Press.[2]

This festival went on hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and did not return in 2021 or 2022.

The festival returned in May 2023. In addition to commercial, merchandise and food booths, there were demonstrations for sumo wrestling, and on the main stage there were other activities including Taiko drumming, and performances by artists like the Minyo Crusaders. The upcoming 2024 festival is planned for September 7-8, 2024.[1]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Cheng, Erica (2024-07-05). "Tokyo Gardens, H-E-B sushi mogul Glen Gondo passes away at age 75". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  2. ^ "Best Festival". Houston Press. Village Voice Media. 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
[edit]