The annual Japanese Festival, which calls itself “one of the oldest and largest festivals of its kind,” will return to the Missouri Botanical Garden this weekend. The family-friendly festival takes place from August 31 to September 2 in the bustling gardens, which will be decked out with Japanese art displays and koi fish kites.
“We’ve been doing this for over 40 years, and it keeps getting bigger and better,” says Jessika Eidson, MOBOT’s public information officer. “Every year, I learn something about Japanese culture that I didn’t know before.”
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This year’s featured performer is Kanariya Eiraku, a rakugo storyteller. Rakugo is a traditional Japanese form of storytelling and verbal comedy where a sole, seated speaker performs a monologue with limited props.
Eiraku’s performances are tentatively scheduled for one hour in the early afternoon and one hour in the evening on Saturday and Sunday, with two more in the late morning and early afternoon on Monday. Keep an eye out for his performances at the Plant Lab and Bayer Event Center.
“He tells a whole story with his voice, his facial expressions, and one or two props,” Eidson says. “It’s a really interesting art form. We’re excited to have this performer who prioritizes teaching this to American audiences.”
Another highlight of the Japanese Festival will be sumo wrestling matches between the decorated wrestlers Ichi, Mendee, and Hiroki. Ichi has won the highest award in sumo wrestling—the Emperor’s Cup—and Mendee is a four-time U.S. Sumo Open champion. Hiroki is one the heaviest competing sumo wrestlers at 570 pounds, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. These matches are scheduled for the late afternoon and evening in the Cohen Amphitheater.
Dozens of activities fill the three-day schedule, with entertainment spaced throughout the gardens. Go for a late-night candlelight walk, catch a live Japanese cooking demonstration in the Kemper Kitchen, or watch martial artists practice kendo: a martial art using bamboo swords and protective armor, stemming from the practices of the ancient samurai.
Kids can enjoy calligraphy and origami displays, check out balloon art in the Kemper Center, or have fun with other childrens’ activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Spink Pavilion.
The festival will also feature a cosplay showcase and an anime movie during the festival as a nod to modern Japanese culture.
“We focus a lot on the traditional performers and the historic idea of Japan, but we also like to include the more modern idea of Japanese-American culture,” Eidson says.
If you find yourself hungry or thirsty, try one of the 15 food vendors—the most the Japanese Festival has ever seen. Eidson highlights PokeDoke, which will make a custom-flavored cherry blossom drink inspired by the gardens.
For tickets or more information about the festival, see missouribotanicalgarden.org.
