Photography by Tom Incrocci, courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
St. Louis Okinawa Eisa performer in starting pose
Labor Day weekend is here, which means it’s time for one of the country’s largest and oldest Japanese culture festivals: the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden. After hosting the annual event since 1977, it’s become a beloved bookend to summers in St. Louis. The festival runs from 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday. (Admission is $16 for adults and $8 for members.) Here's what to know before you go.
The Activities
It’s a jam-packed three days, so be sure to look over the event guide to maximize your time and decide between tons of great options. Among the options, to name just a handful of festivities:
- Displays of art forms such as calligraphy, origami, ikebana, and bonsai
- Cooking, martial arts, and cosplay demonstrations
- Music and dance
- Fashion
- Tea ceremony
- Pokemon
- Zen
“We are very excited about a new performer we have this year, Yasu Ishida,” says Catherine Martin, senior public information office for the Missouri Botanical Garden. Performing eight times throughout the festival, “he combines music, origami, magic, and storytelling for a very unique performance.”
Then, of course, there are the sumo matches, “always a fan favorite,” says Martin. The six matches (two per day) feature three of the world’s most popular rikishi (wrestlers): Hiroki, currently the heaviest sumo wrestler in the world, at 570 pounds, who's appeared at a WWE event and in the movie John Wick 4; Ramy, the 500-pound star of the Spanish TV show Tengo Talento and the top Egyptian competitor for a decade; and Mendee, at 330 pounds, who represents Mongolia in sumo World Championships, World Games, and World Combat Games.
The Food
Japanese fare is another highlight of the festival. This year, Noriyuki Kamiyama returns to the festival, following his debut last year. He’s one of the country’s most artistic makers of wagashi, the highly traditional (and often extremely cute) confections that are typically eaten alongside green tea. “He will be doing some demonstrations,” Martin says. “He comes directly from Japan.”
Visitors can also enjoy treats from Drunken Fish, Top Sushi, Sando Shack food truck, and more. “I’m a foodie, so I’m always excited to enjoy the food," says Martin. "There’s always lots of great things to eat and authentic food.”
