Japan Day in Düsseldorf

Japan Day (German: "Japan-Tag") 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. [ [http://www.pressearchiv.nrw.de/01_textdienst/11_pm/2004/q3/20040929_03.html "NRW Pressearchiv"] , 29.09.2004] . In 2005, Japan Day attracted 1.2 million visitors.

Program

The "essential points" of every Japan Day are the sale of Japanese food and drinks as well as an extensive stage and sports program. The last one consists of Japanese musicians (e.g. koto players, choirs, j-popper and j-rocker) as well as martial arts.

In addition to this, there are several stalls showcasing Japanese culture (e.g. kimono-fitting, sake-seminar) and more attractions (e.g. a samurai army camp).

Later in the evening a Bon Dance marks the final act of the day. All visitors are invited to take part in the dance. To enhance the spectacle, Happis and Japanese fans shout and show their enthusiasm.

The end of the celebration is marked by Japanese fireworks. It consists of several parts, each of which is dedicated to a different topic.

Sources

(in German)

External links

* [http://www.japantag-duesseldorf.de Homepage of the Japan Day (in German)]