Out & About #1026 | Japan Festival Amidst a Rainstorm

My annual attendance at Japan Festival has seen an even longer history than Thanksgiving weekend hiking. With the exception of 2020, wherein the pandemic had eradicated most festivals, I can proudly declare that I've not missed a single occurrence of the event since its introduction to Celebration Square in 2016. Fortunately, the venue has not been altered since the summer of eight years past: stress-free and fee-free parking remains in the garage beneath the Civic Centre.

​Intending to embrace the festival-going vibes of the previous year, I reached for my wide-brim straw hat once more. My browsing partner arrived punctually, though ominous grey skies prompted us to round back to the house for an umbrella. And thank goodness we did.

Though the earlier hours had seen glorious blue skies and plenty of sunshine, these conditions had receded to a foreboding dullness come the early afternoon. Our 3 PM arrival had intended to coincide with the Origami showcase taking place at 3:45 PM, whilst enabling a brief perusal of the festival grounds in advance of drawing near the stage.

There were a handful of independent artists present, including a few long-time vendors with familiar stall configurations. My priority was none other than CHOYA's booth, however. I was due for a restock of Choya Umeshu Plums, along with a new batch of (non-alcoholic) Yuzu Soda. ​These were promptly placed in the car to prevent transporting the cans for the remainder of our stay.

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Clouds began to move in steadily as we took our first steps about the fountain, and by the time we had re-emerged from the parking garage, showers would descend on festival attendees. The large droplets rapidly transformed to a relentless downpour, causing many to take cover under the nearby library pillars and vendor tents. We too took shelter within OOMOMO's booth, watching with amusement as the staff avidly promoted their availability of umbrellas and rain ponchos.

​Once the rainfall had lightened up slightly, I suggested venturing towards the sponsor booths. Most had closed to prevent water damage, though Denso remained open with a very short queue. Spinning the wheel did not require scanning a QR code this time, which improved visitor flow significantly. We both received a belt bag, and quite a durable one at that; it was apparently the most sought-after prize, as participants before us were negotiating an exchange of frosted cookies for the item.

​My one-person umbrella, while competent in defending myself and a backpack thicker than my being from splatters, ultimately proved inadequate for two users. Each of us would brave one damp shoulder while continuing to intrepidly roam the site.

Stage performances did not take place at all during our stay, for the intensity of the precipitation had dispersed both crowds and performers.

We found a few more vendors between the food aisle and Beer Garden, one of which carried a variety of temporary tattoos. The designs have improved drastically since the cartoony stick-ons from my tween years, ranging from line work to even the recently revived Sanrio lineup.
Individual pieces ranged from $2 to $4, while entire sheets were priced at $6. All the two-dollar pieces fell within the mix-and-match category, enabling six small tattoos for $10.

Prior to entering the Beer Garden, I discussed potential snack items to ready my stomach. My browsing partner and I possessed strongly different opinions on soft shell crab (I enjoyed) and lamb skewers (I would not enjoy). Eventually, we agreed upon a single Mochi Bubble from Savorology.

​A golf ball-sized mound would set us back seven dollars. The Hong Kong Milk Tea flavour would be our ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶e̶n̶s̶u̶s̶  compromise. I had expected a flimsy tray at best for the single purchase, and was more than surprised when the cashier granted us the full assortment of packaging: a sturdy, colourful paper box and plastic bag for carrying. Our chosen specimen rested atop a white muffin liner, dusted lightly with starch to prevent sticking and still relatively cold.

Alternating layers of tea-infused ice cream and sponge cake were encased within a thin layers of mochi. The mochi exterior was delightfully chewy, providing a delicate textural contrast to the comparatively denser components within. Due to its frozen nature though, the flavours were a tad muted. But we couldn't exactly wait for the parcel to soften, for rapid thawing would take place outdoors, consequently causing the ice cream to disintegrate if not consumed immediately.

​At long last, we'd make our way towards the Beer Garden. ID cards would be verified, then wristbands strapped on (in place of stamps on the hand).

It wasn't until entering into the space that I discovered barrenness. The nearest sake vendor was packing up. The tables were a wasteland of random beverages, ranging from water to milk tea to beer. Besides a lonely Sapporo and Asahi booth with frail handwritten signage, the area was essentially deserted.

I glanced at my watch briefly, then sauntered over to one of the members of staff. "What times does this close?" I inquired with concern.
One of the organizers approached the ID checker duo to provide a response. "We close at 7 PM."
"But they're all gone." I gestured to the now vacant booths behind me.
"The vendors got annoyed that we had everyone evacuate (due to rain) and decided to just pack up and leave."
"Oh..." was the only utterance I could muster in the face of extreme disappointment.

Desiring neither Sapporo nor Asahi, I looked longingly towards the empty bottles of Orion and Hitachino Nest. My pursed lips could not hide my disenchantment with the scene before me.

We ventured back towards the sponsor booths for one last round, obtaining a mini notepad and utility pouch from Canon, a Polaroid frame from OOMOMO, and a faulty Polaroid shot from the instax booth.  ​It was then time to head home.

​I was quite pleased with my haul, but nevertheless met with bafflement at the turnout of events. The Beer Garden, in particular, had assumed one of my greatest highlights of Japan Festival. I settled to drown my woes in sake at home instead, then suffered the consequences of my actions the next morning in the form of a pounding hangover headache.

Alas, I suppose there is always next year...