Out & About #1114 | Japan Festival 2025

Thus far, I haven't missed a single year of Japanfest since it first started in 2016, with the exception of COVID, of course.

Every year, the event expands a bit more, whether in terms of vendors, food options, stage performances, or other highlights. Introduced to this year's lineup was a Hatsune Miku collaboration and movie showing inside the Hazel McCallion Library auditorium. A notable change was the shifting of marketplace vendors to the P3 parking lot, which definitely assisted in prevented the fountain perimeter from becoming too crowded. Visitors could also browse freely, as there was far more asphalt surface area than booths.

​Japan Festival had chosen to open the marketplace earlier on Friday, but setup had been sluggish and the full lineup of vendors wouldn't be present until the weekend. In response to this, I deemed a weekend visit warranted to replenish my inventory of umeshu-infused plums and yuzu soda.

Saturday was the hotter of the two days, while overnight showers extending into the early afternoon hours had made for overcast and windy conditions come Sunday. My 4 PM arrival coincided with the final hours of the event, which was slated to cease at 7 PM.
​At first, it was chillier than desired. Two rounds of lineups later, the sun emerged, revealing blue skies and reinstating warmth.

​The usual sponsors of Subaru and Canon were on site, though Denso was nowhere to be found. Instead of a spin-the-wheel initiative resulting in branded merchandise, Canon featured an on-site studio setup. Behind a wooden frame partition, a softbox and artificial cherry blossom background had been configured for complimentary photos. Visitors could have their images taken, printed, and even framed on the spot! Although the frame quality was strictly mediocre, the quality of the photos was admittedly impressive. Of course, the objective was to promote the brand's recently launched photo printer.

Despite cooler climate having deterred a significant number of visitors, queue lengths had not been reduced drastically. A decent handful had been spotted at each of the sponsor booths, with Canon's being the longest - an approximate twenty-minute wait.
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Subaru closed their booth shortly after my arrival. Meanwhile, Instax ran out of film by the 6 PM mark, much to my disappointment.

The Beer Garden, which hadn't been promoted as heavily as previous years, was still present, but renamed to "Spirits of Japan" instead. The name change sparked uncertainty, but I was keen to make a stop anyway.
To my dismay, just two stalls occupied the shaded strip. It seemed that relations with Ozawa had been severed since last year's thunderous turnout, nixing their attendance this time around.

We were mildly hungry, but, in spite of Ohiru and Sampo's shared booth offering relatively budget fare options of $5 Ohitashi and $10 Tontoro, the plates on display were not particularly appealing.

After I succeeded in negotiating sale of a Japanese Rice Lager and Lychee seltzer from Sampo without the mandate to consume both on site (on a nearly empty stomach), we re-entered the aisle of food vendors. ​

​Egg waffles had caught our eye, only until the incredulous prices did not. With the Original being priced at $10 and any other variety at $13 or $15, we took the opportunity to depart the queue and head towards the field instead. 

​A stall by the name of Sayu caught our attention, and we gravitated over slowly. Mitarashi Dango were being offered in three flavours: Original ($5), Kinako ($8), and Okonomi ($8). Each paper cone housed a trio of sauce-slathered mochi rounds.

I took to the Original, which was positively delicious. The sauce was tackier than expected, likely due to the inclusion of a cornstarch slurry, but harmonious in terms of its sweet-savoury profile.
Across from me, the Okonomi was presented with toppings of crispy rice and aonori; its sweet soy glaze persisted in both picks.

​"Mmmmh!" was our shared initial response. The mochi rounds were chewy and gratifying, and perfectly balanced by the accompanying condiment. The words of my (former) baking coworker returned to me: "It ends too soon!"

Along the east side of the square, termed "The Porch", were more vendors. These stalls were extremely smoky, with one featuring a lineup that crossed the field. Somewhat surprisingly, a handful had begun to cease operations for the day. Handwritten "sold out" signs draped over the railings was not uncommon.

The warmth of the sun filled the early evening atmosphere. Wind and rain had been replaced with blue skies and comfortable temperatures.

I was eager to check out the marketplace again. We stopped by the Nippon Express booth to try our hand at pachinko before heading over. Two of three of us obtained fans; the third successfully landed in the "black zone", earning all three prize options of a fan, pen, and tattoo sticker.

​Navigating to the P3 lot, it was evident that many vendors had not partaken in the early Friday opening. A number of local artists had definitely been absent on the first day of the festival.

​My findings spanned elaborate 3D postcards, a tea retailer (not Momo Tea), and handmade jewellery.

A friend had recommended cherei, whose intricate pieces assumed ones to which I took a liking. However beautiful, the collections leaned closer to statement jewellery, rather than daily accents suitable to pair against dull-and-drab suburban office attire.

​At long last, I found the all-important Café de Axis! Six yuzu sodas, two packs of umeshu-infused plums, and a non-alcoholic variation of plum wine set me back $85.20. The total was steeper than anticipated, but replenishing my inventory was non-negotiable.

​Consistent with the observations of a handful other festival-goers, providing separation of the vendor marketplace from the food stalls and stage performances improved navigability and peace of browsing. Visiting at the later hour on the last day had also contributed to lower visitor volumes and shorter queue lengths overall, however it is worth noting that one may risks being faced with supply constraints if adopting this approach. Given that my primary items of interest remained in stock, I minded not the early shuttering, for I much preferred exploring the grounds without suffering an intense heat wave.

I dropped off cookies and reunited my friend with her husband at Value Village. Then, it was time for me to make my return.
The afternoon stopover definitely proved lengthier than expected. Without my browsing partner in tow though, departure times could be wielded at will.

The haul was reviewed upon my return. Commongood Brewery's Ronin Rice Lager was consumed that very night, paired with my homemade array of pan-seared trout, spaghetti, and roasted asparagus.​

It was with admittedly high spirits that I concluded my weekend.
Of course, those sensations were short-lived with Monday just around the corner. Sigh.