Out & About #831 | Japan Festival 2022

​Two years of going virtual later, majority - if not all - gatherings and events have resumed since the second quarter of 2022. Japan Festival Canada is no exception, and its two-day return to Celebration Square was one brimming with tremendous anticipation.​

As with essentially every year past, mercury levels were brutal. It was unbearably hot, and even more so with lineups beyond areas of shade.

​I, after four and a half weeks of being subjected to UV rays in the wild, had grown more accustomed to the outdoor conditions than the sleepy polar bear. Opting for linen bottoms and a strapless top (and my go-to neck fan), I was prepared to even out my farmer's tan at long last.
​The ensemble would be completed with my Ars x Coco baseball cap. But even after roughly twenty minutes of frustration, I was unable to locate it. (It wasn't until the end of the day that I finally spotted it, tucked away in the backseat cupholder of the sleepy polar bear's vehicle, under the declaration that it had been a "Blue Jays" hat left by a different passenger. THE NERVE!!!)

​We arrived around the 12 PM mark, at which point lineups were lengthiest before the food vendors. Multiple spin-the-wheel attractions were found across the sponsor booths. These queues were shorter in comparison, thus sparked my interest. (Because, after all, I'm a sucker for free merch - regardless of whether I have an immediate use for it or not.)

​At the Nippon Express booth, I received a plastic cutlery set inclusive of a bottle opener, while the sleepy polar bear received a pen-highlighter hybrid.

​We then ventured towards the instax booth, where staff with iPads assisted guests with the newest model, now equipped with a device for drawing frames and embellishments. The event-specific Polaroid with orangecane was one of my favourite souvenirs from the 2018 experience; it was only reasonable that snapshots were acquired for this year's visit.
Stopping at the Canon booth, I spotted an entity all too reminiscent of Rainforest Café's mascot, Cha Cha Tree Frog. It was not him, though the similarities had me set on winning the tote. When it came to our turn to spin the wheel, we, unfortunately (in my eyes anyway), both emerged with seeds as part of an eco initiative. I grimaced while the sleepy polar bear stuffed the seeds away in the backpack of ever-augmenting weight.

​​​It was also at this booth that we spotted an owl! - living, breathing, and attached to its trainer.

View the full album HERE !

​Browsing the north side of the square briefly, I found much delight in climbing into one of the Kawasaki bikes for photos - until my bottom made contact with the scorching seat, that is.

​Settling for Gushi's comparatively shorter lineup, our four-piece takoyaki-flavoured Chicken Karaage set the stage for further sustenance. Its breading was unfathomably thin and crispy, while its insides tender in spite of the choice of white meat. A sticky, sesame-speckled sweet-savoury glaze coated the exterior, delivering a depth that was, admittedly, less takoyaki-like and more tangy/crunchy.

The first bite scalded me, prompting me to drop the piece back into the box while frantically reaching for water. We proceeded to munch on the palm-sized pieces while remaining the lineup for Ryu's Noodle Bar.

​A Yakisoba and Takoyaki Combo was available for fifteen dollars, the equivalent of our Gushi purchase earlier. Quite frankly, I had expected even steeper price points considering recaps of the Thai ahgase's night market adventures downtown. Relieved I was to discover extremely reasonable asks at Japan Festival.

​As in previous years, one lineup was formed for order placement, while the other for pickup. The latter was noticeably slower than the former, but both lines totalled under thirty minutes.

"Can you squeeze the mayo?" the sleepy polar requested of me. "I'm holding the chicken."
"Then put it down on the table." I responded, matter-of-factly. There was honestly no reason for a single-person task to be undertaken by two brains.

When we were called up to the pickup station, the staff member pointed to the tempura bits. "This is tenkasu." she informed us.
"Which is it for?" I inquired further, for she had not pointed to a dish in particular.
She pointed to the yakisoba.
At this point, another question had surfaced. "Do you have bonito flakes?" I pointed to the takoyaki.
"That is tenkasu." She dodged the question, so I asked again. "I think it is fine." came the follow-up response.

"They don't have it." was our silent collective conclusion.

​It wasn't fine though. The Takoyaki was soggy, devoid of aonori and umami-filled bonito flakes, and drizzled with a not-so-acidic, not-Kewpie mayo. I pushed the container away after the first sphere.

The Yakisoba, on the other hand, was scrumptious. Exceptionally greasy though, I could barely stifle a few bites before my mind conjured up an image of cold, refreshing beer. Strips of benishoga enabled a few more mouthfuls before the raising of the white flag, er napkin.

And so we navigated to the Beer Garden.

At the first booth, Sapporo were being retailed at $8 per can - half the typical dine-in price, but not cheaper than a six-pack from LCBO. At the third booth were cans of Kirin Ichiban First Press 100% Malt, at which samples were given to those interested.

Lining the perimeter of the second booth was an array of exclusive sakes, floated in bowls of ice water. Samples were not provided, but rather sold in 2 oz. portions between $6 to $12. The spread comprised of both modern and traditional sakes, though I was naturally more inclined to the fusion specimens.

The Umeshu Pulari combined the sweetness of plum wine with full-bodied essence of sake in a uniquely addictive concoction. Requests for further details would reveal that:

• Full-sized bottles could not be sold to consumers, (supposedly) according to law; and
• My luck could be tried at the "exclusives" LCBO store at Hwy 7 and Woodbine (mistakenly referred to as "Hwy 7 and Warden" before my confirmation/correction of the lady's information)

The sleepy polar bear made a beeline for Kakigori to beat the heat, while I, too antsy to stay put, made my rounds about the fountain. Having spotted shaved ice without a line, I hesitated not at securing a Houjicha-Butterfly Pea Flower Kakigori. It was, truthfully, no more than ice flakes with barely discernible syrup and unflavoured dango. That said, the service was quite friendly and presentation was nice - for the first few minutes.

By the time I had meandered back to the sleepy polar bear, my own portion of shaved ice had shrunk by half, dissolving under the toasty temperatures.
The Blue Hawaii edition from the Osaka stall was far too sugary for my liking. That said, the chunky slivers of ice supplied better textural variance.

A variety of vendors were yet to be explored.

From crafting origami daruma at OOMOMO to marveling over Green Tea Pocky toe socks to admiring the delicate resonance of glass wind chimes, it was undeniable that each booth warranted a stop.​

​By the fountain were families with young children, many presumably looking to cool down using the City's facilities while observing Japan Festival within close proximity.

​Perhaps the single element drawing confusion to me was the placement of egg waffle and lamb/octopus skewer vendors at the event. Customary night market-esque fumes soared from the stalls, wrapping about my cotton top and fragrance-donning strands. Conscious efforts had been made to avoid the smoky chaos of Asian night markets, leaving me rather displeased with the aforementioned outcome.

​We stayed a bit longer, as per my proposal to catch a fashion show held by Ghost Girl Goods. The combinations were colourful, eclectic, and wholly representative of my high school days' appearance. The sleepy polar bear took heat-stricken woes to Neo Coffee Bar's Iced Matcha Latte and standing in the shade, while I queued for more freebies.

​The next step of action involved errands within Square One, where many had escaped to in the face of fatigue.

​Goods from the day's adventure were revealed afterwards.

Matcha Cube Bread and Matcha Melonpan from Umi's Bread were delightful, and very reasonably priced at $3.50 apiece. The bread could be enjoyed lightly toasted and plain, or with a generous teaspoon of homemade mango jam. Adorned with a thin yet crunchy cookie layer, the Matcha Melonpan encased uniform chewiness and neatly browned underside.

​Eventually, I did end up securing a Canon tote with the help of the sleepy polar bear. My second try also resulted in seed acquisition, which I forfeited instantly.

​A Raptors 905 t-shirt had also been won after three successful shoots. Despite being the least acquainted with basketball as one can be, it came to my attention that I was now the holder of two Raptors items - both free of charge.

Ah, Japan Festival, I have indeed missed you.