Japan Matsuri 2023: 40,000 Japan Lovers Gather at Trafalgar Square
Our beloved festival took place for the first time after the pandemic (London, the UK).
Since 2009, Japan Matsuri — Matsuri means festival in Japanese — has taken place annually in London, and since 2012 in a prime location, Trafalgar Square. Although due to a pandemic, it has been on hiatus since 2019, this year, in 2023, with the catchphrase ‘Tadaima! (We are back!)’, the long-awaited Japan Matsuri returned. Hooray!!
I visited the festival in Yukata with my British friends, so I hope you will enjoy my report from a local point of view.
Japan Matsuri was held on the 1st October, 2023 from 10:00 to 20:00. At the opening ceremony, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, who is well known for loving Japan, gave an address. By around noon, there was this crowd. Although there were many food stalls selling Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba and so on, it was so crowded that it was difficult to even get close to them!
The number of visitors on that day was reported to be about 40,000. What was surprising was that about 95% of the visitors were non-Japanese. Of course, there are many visitors who were just ‘curious,’ but judging from their fashion and the enthusiasm, there were also a lot of avid Japan lovers. I visit this event almost every year, and each time I am moved by this spectacle.
Even the portable shrine provided by Teikyo London School made an appearance. The crowd went wild, shouting ‘Wasshoi, Wasshoi, Wasshoi (Heave‐ho!)’!
Looking at the shrine and people alone, it looks like Japan, but the background is the National Gallery😁
The programme covered everything from culture to martial arts. Even a Japanese comedian Yasumura appeared, which became a talking point amongst Japanese in the UK.
At lunchtime, the London International Orchestra performed. The famous piece from Ghibli’s ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and other pieces were played in Trafalgar Square…!
I almost cried when Dragon Quest Overture was played, because this game series, which I got into when I was in primary school, was one of the starting points of my love for Europe.
The landscapes and characters such as warriors and wizards were undoubtedly European and reflected English fantasy novels. I later learnt that the production team was inspired by English writers such as Tolkien. I was so influenced by this RPG that even today, I still expect dragons to be flying over some beautiful cities such as Edinburgh, and I talk to cats when I see them.
So, in a way, that game series has brought me here. And now I am in that world of adventure🐉
Just as we make a ‘party’ with people and monsters with different abilities in Dragon Quest, I gathered my dear friends I met in this city to enjoy this event with me. Two Japanese and four English, and one Italian joined us later. Am I a warrior? Or more like a mage or a dancer in a long dress, maybe?
An English friend said, “I just saw Japanese peaches on sale! I definitely want to buy some!” So I asked my other friends to go to lunch, and we two queued for fruits from Fukushima. This turned out to be a good decision, as by the time we were done shopping there were only three boxes left.
We also had a chance to taste some Fukushima-grown Shine Muscat!
And here are peaches! I was surprised at how big they were. These were premium peaches with a high sugar content. There were also some more reasonably priced ones next to them, but I went for the premium without hesitation. I bought three peaches and a can of peach juice.
And what a surprise, I was given Akabeko Netsuke! Akabeko is a famous toy shaped of a legendary cow in Fukushima, and it is believed to expel evil spirits. There were many colours to choose from, but I went for red and pink. Wow, Japan Matsuri is already wonderful.
There were also tastings of Japanese seafood, as well as the sales of products from Hokkaido. Everyone was enjoying shopping with a smile on their face.
It was Sunday afternoon and all the restaurants were very crowded, but three Londoners in our party knew the best place for such a case. We went to a hidden café in the basement of the church.
And then back to the festival site. The cheerful Awa Odori dance was so much fun! Many spectators were dancing too.
People love the lyrics of this dance song, when I explain it to them.
Odoru Ahou Ni Miru Ahou, Onaji Aho Nara, Odorana Son Son! (The dancers are fools, the watchers are fools, both are fools alike, so why not dance?)
What I was also happy to see was that this event showed not only the culture of the Yamato people, the majority of the Japanese today like myself, but also the wonderful music of the Ainu, a minority people in Hokkaido…
Also, the exciting Ryukyuan dance & music from Okinawa was performed.
I was truly impressed by this event, which allowed visitors to enjoy the wonderfully diverse festival cultures of Japan, from north to south. What a beautiful jewel box-like experience! Events like this are hard to find even in Japan 🥹
Furthermore, the venue had many people dressed in Kimono! I exchanged words with those people and took photos together. For instance, you see a lovely African couple in this photo…
And later, he knelt down and proposed to her! She cried and said ‘Yes’, and people around them cheered. I was very happy that they chose Japan Matsuri as the place for this important moment in their life. They were such a beautiful, happy couple both in kimono. Maybe they will visit Japan for their honeymoon 🤗
Afterwards, we all moved to a Japanese café and chatted while enjoying Matcha mille crêpes and other treats. I had an iced Hojicha latte.
And finally, a pint at an English pub (English tea for me!). Because, after all, it’s London and we all love this city!
It was eight years ago that I first attended Japan Matsuri. That’s why I drew the figure ‘8’ with my Obijime. And two of my friends, who I first met at the Matsuri in Trafalgar Square at that time, are also in today’s group. One of them said to me, ‘Eight years! Feels like no time at all, and forever.’ Yes, it really does. In another eight years, hopefully we’ll be here together again.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed it and would like to support me, there are several ways, all of which I would greatly appreciate. Arigato Gozaimasu!
- Engage with this article by liking, commenting, highlighting and sharing it.
- Subscribe to my articles. You will receive a notification once a new article is published.
- If you feel super generous, buy me a tea! That will make my day🎉
