Canada’s Biggest Japanese Festival Just Got Bigger in Mississauga
Published November 16, 2016 at 12:03 am
If you enjoyed this year’s much-anticipated (and wildly successful) Japan Festival, we have great news for you–the festival is getting an extra day in 2017.
Just in case you forgot, the inaugural Japan Day Mississauga (now called Japan Festival Canada) was held at Celebration Square in the summer and it more than lived up to the pre-event hype. The festival, which ran on a Sunday in July, welcomed approximately 40,000 people during its bustling eight-hour run.
The event was actually the largest Japanese event ever held in Canada and was organized to introduce “Wa” or “True Japan” to Canadians. The soiree was a huge hit, possibly because it celebrated one of Japan’s greatest and most crucially important exports (food) and was run similarly to a traditional Japanese summer festival (or Matsuri). The day was absolutely packed with spectacles, including drumming, dancing, J-Pop, breakdancing, sake and traditional Japanese food.
PHOTOS: Japan Festival Mississauga 2016
Mississauga Celebration Square was home to the first Japan Festival Mississauga on Sunday and it was one of the biggest and most well-attended the events the Square has ever hosted. Read more
Next year, organizers expect to attract up to 85,000 visitors over a two-day period.
As far as food goes, attendees at next year’s event can expect double the amount of vendors. Last year, the event attracted such big name restos as Ginko Japanese Restaurant, Kinton Ramen, Mye Japanese Restaurant and more. Although the food scene at this year’s festival got its fair share of praise, many people wished it was a little bigger.
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Well, ask and you shall receive. Next year, there will be significantly more food vendors and twice as much entertainment.
Speaking of entertainment, this year’s festival boasted Japanese beverage booths, traditional Japanese music, entertainment, live performances and more. The event also included a Bon Odori — a traditional Japanese square dance — that took place during the wrap-up and was open to all sponsors, performers and attendees. To add even more Japanese flavour to the festivities, all-girl J-pop group Nijicon came and roused the crowd with their catchy tunes.
While no details are available just yet, organizers have said that, in terms of entertainment, attendees can expect a “big surprise” at next year’s festival.
The inaugural event was held to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Mississauga’s relationship with its Japanese sister city, Kariya. Now, organizers hope the event becomes the biggest Japanese festival in all of North America.
Next year’s event will take place August 26 and 27, 2017.
Stay tuned to insauga.com for more details!
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