The biggest Japanese festival in North America returns to Mississauga
Published June 27, 2022 at 12:00 pm
What’s being billed as North America’s largest Japanese cultural festival is back in Mississauga after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Aug. 20-21, Japan Festival Canada takes over Celebration Square in the downtown core as the largest Japanese cultural event in North America, according to organizers.
The festival has lined up 15 food vendors who’ll be offering up their tasty dishes throughout the two-day event.
Vendors confirmed for the festival are:
- Kinka Izakaya
- Kinton Ramen
- Neo Coffee Bar
- Ryu’s Noodle Bar
- GUSHI
- Ichifuku Ramen
- EDO Restaurant
- Fisherman’s Plaice Fish and Chips
- Crafty Ramen
- Uncle Tetsu
- Hattendo
- Fuwa Fuwa Pancakes
- Cheese Garden
- Happeace
- Savorology Artisan Bakery
Some 90,000 people attended the 2019 festival at Celebration Square, and organizers hope to exceed that number this year.
The festival’s goal, simply stated, is to “introduce and promote genuine Japanese food, culture and technologies,” organizers say, adding after two years of hosting the festival virtually, they’re looking forward to returning to an in-person, live event in the heart of the downtown core.
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Japan Festival Canada, first held in 2016, also seeks to further improve Canadian-Japanese relations, organizers note.
To that end, they add, the festival will provide “…exciting entertainment such as traditional and modern performances, pop culture stage performances, as well as delicious Japanese foods and much more.”
Japan Festival Canada, to be emceed by insauga.com publisher Khaled Iwamura, is one of a number of festivals returning to Mississauga Celebration Square this summer.
Festival season kicked off in late May and continues throughout July and August.
