JapanFest Celebrates 50th Anniversary
With a red sun symbol freshly stamped on my right hand, I walked through the entrance of Gas South Arena into JapanFest.
With five decades under its belt, JapanFest is a testament to the collaboration between JapanFest Inc., the Japan-America Society of Georgia, and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia. The festival is about sharing unique elements of Japanese culture, such as theater, dance, food, fashion, and art, as well as fostering the cultural and business connection between the two cities. Events like this help Atlanta keep its reputation as an active, diverse, and welcoming city where people can be themselves, try new things, and showcase what makes their culture so unique. The acceptance of sharing more cultural artistry is how varying forms of Japanese entertainment continue to enter mainstream American culture and make their mark in Atlanta.
As a first-time festival attendee, I saw the effects of this collaboration first-hand as three beautiful Black women decked out in their rendition of Japanese Lolita (called rorīta fasshon) waited in line for Boba Tea. Japanese girls wearing getas (wooden sandals) rushed to catch up with their mothers at the stalls called “Ginza Street” which replicated Natsumatsuri, the Japanese summer festival. Vendors sold everything from plush anime toys and ramen noodles to jewelry and samurai swords. Traditional carnival games like kingyo sukui (a goldfish scooping game), and omikuji (fortune slip) kept people entertained as we all waited for the return of Kabuki, a performance featuring extravagant costumes, impressive kumadori make-up, and traditional Japanese music.
Events like this help Atlanta keep its reputation as an active, diverse, and welcoming city where people can be themselves, try new things, and showcase what makes their culture so unique. This shift in sharing more cultural artistry is how Japanese entertainment continues to enter mainstream American culture and make its mark.
