Japan Matsuri 2009 surpassed our wildest dreams. We anticipated that the maximum number of festival-goers would be around 15,000. In fact, we had more than twice this number, all of whom enjoyed the delicious food and wonderful entertainment throughout the day.
In the four weeks leading up to the festival we had more than 45,000 people visit our blog, with 11,000 in the final two days.
All of this helped to make the event a first rate family occasion, and an opportunity for many to experience for the first time some of the very best of Japanese traditions old and new.
This is just some of the interest that was generated on websites and in the press and the comments are still growing!
So, please let us know if you decide to upload any more by adding links to a new post on our Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Japan-Matsuri/93613348267
Japan Televison
NHK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T4ja4SGlic
NNN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5NIsF-iDd4
News 24 http://www.news24.jp/articles/2009/09/20/10144119.html#
Videos (You Tube etc.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAbhJqGSuT4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE3F3JDT7To&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOOly10177o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J6maq_A4eI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liBm6ansQ4g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6sYhDThZrg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVveC96aDU0
http://vimeo.com/6699878
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV97-ffIyoc
http://b.static.ak.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/z4HBM/hash/3krgnmig.swf?v=152595002812&ev=0
Images (Flickr etc.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nigalraymond/sets/72157622418426750/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mortalcoil/sets/72157622291162169/
Reviews
http://londonist.com/2009/09/review_japan_matsuri_festival_spita.php
We have still to make the announcement for the winner of the photography competition (details at http://japanmatsuri.com/?p=750), so make sure to bookmark our home page to find out the result.
A huge thank you to the performers, stallholders, staff, and in particular to Hammerson and Spitalfields Market who hosted the event.
More importantly, ‘Arigato’ to all who came to the event and helped to make it the success it was. We hope to see you all again next year at Japan Matsuri 2010.
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Images courtesy of John Sturrock































