Konnichiwa! | こんにちは！
Japan Matsuri 2010 is on 18 September 2010! With use of the Old Spitalfields market area and much more space, it should be bigger and better! Please watch this space for more. 来たれ、Japan Matsuri! 日本の心,「祭」を一緒に創りませんか？
What's Going On
Japan Matsuri – London Japan Festival
Celebrating Japan in the heart of London
Looking forward to Japan Matsuri 2010
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
Thanks for organising this fantastic event!
One suggestion for 2010, find a bigger open space!
This time was so crowded, hardly able to walk around, queuing up for more than 1 hour to get food.
I felt so sorry for the parents with pushchairs and elderly visitors.
Oh, good sign indication will be great!
e.g. —> Main stage, —> Martial Art stage, etc.
A few photos from the London Bon Dancers’ performances:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21750028@N04/sets/72157622320714065/
I agree, much bigger area, and more advertising – I only learned about the event from an obscure ‘Facebook’ link… The walkways at Spitalfields Market are very small (see above photo) and it was a squeeze. There were few signs and although the event was mainly food sellers – I queued for a good 20 minutes and that was at 11:00 in the morning!
It was a very good event – but could be vastly better.
Thanks for your comments. Very helpful.
The fact is that we planned for between 10,000 – 15,000 people and were not aware that this would be any different until the morning of the event when people started to appear in such large numbers and made the event into the success it has become. A nice problem to have!
It might be helpful to know also that Hammerson, the owners of the site who were a fantastic support throughout, have possession of the area from Bishop’s Square to Crispin Place only, therefore for this event we couldn’t expand any further. We are now in discussion with all parties as to how this can be best handled for the 2010 Matsuri.
In the meantime please bookmark this blog as there will be more announcements coming up in the ensuing months. The photographic competition is still attracting entrants, and we will be uploading a short documentary of the event, courtesy of Don Productions, within the next few days.
Thanks
Michael Spencer. Executive Committee, Japan Matsuri 2009
Thank you Michael, I look forward to next year. I also run Facebook Shodou Kai and am sure we could run a competition/event to coincide.
Respects,
I was told about this Matsuri a couple weeks ago or so by a Japanese friend who lives in London and whose friend had a stall there, otherwise I would have known about it at all, as I live outside of London and nobody else had told me about it. I didn’t see any of my local friends there.
To support my friend’s friend and for curiosity I managed to go. When I found out the venue was bigger than expected, I was impressed with the size and the quality of the events. I saw the area was long and stretched deep inside, leading to the main stage, and the number of people grew and grew so that the area was packed with people when I came back to the other stage.
The varaety of events and stalls, such as Yoroi no stall, Kinomo no Kitsuke, Origami with real sized Kabuto, Cookery and Bonodori and Nodojiman, which I missed, were fantastic surprise and very entertaining. People of all ages and nationalities came along and tried the food and watched Bonodori etc were absolutely wonderful. I felt that for us Japanese it was the best event ever happened in the UK. Well done, to the organisers and who took part! I was very happy and satisfied that Japanese people made this lovely event.
It would be good to continue this in the future and improve the size of venue etc althouhg I liked the place with proper toilets and clean shopping centre and close to the main station.
With appreciation and thanks
Takee Glancy
Very impressive turnout. Agree with Glancy about the advertising, for some reason we always seem to miss events like this. Hopefully next time we can showcase our Zojirushi rice cookers and water heaters
Well done from us all at Yum Asia!
[...] I mention the crowds? It was packed! The official web site mentions that they expected up to 15,000 people but there were more than double that number on the [...]
Hiya, this sounds a really event. I’ve just moved down from Bath to outside London. I was just looking for Japanese events in London. Have you got a date for the 2010 Matsuri?
Hope all the preperation goes well. Last year’s event sounds amazing.
God bless
I was involved in the Matsuri in Hyde Park 2001 and also ten years prior in 1991. Both of these occasions were fantastic for me.I would say the highlight of my career to date. I was responsible for all the production side and all staff/ budget/ liasion with Hyde Park and the Japan Embassy etc. I would be very interesetd to know if there was a likely Large Scale Matsuri again in 2011 or if not whether you would need someone like myself to assist in your organising of such an event.
I look forward to hearing from you if there is indeed anything I could do. Best wishes Simon
Michael,
Do we have a date for the 2010 Matsuri yet?
Thank you,
i can’t believe i’ll miss it as i have to travel for work that weekend! i wish the team a successful matsuri this year. i was definitely looking forward to it and quite disappointed not to be able to enjoy it (though i agree you need a bigger space!)
Sorry to hear you will miss Japan Matsuri 2010. We’re really looking forward to it and particularly thrilled that the event will occupy both halves of the market this year, giving nearly double the amount of space. As you say… we need it!