The kick-off last year was more than successful: The Japan Festival MAIN MATSURI attracted many thousands of visitors to Walther-von-Cronberg-Platz over three days in the summer of 2018. After the great atmosphere among artists and visitors and the very positive public response, it was clear to the organizers: the festival will go into a second round in 2019. And so, from Friday, August 9 to Saturday, August 11, the beautiful square on the banks of the Main in Sachsenhausen will once again be transformed into a place where visitors can experience Japanese culture in all its facets with free admission. This includes a stage programme with numerous musicians and dancers who have travelled especially from Japan, also workshops and lectures all about Japan and a Japanese-style market with food, merchandise and information stalls.
The stage programme, which thrilled the 22,000 or so visitors over three days last year, will again be colourful and multi-faceted at the second edition. Japanese musicians will perform on the main stage, giving traditional Japanese music a modern makeover. In addition to the taiko drum, the guitar shamisen and the flute shakuhachi, the koto, a Japanese harp, will be heard for the first time this year. TJ Maeda, an up-and-coming J-pop singer, will also be a guest at the festival. The Japanese art rock band KAO=S, whose charismatic singer Kaori Kawabuchi is also a well-known sword dancer, could also be won over again for MAIN MATSURI after their brilliant performance at the festival premiere.
A new focus this year will be on art. Kazuya Usui, a live paint artist, will make his first appearance. His traditional ink-painted motifs take you right back to the Edo period. He paints old traditional motifs, such as dragons, with ink. Mokyo Usui often sets his paintings to music - at the Main Matsuri he will also perform on stage together with live musical accompaniment. At the MAIN MATSURI, he will have a booth where the public can have motifs painted on T-shirts, paper umbrellas or fans and buy them immediately.
The response to the gastronomic offerings last year showed that Japanese cuisine enjoys great popularity. Therefore, the culinary variety is set to become even wider at the upcoming festival. Exhibitors will offer Japanese cuisine in all its variations - from traditional dishes to current street food trends, such as Japanese cr<x>ampersand</x>egrave;pes.
Cosplay - dressing up a character, for example from movies and series - will also play an important role again. In particular, the big cosplay competition on the festival Saturday will be a highlight for manga and anime fans. And gamers will also get their money's worth: for the first time, Flemming's Frankfurt Hotel Main-Riverside will offer a dedicated gaming area where visitors can try out brand new titles in a relaxed atmosphere.
For the first time, the Literaturhaus Frankfurt will also be a partner of the festival. Various lectures and workshops will be held at the location on the opposite bank of the Main, where visitors can delve even deeper into Japanese culture.
The event times of Main Matsuri 2019, which is once again under the patronage of Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann and presented with the kind support of the Japanese Consulate General,as well as further information can be found HERE.
