All things Japanese will be the focus of the FREE Oita Japan Festival #OitaATX!

Join us for Taiko drumming, a kimono show, gold fish and water balloon scooping, a tea ceremony, a noodle eating contest, and a demonstration of the martial art of kendo. Children can try their hand at origami, write their name in kanji, and practice using chopsticks. We will show films highlighting Oita and business opportunities in Japan will conduct seminars about traveling and doing business in Japan. 

Japanese ceramics, kimonos and calligraphy, as well as Japanese foods and sake will be available. A silent auction also is planned!

The festival is being held in conjunction with Planet Cinema 2017, which will feature a week of Japanese anime films presented by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department Division of Museums and Cultural Programs. The Japanese Anime Series kicks off 4-6 p.m. Aug. 12 at the AARC with a screening of “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.” The Studio Ghibli film, directed by Isao Takahata, was nominated for an Academy Award in 2015.

Festival attendees are encouraged to wear kimonos or anime costumes.

For a complete schedule of festival activities, and a schedule and descriptions of the films in the Japanese Anime Series, see www.facebook.com/AustinOita and www.AustinOita.org