VIDF 2025: Omote (面)

Wednesday, March 12 & Friday, March 14 | 7:00 PM — 7:50 PM Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre | 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver Sliding scale tickets $25 — 65 PSFS is thrilled to be a community partner with the Vancouver International Dance Festival 2025, supporting this innovative performance by Shion Skye Carter and Miya Turnbull. Don’t miss this incredible … Read more

3rd Annual Setsubun New Year Event

Sunday, February 2 | 11:30 AM – 2:30 PMOppenheimer Park | 488 Powell St.FREE Event Join us for our annual community care event, Setsubun (節分)! This special event will feature a sacred fire, held in collaboration with local Indigenous leader, Elder Veronica, to honour the connections between our communities. We’ll also honour Elder Clint, practice mamemaki (豆まき), … Read more

Powell Street Festival Society Welcomes Sophie Yamauchi Latimer as Executive Director

For Immediate Release — The Powell Street Festival Society (PSFS) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Sophie Kristveig Yamauchi Latimer as its new Executive Director. A fourth-generation Japanese Canadian (Yonsei), Sophie brings extensive experience in non-profit management and community engagement. She succeeds Emiko Morita, who has served as Executive Director since 2015, to lead … Read more

paueru gaizette No. 6

paueru gaizette no. 6 Read this edition This edition of the zine explores the duality of grief and healing. Like a coin the print version of the zine is double sided with two themes “healing through celebration” and “to celebrate is to grieve” however, you may find elements of both themes interwoven throughout. The healing … Read more

Volunteer at Powell Street Festival Society – Make an Impact Year-Round!

Volunteer with Powell Street Festival Society – Make an Impact Year-Round! Volunteer Opportunity for Year-round programs Powell Street Festival Society (PSFS) is looking for volunteers not only for our annual festival but also for our year-round programs that support the Japanese Canadian and Downtown Eastside communities.  Whether you’re interested in supporting communities in the DTES … Read more

Thank you for coming to the 48th Annual Powell Street Festival!!

Powell Street Festival 2024 the largest Japanese Festival in Canada

48th Annual Powell Street Festival 48th Powell Street Festival Artwork by Nicole Larsen (https://rippleandrise.ca/) It’s official! The 48th Powell Street Festival returns on August 3rd and 4th, 2024! Get ready for a vibrant celebration filled with mouthwatering festival foods, one-of-a-kind craft vendors, captivating exhibitions, and dynamic performances! Plus, don’t miss out on our crowd-favourite lottery … Read more

16th Annual Asahi Tribute Game

Date: Sunday, September 15, 2024 | 10am sign-up | 11am games begin Location: Oppenheimer Park Free, Drop-in Event 日付:2024年9月15日(日曜日)10時チーム受付開始|11時試合開始 場所:オッペンハイマー公園 無料、ドロップイン・イベント Pre-register here! Drop-in for our 16th annual Vancouver Asahi Tribute Game! 今年で16回目となるバンクーバー朝日トリビュートゲームに、ぜひお立ち寄りください! Drop-in for our 16th annual Vancouver Asahi Tribute Game! Come play a game of ball as we commemorate the historic Vancouver Asahi: … Read more

Sound of Dreams – Dream of Riches Inspired Soundtrack Project

Powell Street Festival Japanese Canadian Art and Culture Summer Festival in Vancouver - Music - Onibana Taiko

“Sound of Dreams” Dream of Riches Inspired Soundtrack Project Onibana Taiko – (left to right) E. Kage and NoriNori Inspired by the images from the iconic Dream of Riches Collection, comprised of photos from JC community members and compiled by the late Tamio Wakayama, Onibana Taiko presents an immersive contemplation of our community ancestor’s lives … Read more

Celebrate Japanese Canadian art and culture at the 48th Annual Powell Street Festival!

Powell Street Festival Japanese Canadian Art and Culture Summer Festival in Vancouver

2024 Festival Program The Powell Street Festival, Vancouver’s annual celebration of Japanese Canadian arts and culture, is set to return August 3 – 4, 2024 from 11:30am – 7:00pm with a diverse spectrum of free events and activities for all ages. Centered in the historic Paueru Gai neighbourhood, the festival spans Oppenheimer Park (400 Block, Powell Street) … Read more

Children’s Sumo Workshop 2024

children sumo - Vancouver Japanese summer festival pre-event

Children’s Sumo Workshop 2024 Register Here Join us for a morning of sumo training! These sessions’ aim to build confidence and safety around this popular Japanese sport in preparation for the Festival. Children ages 2-18, regardless of size, gender, or experience are welcome to participate. From 10-10:45 am will be ages 2-12 and 11-11:45am will be … Read more

Reflections from the 2023 Japanese Canadian Youth Cohort

2023 JC Youth Cohort Reflection

This past summer, Powell Street Festival Society welcomed our second Japanese Canadian Youth Cohort to Vancouver. This program for Japanese Canadian youth ages 19-29 aims to create an embodied experience of Japanese Canadian identity as vibrant and vital. Beginning with online training, education, intergenerational relationship building, and skills development, this program culminated in a 10-day … Read more

Meet the 2024 Japanese Canadian Youth Cohort

2024 Japanese Canadian Youth Cohort

Powell Street Festival Society is excited to announce the members of our thrid Japanese Canadian Youth Cohort! This expenses-paid program brings three young Japanese Canadians aged 19-29 who are living outside a 100-mile radius from Oppenheimer Park to experience the Powell Street Festival and participate in its production, attend training sessions, and to create an embodied … Read more

2024 Vancouver Basho: Amateur Sumo Exhibition

2024 Vancouver Basho: Amateur Sumo Exhibition Banner

2024 Vancouver Basho: Amateur Sumo Exhibition Designed by Kayla Isomura Sunday, June 9th, 2024 | 1:00 – 5:00 pm | Templeton Secondary School, 727 Templeton Drive, Vancouver Tickets: $15-30, sliding scale. $5 for children under 12 Available online until June 5 with limited availability at the door Buy Tickets Now Join us on Sunday, June … Read more

DOXA 2024

DOXA 2024 Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama | Sunday, May 5th at 4:15pm | The Cinematheque Powell Street Festival Society is proud to be a Community Partner of the DOXA Documentary Film Festival. DOXA will be screening three Japanese Canadian and Japanese films this month: Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama Black … Read more

Drumming Up Spirit: Tzo’kam and Sawagi Taiko in concert at the Annex

Drumming Up Spirit: Tzo'kam and Sawagi Taiko in concert at the Annex

Drumming Up Spirit Featuring Sawagi Taiko and Tzo’kam Sunday, May 12, 2024 | Doors: 1PM, Show: 2PM The Annex | 823 Seymour Street, Vancouver Sliding-scale tickets $20/ $25/ $30 ($15 for children 12 and under) Buy Now! Vancouver Independent Music Centre Society (VIM), in association with the Powell Street Festival Society, is excited to announce … Read more

Hanami: Cherry Blossom Picnic 2024

Sunday, April 14th, 2024 | 12:30PM-3:00PM Oppenheimer Park Free Event Join PSFS under the spring cherry blossoms for a taiko performance, Japanese craft making, and a hot meal of Japanese curry rice. Fold your hopes and wishes into paper craft cherry blossoms and create rainy weather wards, called teru teru bozu! All materials provided. Lunch … Read more

Musing on the Making of IzumonookunI

Aretha Aoki crawling across stage with a child on her back.

IzumonookunI Blog Post Powell Street Festival Society is proud to be supporting the development of “IzumonookunI,” a multidisciplinary dance inspired by Izumo no Okuni, the 17th century cis-female founder of kabuki: a Japanese dance-drama form that currently contains little trace of its cis-female-centric, grassroots, counter-cultural origins. The following blog post is a reflection by choreographer Aretha Aoki on her motivations and ethos in … Read more

Dance Experiment

Aretha Aoki crawling across stage with a child on her back.

Dance Experiment Photo credit: Still from video by Colin Kelley Saturday, March 9Morrow | 910 Richards St., VancouverFREE Dance and Improvisation Workshop| Register Now! Dance Experiment is a free workshop for movers and choreographers informed loosely by the multidisciplinary dance project, IzumonookunI by Aretha Aoki and Ryan MacDonald. Aoki will lead participants in a warmup and exercises for … Read more

2nd Annual Setsubun New Year Event

Saturday, February 3 | 11:30 AM – 2:30 PMOppenheimer Park | 488 Powell St.FREE Event Join us for elder Veronica’s Sacred Fire, special appearances and a community meal of Japanese curry rice. This New Year’s event features a nod to Setsubun traditions like mamemaki, alongside Powell Street Festival twists as we celebrate a turning point … Read more

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