Children’s Tent (Sat) 子供テント(土)

Take part in a variety of free, supervised children’s activities in the tent, Saturday & Sunday, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Please sign up at the Children’s Tent for Suika Wari, Tug of War, and the Kiai Contest ahead of time; space is limited. (This is not a childcare program; please do not leave children … Read more

Mata Ashita

Matsuri Summer Festival Japanese Event Vancouver 2025 Powell Street Festival - Mata Ashita

Vancouver Japanese Language School-Japanese Hall: Room #416 An extension of Mata Ashita’s virtual intergenerational writing circle series, facilitators Megan Kiyoko Wray, Sarah Ariza-Verreualt, and Nico Koyanagi are hosting a collaborative, multimedia workshop inspired by community zine projects. Alongside editors of the paueru gaizette, the Mata Ashita team will lead a participatory art-making activity designed to … Read more

Sumo Workshop 相撲ワークショップ

Powell Street Festival 2024 the largest Japanese Festival in Canada

Vancouver Japanese Language School-Japanese Hall: Tatami Room バンクーバー日本語学校並びに日系人会館:畳ルーム  Come learn the basic rules and techniques of sumo wrestling in preparation for the annual Powell Street Festival Sumo Tournament on Sunday! This workshop will be facilitated by Sumo Sundays. Participation will be on a first-come, first-serve basis and will have a 16-person maximum.   Join us for … Read more

Vancouver Katori Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu: Sugawara Budo バンクーバー香取神道流剣術: 菅原武道

Summer Festival Powell Street Festival 2024 the largest Japanese Festival in Canada

Vancouver Japanese Language School–Japanese Hall: Japanese Hall  Katori Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu is a classical Japanese martial art that preserves the traditional sword-fighting techniques of the samurai. Practitioners train with a range of historical weapons, including the long and short sword, fighting staff (bo), spear, and naginata (halberd). Unlike modern forms such as Kendo and Iaido, … Read more

A for Effort

Matsuri Summer Festival Japanese Event Vancouver 2025 Powell Street Festival - A for Effort Kimiko

A for Effort delivers an exciting mix of familiar hits, playful takes on classics, and a sprinkle of original tunes: all brought to life with powerful harmonies and a full band sound. This performance is a collaboration between A for Effort and Brassica, two passion projects created by Kimiko Dorey and Jon Sykes. Together, they … Read more

Asian Persuasion All Stars

Asian Persuasion All Stars Summer Festival Japanese Event Vancouver Powell Street Festival

Asian Persuasion All Stars is a fun-loving, genre-blending collective of Vancouver indie rockers and artists from a variety of creative, talented and entertaining local groups. What began as a fundraising song to stand up against pandemic-era racism quickly became a musical movement. Their bold reworks of “Racist Friend” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends” turned … Read more

Watermelon Game (Suika Wari) スイカ割り

Powell Street Festival 2024 the largest Japanese Festival in Canada

Put on a blindfold, hit the watermelon, and win a prize! Sign up in advance at the Children’s Tent.   目隠しをしてスイカを割って、賞品をもらおう!事前に子供テントでお申し込みください。   

Tug-of-War (Sun) 綱引き(日)

Powell Street Festival 2024 the largest Japanese Festival in Canada

Work together as a team and win prizes. Sign up in advance at the Children’s Tent.   チームみんなで力を合わせて賞品を勝ち取ろう!事前に子供テントでお申し込みください。

Tug-of-War (Sat) 綱引き (土)

Powell Street Festival 2024 the largest Japanese Festival in Canada

Work together as a team and win prizes. Sign up in advance at the Children’s Tent.   チームみんなで力を合わせて賞品を勝ち取ろう!事前に子供テントでお申し込みください。

Kiai Contest 気合いコンテスト

Photo of the Kiai Contest at the Children's Tent at the 2005 Powell Street Festival, taken by Jon Elder

This is the time that kids can be as noisy as they want! Volunteer judges award prizes for the loudest, most creative, scariest screams, and yells. Sign up in advance at the Children’s Tent.   子供たちが好きなだけ騒げる絶好のチャンス!ボランティアの審査員が、一番大声賞、クリエイティブ賞、怖い賞を選び、賞品を進呈します。事前に子供テントでお申し込みください。 

Vancouver Ikebana Association (Sun) バンクーバー生け花協会 (日)

Matsuri Summer Festival Japanese Event Vancouver 2025 Powell Street Festival - Ikebana Japanese Flower Arrangement

Sunday, 1:30 – 2:00 pm 日曜日 午後1時30分~2時 The Vancouver Ikebana Association is a not-for-profit organization that aims to educate the community and promote the Japanese art of floral design (ikebana) within the Lower Mainland. Ikebana – Japanese floral design – will be on display and feature the styles of four different disciplines of ikebana.  バンクーバー生け花協会は、コミュニティーに教育を提供し、ローワーメインランドで日本の花道(いけばな)を広めることを目的とした非営利団体です。展示では、4つの異なる流派のスタイルを紹介します。 

APPARE Yosakoi Vancouver 天晴よさこいバンクーバー

APPARE Yosakoi Vancouver performs Yosakoi, a traditional Japanese dance originating from Kochi, Japan. Known for its colorful costumes and high-energy movements, Yosakoi is celebrated around the world for its joyful spirit and inclusivity. APPARE brings together members from diverse backgrounds to unite through dance and share that energy with audiences. The team’s name, APPARE, has … Read more

World Soran!

Powell Street Festival 2024 the largest Japanese Festival in Canada

World Soran! showcases two traditional Japanese folk dances rooted in fishing culture: Soran Bushi from Hokkaido and Ushibuka Haiya Bushi from Kumamoto. Their dynamic performances capture the vibrant energy and spirit of Japanese festivals, enhanced by their distinctive costumes — yukata and happi.  The dance team is made up of Japanese, Canadian, and Japanese Canadian … Read more

Kisyuu Japanese Calligrapher 書道家姫洲

Powell Street Festival 2024 the largest Japanese Festival in Canada

Kisyuu will go beyond the boundaries of traditional calligraphy art forms and write Japanese characters on large canvases to convey her messages, emotions, and creativity. Kisyuu will use multiple sizes of brushes and different colours of ink to create Japanese calligraphy art. Watch how her brush moves and enjoy witnessing the process of art making! … Read more

Kokoro Dance

Powell Street Festival Japanese Canadian Art and Culture Summer Festival in Vancouver - featured events

“Blood and Tears” is the premiere of a 30-minute butoh work collaboratively choreographed and performed by Kokoro Dance’s Co-Artistic Director Barbara Bourget and Associate Artistic Director Salomé Nieto and directed by Jay Hirabayashi with music by Michael Stearns. Using interior poetic imagery to provoke their physical responses, “Blood and Tears” reflects on Barbara’s and Salomé’s … Read more

Tenrikyo Joyous Stars 天理教ジョイアススターズ

2025 Powell Street Festival - Tenrikyo Joyous Stars

Tenrikyo Joyous Stars is a Japanese dance group composed of young dancers ranging from Grade 1 to high school. Through their performances, the group aspires to share joy and happiness with their audience. They warmly invite everyone to enjoy and celebrate the spirit of dance with them.

Tamami Maitland Trio タマミ・メイトランド・トリオ

Matsuri Summer Festival Japanese Event Vancouver 2025 Powell Street Festival - Tamami Maitland Trio

Tamami Maitland, a Vancouver-based singer-songwriter, captivates audiences with her groovy melodies, drawing from her Japanese heritage. Her music, a fusion of jazz and R&B, resonates with themes of nature and love reminiscent of traditional Japanese poetry. Following her successful debut international tour in Japan in 2023, Tamami continues to inspire positivity through her uplifting performances. … Read more

Search