2013 Japan Expo & Matsuri in Sydney

Matsuri (祭り) means "festival" in Japanese, and this year the Japan Expo & Matsuri event has once again being held at Darling Harbour in Sydney. Comparing to last year, it seems like the crowd has gotten bigger and there were more individuals dressing up in Cosplay or Yukata (informal summer kimono).

There were several stalls displaying travel brochures and information to Tokyo and the rest of Japan, as well as stalls with traditional Japanese food, beverage and fun activities for the crowd. The main stage at the middle have several shows running from morning till evening, this year I managed to catch "The art of Sashimi in action" (see video below). This is where a HUGE tuna was sliced and then handed to Ocean Room's executive chef Raita Noda to cook it on the spot. There were also other shows including singing, dancing, Sumo, Karate and fashion throughout the day.

One other reason I was there at the Matsuri was because me and Bun are heading to Tokyo in Feb 2014!! They had so much handy information on Tokyo at the Matsuri so that was good, we just couldn't wait now!!!

 

 

I always find those little decorations at Matsuri mesmorizing...

 

 

After the show, I decided to go try out calligraphy! Here is where the Sensei (teacher) is showing me how to write "Happiness" in Japanese Kanji.

 

Just before I left the Matsuri, I spotted this group of One Piece Cosplayers so there's no way I'm going to miss a snap shot of them :D (Yes I am a super fan of One Piece anime)

 

 

Now here's a video I filmed of "The art of Sashimi in action" show at the Matsuri:

 

 

 

Time: Summer (2013 festival was held on Sat 14th December)

Place: Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, Sydney

Web: http://matsurisydney.com

 

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