Japan Festival got off to a ground-breaking start, literally, on Saturday, December 7, as the Embassy of Japan in Kingston announced before the event that it would be working with Royal Hope Botanical Gardens and the Nature Preservation Foundation for the creation of a Japanese garden at the iconic St Andrew space.

“It is a great pleasure to be invited to this ground-breaking ceremony for the Japanese garden and to have the opportunity to give something back as ambassador of Japan,” said Yasuhiro Atsumi, ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, addressing guests and media.

Ambassador Atsumi explained that the embassy was moved by calls from various sources, including Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme alumni, and even closer to home, his wife Tomoko, for whom gardening holds a special place as her mother is a master of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana.

Ikebana is the art of Japanese floral arrangement. After a visit to Hope Botanical Gardens, she felt a Japanese garden should join the other cultural gardens already on property.

Japan Festival itself marked the final event for Japan-Caricom Friendship Year 2024, which marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Jamaica.

The festival proved to be a blend of both cultures with over 800 participants at the public event. Patrons roamed the several booths set up to showcase Japanese arts such as calligraphy, Ikebana; Origami, the art of paper folding; Shogi, Japanese chess; and Kyudo, the Japanese martial art of archery. They could also experience Yukata, wearing a lightweight Japanese kimono, or see their favourite Anime or Manga character courtesy the Jamaica Cosplay Club and the Anime Nerds of Jamaica.

For the more adventurous, JET offered the potential to work in Japan, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, and the JICA Alumni Association in Jamaica provided opportunities for local cooperation.

When not indulging in the booths, the Sunken Garden main stage was a hive of activity with a karate demonstration, a quick cosplay competition, dance, and musical numbers. Things closed out with attendees on their feet dancing to Reggae Bon Bon, a combination of reggae and Bon Odori, the traditional Japanese folk dance.