What To Expect @ JAPAN SUMMER FESTIVAL

Next week, a feast for the senses awaits visitors at the biggest Japan Summer Festival, which is being held in connection with the tenth edition of the Sports Hub Community Play Day.

This will be taking place at the Singapore National Stadium on 8 & 9 September.

Gigantic festival ground at the Sports Hub

During the weekend-long fiesta, the Sports Hub will be transformed into a gigantic festival ground with more than 100 Japanese food & beverages, games and merchandise booths.

Stage Performances

Additionally there will also be a centre stage featuring 25 sensational stage performances by 24 groups and organisations from Japan and Singapore.

These include Taiko drum performances (ancient Japanese percussion with large drums), Yosakoi (unique dance performed at Japanese festivals) and Domobics (aerobics dance performance named after the beloved Domo-Kun mascot) and the Hawaiian Hula Dance, amongst others.

Meet and greet Domo-Kun and Pikachu

Besides leading the dance performance, the cute Domo-Kun will also be meeting his fans during a meet-and-greet session on a first-come-first-served basis.

And Pokemon fans will also not be left out either, because the yellow rodent Pikachu – the face of the Pokemon series, will be around, too, to meet and greet his fans – but don’t bring your Poke-Balls and throw them at him, though.

I love Pokemon and Pikachu, so I can’t wait to come face to face with the adorable yellow rodent. But I must remind myself that if I attempt to capture him, he won’t be able to meet all his other eager fans… But gotta catch ‘em all, eh?

Lots Of Merchandise For Sale

As well, visitors can expect a colourful array of Japanese merchandise including anime-related products, cosmetics and skin care products, tote bags, stationary, origami earrings, pre-packaged snacks, toys, French-inspired hats, hand-made spoon kits, artisanal accessories and more.

Yummy Food & Beverages

And there will also be authentic Japanese food and beverage stalls serving plenty of yummy food items too, so your stomachs won’t be hungry either.

These include Wagyu Roast Beef Don, Katsu Curry, Kaarage, Tonkotsu Ramen, Omelette Rice, Gyoza, Inari Sushi, Mini Udon with Gobo Tempura, amongst many others.

I know that a lot of these foods sound tantalising to my taste buds, so I simply can’t wait to try some of them out for myself.

Games

As a carnival is never complete without some festive games, there will be three main game zones at the Japan Summer Festival and these are as follows.

The Pokemon Carnival Zone – Pokemon fans can test their hand-eye coordination skills in games such as Let’s Battle Pikachu, Squirtle Yo Rescue and Gengar Shadow-Ball.
The Sports Hub Community Play Day Fun On Wheels Zone – Activities include the chance to relive the arcade glory days of the ‘90s with car racing video game Daytona and Initial D. Other popular games also include Dance Dance Revolution and Bishi Bashi.These are all games that I remember playing with my friends when we visited the arcade together during my school days. So they will definitely bring back some nostalgia for me.
The Japan Association Game Corner – Features Summer Festival favourites in Japan such as Yo-Yo Tsuri, a game involving fishing for water balloons using a frail paper string with a hook, Shateki, a game where participants can shoot targets to win them as well as Senbonbiki, where participants choose strings to pull to see if they can win prizes.

J-Party Fitness Workouts

Fitness buffs are not left out either, as there will be J-Party fitness workouts by Japanese instructors, consisting of popular routines like Zumba, Salsation and KardioBlast, from 1pm to 3pm on both days.

Said Masami Miko, one of the instructors, “This is my first time participating in the Japan Summer Festival and I am thrilled that I can spread the culture of Japan through my role of conducting the J-Party Fitness Session.”

Miko added, “I am looking forward to leading the dance party fitness aerobics, Zumba and KardioBlast workouts, incorporating some elements of Japanese culture such as the movements and even Japanese pop music. I hope everyone can join in and stay healthy by leading an active lifestyle.”

Other Activities

Other activities that visitors can expect, also include the ELXR assessments & fitness mobile application which also functions as a DNA-based training programme, as well as the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals Activation where participants can stand a chance to win prizes by challenging their skills at games such as balancing with a giant tennis racquet and attempting the Tennis Trivia Memory Card Game.

And fans can also rent out the traditional Japanese summer garment, the Yukata, to take photos too. This rental service is priced at S$15 and this service is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Agenda

Here is a full agenda of the activities that will be held on the two days of festivities – so that you will be able to plan when you want to head on down.