2025: Annual Nihon Matsuri Japan Festival Event (Tea Ceremony, Mochitsuki-Rice Pounding, Karate, Taiko, Cosplay..) Salt Lake City, UtahNEW

To share and educate the larger Utah community about Japanese and Japanese American culture, history, and traditions as well as to be a way to pass on the Japanese traditions and culture to younger fifth, sixth, and seventh generation Japanese Americans and to help them identify with their heritage. 

Date
April 26, 2025, Saturday

Time
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Parking
Salt Palace - Parking for Free!  Please use 300 W entrance.
Don't use 200 South entrance. (This entrance's parking area is not Free).

Performances


Exhibit Room
If you take a look inside of the Buddhist Temple on the East end of the festival you will find all sorts of interesting exhibits from Ikebana to information about the Topaz Interment camp. This year we will have a photo exhibit from the early Japanese railroad workers and miners. If you are interested in the story of the Japanese American Railroad workers, check out the collection from the J. Willard Marriott Library

Tea Ceremony
Japanese traditional tea ceremony is a way to show how much the host welcomes the guests and to serve a bowl of tea for them. At the tea ceremony, guests and the host share precious time and care for each other with respect.

You will enjoy a quiet, meditative time with the sound of boiling water and making tea.  We hope you enjoy the tea ceremony. Matcha tea powder is finely ground green tea. Its aroma and taste are so delicate.

Demonstration, Discussion and Q&A Panels 
Inside the overflow area in the Buddhist temple we will be having a panel room where we cover Japanese art, music, culture and more. A panel is a type of classroom setting that is open to all people and can usually be found and conventions and other festivals. Panels can be one expert presenting on a subject, multiple experts discussing a topic, multiple experts taking questions from the audience and giving their answers, and even a single expert taking questions from the audience. At Nihon Matsuri we are working on putting together a panel of schedules including topics such as Taiko Drumming and other Japanese Music, Ikebana, Japanese Cosplay, and even

Cosplay Contest
The cosplay community of Utah has come together to share their talent through the Nihon Matsuri, and we are continuing that tradition with our Cosplay Contest! The goal of the contest is to explore Japanese culture through anime and other forms of entertainment popular in Japan, so we will continue our format of providing an introduction that explains a bit about the series and characters being represented on stage.

In addition to the thrill of participating in this one-of-a-kind contest, there are several prizes and awards you can receive for your craft, performance, and presence!

About Nihonmatsuri
"Nihonmatsuri" translates to "Japanese festival" in English. It refers to any festive event or celebration in Japan that showcases Japanese culture, traditions, arts, and cuisine. These festivals can vary widely depending on the region, but they often include activities such as traditional dance performances, music, food stalls, and sometimes fireworks displays. Nihonmatsuri are often colorful and lively events that attract both locals and tourists alike.