2025: 3rd Annual Japanese Festival in Western Montana (Live Music, Sushi, Crafts, Ikebana, Calligraphy, Games..) 2 DaysNEW

3rd Annual Japanese Festival in Western Montana. The University of Montana Western and the Dillon Public Library are pleased to present the Third Annual Japanese Festival in Western Montana, taking place May 2-3, 2025. This community celebration features a wide variety of cultural activities, performances, and workshops for all ages.

Festival events will be held throughout Dillon, including venues at the University of Montana Western, the Dillon Public Library, and participating local businesses.

This year’s highlights include live koto (Japanese harp) and taiko (Japanese drum) performances, hands-on cultural activity tables, and downtown events such as a manga translation presentation, traditional tea ceremony, samurai demonstration, and paper armor crafts for kids.

Special guests and performers will travel from Seattle, Wyoming, and Japan. The festival is organized in part by Nao Fukumoto, the Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) Coordinator, who has been instrumental in bringing this cultural celebration to life.

To view the full schedule of events, visit: https://tinyurl.com/JFWM2025

Date
May 2-3, 2025

Festival Highlights
• Koto and taiko performances
• Taiko (drum), koto (harp), and shinobue (flute) workshops
• Manga translation presentation

Cultural tables
• Calligraphy
• Children’s Day crafts
• Kumamoto sister city presentation
• Sushi sampling

• JET Program info
• Japanese doll and cultural displays
• Saito family & Japanese history exhibit
• Samurai armor demonstration
• Paper armor craft workshop for kids
• Furoshiki (cloth wrapping) workshop
• Yukata (traditional clothing) try-on
• Sado (tea ceremony)

We gratefully acknowledge the support of Humanities Montana, Japan Foundation New York, and our generous sponsors and community partners for making this event possible.

Festival passports will be available starting April 28 at the Dillon Public Library.

For more information
Nao Fukumoto - nao.fukumoto@umwestern.edu