Springfield Sister Cities Association, in partnership with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, will host the 28th annual Japanese Fall Festival at the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden.

𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝘛𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺; 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥.

Fri., Sept. 6 from 5pm-10pm
Admission: $9/adult; $4/child ages 3-12

Sat., Sept. 7 from 11am-10pm
Admission: $14/adult; $4/child ages 3-12

Sun., Sept. 8 from 11am-6pm
Admission: $9/adult; $4/child ages 3-12; $4/person dressed in costume role play

𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒
𝗭𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲, Tokyo’s renowned acrobatic Kendama duo, will headline this year’s festival. Known for their dynamic blend of traditional Kendama (wooden cup and ball toy) and modern pop dance, Zoomadanke has captivated audiences worldwide since 2010.

𝗨𝘇𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘂, a yosakoi dance ensemble from San Jose’s Japantown, performs an energetic style of dance that blends traditional and modern Japanese movements and music.

𝗬𝗮𝘀𝘂 𝗜𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗮 is a storyteller and magician originally from Ube, Japan. Ishida combines traditional Japanese theatre, music, origami, magic and storytelling to bring the enchanting land of Japan to his audiences.

𝗦𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗮 is a world-renowned shodo artist from Japan's Fukushima prefecture. Her large-scale calligraphy performances are inspired by hope and peace.

Favorite performers returning to the festival include 𝗦𝘁. 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀 𝗢𝘀𝘂𝘄𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗸𝗼, ensemble drummers; 𝗞𝗶𝘇𝘂𝗻𝗮, Springfield’s Japan America friendship club; 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆’𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗽𝗼 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶, martial arts demonstrators; 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆, costume role play demonstrators; and 𝗞𝗶𝗥𝗮 𝗞𝗶𝗥𝗮 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱, cosplay dance team.

𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐄
View the full performance schedule at peacethroughpeople.org/jff.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒
Guests can explore numerous 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵𝘀, enjoy the 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁, browse the 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁, and eat at the 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁.

Children can enjoy traditional Japanese 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹’s Japanese language students until dusk each evening.

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐒
Workshop opportunities include wagashi, amezaiku, bonsai, kokedama, ikebana, kintsugi and martial arts.
View the full workshop schedule and register at peacethroughpeople.org/jff.

𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊
At dusk on Friday and Saturday, September 6 and 7, hundreds of torches light the garden pathways and soft Japanese music fills the air to create a romantic strolling atmosphere.

Purchase a 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 and set your dreams afloat on one of the koi ponds.

𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘
𝗖𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘆 in partnership with 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 is Sunday, September 8. Come to the festival in your cosplay (costume role play) to receive $4 admission.

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋
Produced by partnership between Springfield Sister Cities Association and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, the Japanese Fall Festival is a celebration of authentic Japanese culture highlighting 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝟯𝟴-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝘀𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗸𝗶, 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻. Each year, Springfield and Isesaki exchange performers to entertain and share culture at each other’s festivals. You can meet the Isesaki delegates at the festival's culture tent. We'll send Springfield musician Molly Healey to perform in Isesaki this September. Learn more at peacethroughpeople.org/molly.

Half of the festival’s admission proceeds support the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, sponsored by Simmons Bank. The remaining proceeds benefit Springfield Sister Cities’ cultural programs promoting “Peace Through People.”

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒
Springfield Sister Cities Association is a nonprofit organization encouraging goodwill between the people of Springfield, Mo., and its sister cities by creating and promoting opportunities to foster multi-cultural awareness and appreciation. Springfield has sister city relationships with Isesaki, Japan (formed in 1986) and Tlaquepaque, Mexico (formed in 2003).

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
For more information regarding the Japanese Fall Festival or Springfield Sister Cities Association, visit peacethroughpeople.org.