Springfield Sister Cities Association and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board will host the 29th annual Japanese Fall Festival September 5-7 at the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park.

The festival celebrates Springfield's long relationship with Sister City Isesaki, Japan with authentic cultural experiences for all ages, including:

· Samurai Sword Soul returning as the headline entertainer with its theatrical mix of humor, drama and authentic sword-fighting arts performed in a contemporary artistic style.

· New participants Bentenya, a group of Japanese Chindon Girls who are traveling Route 66 to introduce Japanese culture through their performances.

· Two groups of taiko drummers – returning favorites St. Louis Osuwa Taiko and the new Forest of Nukumori, a Japanese family of five whose father trained with a renowned drumming group in Japan.

· Springfield’s own Japanese cultural performers – the Kizuna Japan America Friendship Group; fun dance cover groups KiRi KiRi, Summer Magic, MoonMagic Dance; and Springfield Cosplay hosting a hologram show on Saturday evening.

· World-renowned large-scale calligrapher Seiran Chiba, who will make a return visit from her home in Fukushima, Japan.

· Several advanced archery students from Japan demonstrating Kyūdō, a martial art that emphasizes both accuracy and character development.

· The largest number of food, retail and information booths to date. Two food courts will feature expanded sweet and savory offerings reflecting Asian and U.S. tastes.