Düsseldorf.
Little Tokyo on the Rhine: May 13th is Japan Day again. The culture of the island state will be presented in various facets in Düsseldorf for the 20th time.
According to current statistical surveys, around 8,300 Japanese live in Düsseldorf, and 410 Japanese companies are active in the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital. The community in the city of 620,000 initially grew slowly but steadily from the 1950s, today sushi restaurants, manga shops and many other typical local facilities have long been part of the cityscape – the area around Immermannstraße near the main station.
Once a year, Japanese culture is celebrated in a special way. Japan Day on May 13 is coming up for the 20th time. Along the banks of the Rhine, visitors can once again expect a wide range of music, cuisine, clothing, dance, sports and tourist tips. It starts already at 10 a.m. Then the first stands open with a wide range of manga, matching merchandise and antiques at the Reuter barracks, the same applies to the samurai army camp and the kyudo archery in the immediate vicinity of the state parliament building – in the latter, guests can prove their skill and accuracy place.
Japan Day 2023: There are more gastronomic offers than before
“O zapft is'” in the Rhenish-Japanese style will be the motto at 12 noon on the stage at Burgplatz when Düsseldorf’s Lord Mayor Dr. As part of the official opening, Stephan Keller does not, of course, tap a (white) beer keg, but a sake keg. The classic Japanese rice wine can of course be bought and drunk at various huts throughout the site. Additional culinary offerings include sushi, chicken skewers, ramen, onigiri and much more, compared to 2022 there will be 13 additional restaurateurs on site.
Cosplays are traditionally a very important part of Japan Day. Numerous visitors spend months crafting costumes based on the models of their series and manga heroes – from Nintendo characters such as “Zelda” hero Link to Sailor Moon to science fiction characters from lesser-known series, everything is represented. Throughout the day, cosplay fans present themselves in various competitions on the pop culture stage at Johannes-Rau-Platz. The winner will be announced there around 6 p.m. Whoever wins, in cooperation with sponsor Japan Airlines, wins flight miles worth a flight to Japan. The same applies to the person who comes out on top in the manga drawing contest (12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Reuterkaserne).
Singer/Songwriter Kaho Nakamura as Top-Act
The Burgplatz stage, on the other hand, should primarily attract friends of music typical of the country. Various taiko drum groups, wind ensembles, choirs and the hip-hop formation D.Studio (4:30 p.m.) will be playing throughout the day. The musical highlight is the performance by the singer/songwriter Kaho Nakamura, who can be heard for an hour from 9.45 p.m. She is also known to some as the voice of Suzu Naito in the anime “Belle”. This is followed directly by the usual grand finale with the big fireworks display – this year under the motto “The Japanese seasons in the Düsseldorf night sky”.
Japan Day, May 13, 10 a.m. to approx. midnight, Rhine promenade, Düsseldorf. Admission free. You can find the entire program at www.japantag-duesseldorf-nrw.de.
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