Overview of Hutt Japan Day 2023
Hutt Japan Day 2023 - Summary
After a four-year hiatus due to the global pandemic, Hutt Japan Day made a triumphant return on Sunday 19 November, 2023. This highly anticipated event saw numbers of approximately 7,500 turn out to celebrate all aspects of Japanese culture between the hours of 11am and 3pm.
The event consisted of three main areas:
A market with 18 vendors selling everything from Sake to Kimonos.
An outdoor food area on Dowse Square featuring 9 food vendors all offering Japanese cuisine OR dishes with a Japanese twist. Some outdoor performances, demonstrations and workshops were also held out on Dowse Square where weather allowed.
Our main stage area in the Lower Hutt Town Hall featured 11 groups displaying a range of performances, demonstrations and a traditional tea ceremony.
Whilst the weather was always threatening to impact the days proceedings, it largely held off and only two outdoor performances were impacted. Both of these performances were able to be relocated to the main stage.
The day also featured a live video link with a group of residents in Sister City; Minoh, Japan. They very much enjoyed hearing from locals and getting a glimpse of the celebration of Japanese culture taking place here in Lower Hutt.
