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Vancouver's annual Japanese cultural festival returns with sumo wrestling, watermelon smashing and more

A steamroller will be brought out to help the printmakers

One year shy of 50, the annual Powell Street Festival is back in 2025 with two days of Japanese food, culture, and community.

The long-running event will feature a broad array of activities, performances, and demonstrations, from the popular amateur sumo wrestling tournament to watermelon smashing to large-scale printmaking with a steamroller.

Organizers say the free festival will feature 50 food and craft vendors and community booths over a weekend packed with workshops, activities, and over 60 events and 40 performances.

The festival mixes traditional and contemporary aspects of Japanese-Canadian culture, from the taiko drummers to the Asian Persuasion All Stars (a ska-and-reggae-influenced indie band) on stage. Dance performances are also planned, including a variety of folk performances.

At the same time, demonstrations and other activities will be going on, with tea ceremonies, Buddhist temple visits, and more. A kids' zone will offer performances and family-friendly games.

Martial arts demonstrations will return, covering a wide range including kyudo (archery) and naginata (a type of spear-like polearm).

Visual and literary arts will be represented as well, with several installations, including large-scale calligraphy and a poetry reading with pieces written as a response to the atomic bomb. The nearby Firehall Arts Centre will host a series of films, too.

And food, of course, will play a big role, with traditional and recently created options, including salmon BBQ, Spam musubi, and okonomi burgers.

As it's the 49th annual event, the Powell Street Festival Society is preparing for the 50th anniversary; attendees this year have an opportunity to share memories of past festivals and ideas for future ones.

Following past incidents, including the recent Lapu Lapu tragedy, organizers note they have worked on safety concerns. Additional security has been organized and traffic barriers. There will also be drinking water, rest areas, gender-neutral toilets, and more to create an inclusive festival.

49th Annual Powell Street Festival

When: Saturday, Aug. 2, and Sunday, Aug. 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Oppenheimer Park and Powell Street 

Cost: Free 

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