Program Of The 5th Anniversary Japan Festival 2026

The 5th Anniversary Japan Festival is entering its final stretch with an exciting, refreshed program! Dozens of workshops, talks, live streams, concerts, performances, cosplay events, art exhibitions, retro gaming consoles, and much more await you - right where the heart of Japan beats!

Visitors will embark on a journey to Japan with Kiki Koda, the festival’s Ambassador, as she explores the Japanese mindset, daily life, and way of thinking. Professor Kosuke Fukuda, PhD, will share his insights—delivered in fluent Greek—on the travels and work of Nikos Kazantzakis in Japan, including the author’s unforgettable experiences in Osaka in 1935. The friends of the Japanese Festival can also try their hand at writing haiku, sparking creativity and reflecting on the similarities and differences between Greek and Japanese culture in a workshop led by psychologist Stavroula Sanida, and they can watch the moving documentary The Lit-Up Calm by Hisashi Arima, which tells the story of the residents of Suzu City as they recover from two devastating earthquakes, restoring their annual matsuri festival and finding the resilience to rebuild their community. For lovers of Japanese history, mythology and folklore, Andreas Patsalides - also known as Tzapanezk - will present his book TZAPANEZK, immersing guests in a universe of gods, emperors, spirits, legends, and extraordinary tales, and welcoming discussions with anyone who shares a passion for the world of Japan.

The Japanese can find beauty in everything—even in the old, the worn, the imperfect, the humble, and the accidental. The Japan Festival invites visitors to experience the modest yet profound charm of Japanese traditional arts. Nectaria Dassacli, Conservator of Antiquities, will introduce audiences to Kintsugi, the traditional technique of repairing ceramics with gold, which heals a broken object and celebrates its story while transforming its cracks into marks of memory and value. Meanwhile, Japanese calligraphy master Mizuki Imamura will offer a deeply Japanese experience through her dedication to the mastery of the brush, and initiate visitors into the “living art” of Shodo, where every brushstroke carries the breath and spirit of the artist.

The festival will also showcase a world of beauty emerging from the elegance of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, with Christalla Karaisaridou, inviting guests to awaken the beauty within themselves. Festival guests can also explore the Japanese Oni mask in Diabolu’s workshop, transforming it through the creative process of painting and modeling.

The infinite potential of a simple material fascinates Alex Lucky Origami, a Civil Engineer who has folded hundreds of origami papers, exploring their deep connections with mathematics and geometry - much like architect Masahiro Chatani, who used origami to represent 3-D designs, opening up new perspectives with light and shadow. Japanese ingenuity also shines in Rakugo, a traditional form of storytelling invented by Buddhist monks  who wanted to make their sermons more appealing. Kimochi, one of Japan’s most talented Rakugo performers, will share both humorous and bittersweet tales exclusively for the Japan festival audiences.

Between 1794 and 1795, an artist working under the name Tōshūsai Sharaku created over 140 Ukiyo-e woodblock prints featuring Kabuki actors, Sumo wrestlers, and others, and then disappeared without a trace. Reflections on the work of this mysterious artist, Sharaku and Toulouse -Lautrec will be the main theme of Nektarianna K.Saliverou’s speech. The festival will also celebrate contemporary Japanese art through manga. Award-winning Greek mangaka Gyro Doujima, who lives and works in Japan, will introduce audiences to the magic of manga—often considered the cultural successor of Ukiyo-e—and will perform a live painting session specially for the festival.

The main stage will host the ultimate cosplay competition, featuring headliners Yvaine Dazzling and Olivia Chan, who will present the epic showdown of the country’s most talented cosplayers! The winners will travel to Japan to the international Pop Culture Festival in Hiroshima where they will represent Greece!


Photo Credit: Panos Bakogiannis

The main stage will shine with the performance by THE SUPERNOVAS in collaboration with Blue Hair Veela, while Greek cosplayer and crafter AngieV will share her secrets for the perfect cosplaying pose and photoshoot in a unique workshop. As for the savvy fans, they will be able to test their knowledge in the most exciting Anime Quiz Game, hosted by the well-known voice actor and radio producer Tasos Ntapantas from Greek Otaku Radio, and win collectible gifts, as well as exclusive anime merchandise!

This year’s Japan Festival welcomes an exciting special guest: Japanese music producer and performer KOHEI. With expressive vocals inspired by J-pop and J-rock, he combines the energy of Japanese pop culture with electrifying live performances, promising an unforgettable concert experience filled with emotion and dynamic sound.

The stage will also come alive with Japan’s beloved popular songs from the Shōwa era, performed by the captivating singer LJ English. Known for his powerful voice and striking tailor-made costumes, he brings passion and nostalgia to these timeless melodies. Meanwhile, W♪shcheerful will guide the Greek audience through a rich journey across Japanese music, from the nostalgic sounds of kayōkyoku to contemporary J-pop.

In 2007, Dimitris Rapakousios heard the Tsugaru shamisen, a traditional string instrument from northern Japan, for the first time. Since then, he has traveled eight times to Aomori, its birthplace, to study under the renowned Shibutani Kazuo Sensei. Now a virtuoso of the shamisen, he will share on the Japan Festival stage the powerful and evocative sounds of this tradition—music shaped by the region’s harsh winters, gentle autumns, and the breathtaking spring of cherry blossoms in bloom.

The Japan Festival celebrates the enduring spirit of Bushidō, honoring its legacy and influence on martial arts. Esteemed instructors will present dynamic demonstrations, offering audiences a glimpse into Japanese martial arts. The iconic “Empty Hand” martial art, Karate, originated in the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and spread worldwide through the Shotokan style taught by Funakoshi Sensei.

Savvas Mastrappas (8th Dan)—an accomplished international competitor and former coach of the Greek National Fudokan–Shotokan Karate Team—will join his team to showcase the power, precision, and discipline of this remarkable art. Festival visitors will also discover the graceful practice of Aikido, which does not rely on muscular strength but on complete harmony with the opponent’s movement in order to achieve maximum effect. Sensei Panagiotis Agrios of the Athens Bushido Center and Sensei Christos Koutelieris of Hellenic Inochikan Aikikai will introduce this elegant martial art focused on awareness and personal growth. Completing the program, Nikos Tsoupakis will present the Okinawan traditions of Yuishinkai and Ryukyu Kobujutsu, sharing more than 25 years of experience in preserving these historic martial arts.

Festival visitors will have the chance to sharpen their minds with the timeless strategy of Japanese board games at the Japan Festival. They will have the opportunity to discover the elegance and challenge of Go, widely considered the world’s oldest board game, guided by certified instructor Petros Zazanis, or experience the fast-paced twists and strategic reversals of Othello with Andreas Litsas from the Hellenic Othello Players Association. Meanwhile, with Kostas Vlachos, visitors will explore traditional games such as Mahjong, Shogi, and the beautiful “flower cards” of Hanafuda. This card game developed during the Edo period, and today the largest active producer of Hanafuda cards is Nintendo, a company that first began its journey in 1889.

Those who seek to discover the secrets of the stars can try 9 Star Ki, a method of Japanese astrology, that offers a comprehensive system for understanding a person’s character, talents, and life or relationship dynamics with Fanis Chazakis, in addition to the life force that surrounds us with Reiki practitioner and Life Coach Naoko Ishikawa who will introduce audiences to ki, a term that describes the vital energy that flows through all living things, connecting breath, spirit, and the natural world, who will also showcase the Japanese face-lifting method, a practice that harmonizes energy and beauty.

These experiences and much more await you at the celebratory 5th Japan Festival - don’t miss it!

The Japan Festival renews its support for Be the Miracle.

Panagiotis Agrios (Organizer, Public Relations)

Dorita Papadodima (Production Organization & Execution)

Art Exhibitions Curatorship: Artkor Team