Matsuri Japanese Festival 2023

Overview

You don't have to go to Tokyo to enjoy an immersive Japanese experience. You can, of course, and you should at some point — especially now that Japan has reopened to tourists — because there's really nowhere else in the world like it. But if you're eager to eat like you're already there, watch performances and take part in cultural activities, you can save yourself the airfare at the Matsuri Japanese Festival.

Your bank account will thank you, and you'll take care of that nagging travel envy for an afternoon.

A one-day celebration that's moving to Whites Hill State College in 2023 — and taking place from 11am–5pm on Saturday, September 2 — it's Brisbane's own ode to the country that brought us sushi, katsu, yakitori, sake, matcha lattes and more. Expect to find more than a few things from that list on offer, and plenty of things to see and do as well.

Admission is free and, like every great cultural festival, you can expect a little bit of everything that makes Japan so ace.