3rd Annual Japanese Festival in Western Montana to be Held May 2–3

April 9, 2025

The University of Montana Western and the Dillon Public Library invite the community to celebrate the third annual Japanese Festival in Western Montana, with a variety of events taking place May 2–3, 2025.

Festival activities for all ages will be held across Dillon, including at the University of Montana Western, the Dillon Public Library, and several local businesses.

This year’s festival will feature performances of koto (Japanese harp) and taiko (Japanese drum), as well as cultural tables with hands-on activities. Additional events throughout downtown Dillon include a presentation by a renowned manga translator, a traditional tea ceremony, a paper armor craft activity, and a samurai demonstration.

Performers and guest speakers will travel from Seattle, Wyoming, and Japan. Nao Fukumoto, the Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) Coordinator, has played a key role in organizing this celebration of Japanese culture.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/JFWM2025 to view the full schedule of events.

Japanese Festival Highlights Include:

• Koto and taiko performances
• Taiko (Japanese drum) workshop
• Shinobue (Japanese flute) workshop
• Koto (Japanese harp) workshop
• Manga translation presentation
• Cultural tables featuring calligraphy, Children’s Day crafts, Kumamoto sister city presentation, sushi sampling, taiko and koto experiences, and a JET Program presentation
• Japanese doll and cultural displays
• Saito family and Japanese history exhibit
• Samurai armor demonstration
• Paper armor craft workshop for kids
• Furoshiki (cloth wrapping) workshop
• Yukata (traditional clothing) try-on
• Sado (tea ceremony)

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Humanities Montana, Japan Foundation New York, and the generous sponsors and contributors who have made this event possible.

Event passports will be available for pickup beginning April 28 at the Dillon Public Library. For more information, please contact Nao Fukumoto at nao.fukumoto@umwestern.edu.