The most energetic 4 days ever! Report on the 20th Japan Expo

2019/7. The biggest Japan event in Europe this year in Paris, France, at the height of summer, when the bright sunshine of the sun shines”Japan Expo Paris — Japan Expo —” was held.

Japan Expo Paris 2019
‍Period: 4 days from 2019/7/4 (Thu) to 7/7 (Sun)
Venue: Paris, Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center
‍＞＞Japan Expo Paris Official Homepage

It was founded by 3 young people who love Japanese cultureJapan Expo — Japan Expo —has finally reached its 20th major milestone this year, and the number of visitors is predicted to be a record high. While everyone feels that the results are certainly challenging throughout the four days of enthusiasm, the official announcement after the exhibition is awaited.
At the same event, various projects were prepared to look back on our progress so far and connect it to the future. From Japan's world-renowned pop culture, such as manga, anime, games, music, fashion, and movies, to traditional culture, Japanese food, and literature, the wide variety of contents starting from a sense of beauty unique to Japan engulfed many visitors every day into a whirlpool of enthusiasm.

A dream festival that Japanese fans from all over Europe have been waiting impatiently for!

Japanese fans fill the vast venue

Disseminate the appeal of living in Japan today! “WABI SABI,” which showed a strong presence on the largest scale ever

Japan Promotion is a traditional and regional culture pavilion developed based on the concept of conveying “authentic Japanese culture.”WABI SABIProduced”. This year, which is now in its 9th year, 104 groups of artists, the largest ever, exhibited, and strongly disseminated diverse and attractive Japanese content.

This year'sWABI SABIThe theme is “worship.” With respect and gratitude to everyone in France who has continued to love Japan for so many years,WABI SABIThen, we introduced a number of high-quality Japanese cultural experiences by fascinating artists throughout the 4-day exhibition.

The once-a-day special show that matches the theme of the pavilion, which has become an annual event, is still popular.
When the “Parade Walk” performance by performers wearing gorgeous, profound costumes based on black and gold began, with congratulations that were quietly read aloud as a signal, many visitors who were present stood there with surprised expressions and watched their whereabouts.

When a group that embodies the “beauty of Japan” gathers in the center of the stage, there is no end to the overwhelming aura of people holding cameras and smartphones,WABI SABIIt came back to a great boil at one point.

Record No. 1 sales in history! Attractive Japanese items are in the hands of visitors

Deployed on the largest scale everWABI SABI PAVILIONThen, we achieved the highest sales in history over 4 days.

From clothing items such as origami earrings and fans that are easy to incorporate Japanese tastes into everyday life, an omikuji booth where you can experience culture unique to Japan, and calligraphy workshops where you can order your favorite characters from artists, etc., the pavilions were bustling every day.

Among the visitors, every yearWABI SABIThere are also many repeat visitors. Some say “Last year'sWABI SABII wanted to meet the artist I became good friends with again! There were also enthusiastic fans who said, “I brought a present too.”
Also, there were many visitors who learned about artist information in advance through SNS and went out of their way to search for booths.

This year, too, Japan Promotion will comprehensively support regional promotions all over Japan. Notable local characters appeared one after another, such as “Tochisuke” from Tochigi City, which steals the popularity of the floor every year with their adorable appearance, and “Mikke-chan” from Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture, who performed a brilliant dance performance, and enthusiastically conveyed the appeal unique to that region to the visitors.

The energy of Japanese culture explodes! Enthusiastic stage performance in the hall

This year, too, many diverse artists performed on the SAKURA stage and ART stage produced by Japan Promotion, which made the venue very exciting.

■SAKURA stage

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WABI SABI PAVILIONRight next to, at the Sakura Stage, located in the center of Hall 5A, a powerful performance that made use of that spacious stage made the venue very exciting every day.
A wide variety of programs were held every day, such as dramatic sword fighting performances, gorgeous flower show incorporating acrobatic elements, and cheering team performances that are very popular every year, and attracted many visitors.

At the finale on the 7th (Sun), all the artists who performed on the SAKURA stage during the exhibition went up to the stage and celebrated the end of the event in a grand way.

■ART stage

WABI SABI PAVILIONOn the ART stage located in the center of the front, there are many unique stages that take advantage of the close distance between the stage and the audience seats. Glamorous programs were shown one after another, such as a calligraphy performance with an outstanding sense of realism, a live performance that conveyed the unknown appeal of Japanese musical instruments from multiple angles, and a new type of fashion show presenting the possibilities of Japanese beauty, etc., and the fresh appeal of Japan was conveyed to visitors.

After the performance, many visitors were seen deepening communication, such as taking a commemorative photo with the artist and enjoying conversation.

Guests from media with many followers and buyers from popular shops also visited one after another

Various guests who love Japanese culture will be present during the exhibitionWABI SABIvisit. Mr. Masato Kidera, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to France, toured the pavilion with Thomas Silde, founder of the Japan Expo.

In addition, multiple local media, popular cosplayers with followers in countries around the world, and buyers developing businesses in France also visited, boasting worldwide popularityJapan ExpoAmong them, it has shown a strong presence as the “core” of the traditional culture sectorWABI SABIWe approached the appeal from each guest's point of view.

A woman who is a buyer who works at a shop that sells various Japanese items in FranceWABI SABI PAVILIONWalk around all the way and search for items that touch your own heartstrings.
They seemed to be particularly attracted to handicraft works where new ideas shine in good old traditions, such as gorgeous Kiyomizu-yaki vessels, red dye handed down in Okinawa since ancient times, and handmade daruma dolls that convey the warmth of handmade goods, and daruma dolls where you can enjoy gorgeous colors, etc., and they were also seen picking up their favorite products one after another and talking with the artist himself.