‘Natsu Matsuri’ Japanese Summer Festival is Coming to Athens

The Embassy of Japan in Greece and the Municipality of Athens will once again celebrate the traditional Japanese festival “Natsu Matsuri” with a special event in the Greek capital.

Now in its third edition, the festival will be held at the city’s public Japanese park in Pagrati on June 27.

From July to September, Shinto shrines, parks, and squares all over Japan are adorned with stalls offering food, sweets, and games, similar to festivals in Greece. Children and adults, dressed in traditional yukata (informal cotton kimonos), dance and savor various delicacies under the glow of Japanese lanterns.

In celebration of the 2024 Greece – Japan Year of Culture and Tourism initiative, dancer Chihoco Yanagi will present a short performance of traditional Japanese dance (Nihon Buyo). The audience will have the opportunity to join the dancer, following the rhythms of Bon Odori, the dance of traditional Japanese summer festivals.

The creation of the Japanese Park in Pagrati, located near the National Gallery, is part of the municipality’s “Adopt Your City” program.