Cultural Festival, 'Bunkasai', Season in Japan

It is 'Bunkasai' season in many parts of Japan at the moment. 'Bunkasai' are cultural festivals, where schools open their doors to the public and showcase the student's weeks (sometimes months) of creativity with classrooms transformed into artistic and / or amusement and entertainment spaces.

In my previous post, I wrote about how some public junior high schools have quietly scaled back their cultural festivals since the pandemic. Sadly, a few never fully revived them. But at senior high schools, the tradition remains strong. In fact, Bunkasai are still one of the most important ways for prospective students to get a feel for a school’s atmosphere, clubs, and community spirit and often work as a promotional tool for the school.

Last weekend, September 4th and 5th was the main weekend for Senior High School Cultural Festivals here in Saitama Prefecture. Many campuses were buzzing with performances, exhibitions, themed classrooms, cafés, and club showcases. And the season isn’t over yet; dozens more festivals will be held this coming weekend.

When is Bunkasai season in your city / town / village?