SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Japanese culture was in Salt Lake City’s spotlight.
Thousands of people came together in the heart of the Japan Town area for the 20th annual Nihon Matsuri Japan Festival.
There were martial arts and sumo demonstrations, more than 30 food and merchant vendors, and a cosplay contest.
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“I always like getting the food, seeing what kind of different Japanese foods they have at the different booths, and, yeah, just to come learn more about it and just have a good time,” Kevin Hanft, a festival-goer, said.
Festival Char Floyd Mori said that for the past two decades, the goal has always been to teach and get people involved in the Japanese culture.
“There’s a rich heritage. Many have been here for over 100 years now, and so it’s not just the Mormon pioneers which I studied as a kid, but there are many other groups that are pioneers and were influential in the development of Salt Lake City,” Mori said. “There is a group of people here that have a unique culture, that has a lot of beauty, a lot of value, and I think that it’s good that we see so many thousands of people coming.”
Organizers said the festival usually draws anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 people.
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